Mango & Zucchini Lettuce Wraps

Filled with sweet & spicy components & dipped in a bright sauce, these lettuce wraps are the perfect combination of simplicity & bold flavor.

As the temps have been rising, I’ve been craving food that’s lighter and colder. Lately we’ve spent most evenings dining al fresco trying to live it up before the 100 degree weather sets in. Chill evenings call for chilled food and these lettuce wraps are just so refreshing…. a beautiful appetizer, or (in our case) a light dinner. The thing I love about eating these lettuce wraps is that you can eat lots of them without feeling too guilty. For me, eating light is never about eating less food. But the most important thing you need for outdoor dining is…

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Grilled Polenta & Zucchini Salsa

summer / gluten free / cookbook

Today, we’re taking homemade polenta to a whole new level… (way beyond skipping the stuff that’s sold in the tube). I ground up my own polenta from popcorn! Who knew it was as easy as that? This recipe comes from The Homemade Flour Cookbook, by Erin of Naturally Ella. Erin is one of by best blog friends (BBF’s forever!), and I couldn’t be more proud of her and her beautiful new book. She breaks down the basics of making your own flour out of all sorts of grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes. It’s also packed with recipes for each type…

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Any Vegetable Vinegar Pickles

A simple pickle recipe that's great for pickling broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, onions, cucumbers, and more!

cookbook / giveaway / hip girl's guide to the kitchen

I love cookbooks and I hoard them pretty obsessively. Although, I’ll admit, I have a hard time following recipes from start to finish. Which is why I love the premise of Kate Payne’s new book, The Hip Girls Guide to the Kitchen. It’s a “hit the ground running approach, seeing as you need to eat three times daily whether you’ve mastered your kitchen or not.” It’s full of, really, everything you need to know to be pretty successful in your kitchen – from how to set up your pantry to how to put meals together intuitively and economically. (Also she’s gluten…

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Mostly-veggie Baked Macaroni

spring / pasta / gluten free-option

Sometimes life is not all about balance. For example, this is by no means a perfectly balanced mac and cheese (I know, way to sell it, right?). There’s some cheese in here, but nowhere close to four cheeses. Nothing is truffled, or bacon-ed, or cauliflower-ed. There’s some mac – but, all and all, it’s pretty light on the (quinoa) pasta to “other stuff” ratio. This is the kind of filling, yet, not-over-the-top meal that I like to eat in an every day sort of way. These days, in particular, I’m into meals that are overwhelmingly jam packed with green things.…

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Arugula Salad with Quinoa, Apricot & Avocado

A lightly sweet cumin-spiced dressing fills this arugula salad with flavor, while avocado, apricots, quinoa & chickpeas make it hearty & satisfying.

salads / gluten free / vegan

I’ll never get tired of an arugula salad with avocado and quinoa. They’re probably my favorite three ingredients to use. I love this sweet combo of dried apricots, peppery arugula, smoky cumin, and fruity Arbequina Olive Oil. (I almost named this Arbequina Quinoa – but try to say that one five times fast). The Key to a Good Arugula Salad is a Good Dressing The cumin-spiced salad dressing really makes this salad shine, and its key ingredient is Arbequina Olive Oil. So what’s Arbequina Olive Oil? It’s a light and fruity extra-virgin olive oil that’s perfect for flavorful dressings like…

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Blackberry & Lemon Zest Crostini

A simple summer appetizer: blackberries + mascarpone cheese with thyme and lemon zest. (vegan option).

spring / summer / appetizers

Now that it’s nearly summer, I’ve been making more and more things with less and less ingredients. Lately, I’ve been in love with this juicy little blackberry bite – it’s simple, sweet & bright, with an unexpected savory note from the thyme leaves. These would be beautiful (not to mention ridiculously easy to assemble) for any last minute cocktail party. The only thing missing here: a patio & a few glasses of prosecco. It’s 5 o’ clock somewhere right?

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Pickled Chard Quinoa Bowls

vegan / gluten free / spring

Lately, our weekends have been filled with some pretty extravagant eats. After a few weeks in a row of food & wine fests, gelato fests (oh, yes), and dinners out with friends, I’ve been feeling a little over-indulged, to say the least. Quinoa to the rescue! Nothing helps me feel more grounded than a bowl of quinoa piled with veggies. This bowl is pretty simple if you’ve prepped a few of these items in advance. I like to make a big batch of quinoa and keep it in the fridge all week. Same with pesto… and this week I happened…

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Pickled Chard Stems

spring / vegan / gluten free

Eat the rainbow, (and no I’m not talking about Skittles). I just love chard and I love it’s crunchy colorful stems. Although, very often, I end up with a lot of extra stem pieces. They’re way too pretty to toss so I’ve started pickling them. Don’t worry, this isn’t a Sunday afternoon project, these are super quick refrigerator pickles. (i.e. the kind I have patience for). You could slice yours into long spears, but I chop mine up (they pickle quicker that way), and them I eat them Japanese Tsukemono style – as a simple condiment with rice (or any grain),…

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Sweet Curried Almonds

snacks & dips / equal exchange / giveaway

As a food blogger, I use my stove nearly every day without thinking much about it. It’s easy to take things like multiple burners and good ventilation for granted. (Well, except when Jack cooks – we have to frantically open every window to keep the fire department from showing up). In other areas of the world, women are cooking over a small fires in enclosed spaces that lack light and ventilation. Their kitchens are filled with smoke, making it difficult (not to mention unsafe) to prepare meals for their families. This Mother’s Day, Equal Exchange is working to donate energy-efficient…

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Sambal Salsa & Black Bean Tacos

vegan / vegetarian / gluten free

I’m a little bit behind. I realize – today is Ocho de Mayo and I’m late to the game with a salsa & taco recipe. But the way I see it – every day can be taco day. Aside from avocado smashed on toast, “stuff in a tortilla,” is my next go-to meal. I came up with this recipe a little bit by accident. A few weeks ago, I was in Chicago visiting my family, cooking with whatever was around my mom’s kitchen. On that particular day: a few tomatoes, an avocado, some onions, etc… Halfway through chopping all of…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.