Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

This oatmeal bars recipe is a perfect meal prep breakfast! Easy to make in one bowl, the bars are soft, chewy, and filled with walnuts and dried fruit.

On busy mornings, I love having a stash of these oatmeal bars on hand. They’re a perfect grab-and-go breakfast, packed with hearty oats, walnuts, dried cranberries, and eggs to hold them together. They have a delicious soft-baked texture, and brown sugar and cinnamon fill them with sweet, spiced flavor. With two kiddos in the house, I rarely have time to make actual oatmeal on a weekday, but lucky for me, these oatmeal breakfast bars are even better! I adapted this oatmeal bars recipe from my baked oatmeal. When I started working on them, my goal was for them to have…

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Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

These mini muffins are one of my son's favorite snacks! Filled with chocolate chips, they're moist, puffy, and easy to make with basic ingredients.

Let’s make mini muffins! These bite-size treats are moist, puffy, and studded with gooey, melty mini chocolate chips. The recipe calls for basic ingredients and is easy to make—easy enough that if you have mini-muffin-loving kids in your house, they can help bake! These chocolate chip mini muffins have been one of my family’s go-to snacks for over a year. I developed the recipe because, well… I had gotten in the habit of buying store-bought mini muffins for my son Ollie when he was a toddler. But last summer, we started baking together every week, and I decided it was…

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Succotash

This succotash recipe is the ultimate summer vegetable side dish! Ready in under 30 minutes, it's packed with corn, lima beans, tomatoes, and more.

This succotash recipe is a celebration of late summer vegetables, filled with sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes, okra, and lima beans. I lean into the fresh flavors by adding herbs like basil and thyme and mix in a pinch of smoked paprika for smoky depth. Ready in under 30 minutes, this succotash recipe is an easy side dish to whip up when you have lots of summer veggies on hand. I’ve been making different variations on it for years (see the Summer Squash Succotash on page 273 of The Love & Lemons Cookbook), but I’ve been especially loving this version this…

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Crispy Rice

This crispy rice recipe is a delicious way to add crunch to salads, bowls, and side dishes! It's easy to make on a sheet pan with 4 simple ingredients.

This crispy rice recipe is one of my favorite ways to add crunch to salads and bowls. Easy to make on a sheet pan with just 4 ingredients, it transforms dry, dull day-old rice into something completely delicious. It’s crackly, toasty, and infused with nutty, savory flavor from tamari and sesame oil. I love it as the base of a bowl or salad or as a crunchy topping for roasted veggies, sweet potatoes, and more. I developed this crispy rice recipe after eating the most delicious crispy rice salad at a restaurant (shoutout to Hai Hai in Minneapolis!). I’d made…

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Whipped Cottage Cheese

This whipped cottage cheese recipe is an easy, delicious high-protein snack! It's smooth, creamy, and ready in 5 minutes. I love it as a dip for veggies!

This whipped cottage cheese recipe is an easy, delicious high-protein snack. It comes together in under 5 minutes: just add cottage cheese to a food processor with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and a pinch of salt. With a couple of pulses, the curds in the cottage cheese disappear. You end up with a creamy, tangy, silky-smooth dip that’s perfect for scooping up with crackers and veggies. It’s been on repeat in my kitchen lately. I love blending it up on the weekend so that I have a grab-and-go snack on hand during the week, and it’s also a great last-minute…

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Pasta Alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma is a traditional Sicilian pasta dish made with a flavorful tomato sauce and eggplant. Learn how to make it with this easy recipe!

Eggplant lovers, this pasta alla Norma recipe is for you! Eggplant skeptics, I think you’ll actually get behind this Sicilian pasta too. It stars a garlicky tomato sauce filled with tender eggplant slices. The eggplant practically melts into the sauce, thickening it and adding rich flavor. I round it out with ricotta salata cheese and a shower of fresh basil. Pasta alla Norma is a classic Italian pasta dish that originated in Sicily, in the city of Catania. My recipe has traditional flavors, featuring a tomato sauce with eggplant, ricotta salata, and basil, but I roast the eggplant instead of frying…

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Ramen Noodle Salad

This ramen noodle salad recipe is filled with crunchy ramen noodles, colorful veggies, and a tangy dressing. It's a delicious cookout side dish!

Who else grew up eating ramen noodle salad at potlucks and cookouts? This recipe is my updated take on the nostalgic summer side dish. It stars crisp veggies, juicy orange segments, a sweet and tangy vinaigrette, and the best part: a crunchy mix of toasted ramen noodles, nuts, and sesame seeds. I’ve made this ramen noodle salad recipe for a few BBQs already this summer, and it’s always been the first side dish to disappear. I hope you try it for a gathering soon—I promise it’ll be a hit! Ramen Noodle Salad Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make this…

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Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

This grilled portobello mushrooms recipe is an easy 15-minute side dish! A simple balsamic marinade fills the mushrooms with delicious savory flavor.

I make these grilled portobello mushrooms on repeat all summer. They’re such an easy side dish—meaty, savory, and ready in just 15 minutes on the grill. Their edges are lightly crisp and nicely charred, while their insides stay perfectly juicy. A quick balsamic marinade fills them with rich, smoky, tangy flavor. Below, I’m sharing my tips and tricks for how to grill portobello mushrooms, my go-to seasoning, and my favorite ways to serve them. They’re the sort of ultra-flavorful, super simple side dish I think everyone should have in their back pocket in summer. Try them for your next cookout…

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Tuscan Marinated Olives with Whipped Ricotta

Meet the appetizer I'll be making all summer long: marinated olives with whipped ricotta! A Tuscan spice blend fills them with bold Italian flavor.

This post is in partnership with The Spice House. Jack isn’t usually an olive person, but every time I make these marinated olives with whipped ricotta, he can’t get enough. They’re quickly becoming one of my go-to appetizers for summer entertaining because they feel elevated, but they’re so easy to make. Citrus- and herb-marinated olives sit on a bed of creamy whipped ricotta cheese with a golden ring of olive oil pooling around it. It looks (and tastes!) like something you could get at a restaurant, but it comes together in under 30 minutes. The secret ingredient in this recipe…

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Red Wine Vinaigrette

This red wine vinaigrette recipe is better than any store-bought salad dressing! Zippy, bright, and balanced, it's easy to make in 5 minutes.

Meet my go-to red wine vinaigrette recipe! Made with basic ingredients like olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey, this 5-minute salad dressing has a delicious balanced flavor. It’s tangy, savory, and a tiny bit sweet—so much better than any bottled dressing you can get at the store. I’ve been slowly perfecting this red wine vinaigrette recipe over the last few years. When I first started making it, I used too much vinegar, giving the dressing an overly-acidic punch. I gradually tempered it with more oil, honey, and mustard to create a smooth, emulsified texture and complex flavor that…

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Sauteed Zucchini

This sautéed zucchini recipe is a simple, flavorful weeknight side dish! Easy to make in 15 minutes, it's seasoned to perfection with garlic and lemon.

This sautéed zucchini recipe is on repeat in my kitchen every summer. Ready in 15 minutes, it’s such an easy side dish. The zucchini cooks on the stovetop with olive oil or butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. When it’s tender and browned, I season it with a squeeze of lemon for brightness, then add garnishes like red pepper flakes, parsley, and/or Parmesan for savory depth. Out of the many, many zucchini recipes I’ve shared over the years, this simple sautéed zucchini is one I make most often. It’s so quick and so flavorful, with delicious caramelization from the hot skillet.…

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

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I'm Jeanine Donofrio, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author and recipe developer. I share fresh, delicious vegetarian recipes that celebrate seasonal ingredients and flavors.

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