Hasselback Potatoes

These hasselback potatoes are an impressive (and delicious!) side dish. Cut into a fan of thin slices, they're crisp on the edges and tender in the middle.

Hasselback potatoes! If you need a potato-y side dish for a special meal this season, I can’t recommend these fancy-looking spuds enough. They’re cut into thin slices most of the way through, but they’re left intact at the bottom, so the slices form a kind of fan. As they bake in the oven, the slices become tender in the middle and wonderfully crisp around the edges, channeling their inner potato chip. So delicious! The concept of the hasselback potato is nothing new–it dates back to the 1950s, where the potatoes were first served at the Hasselbacken Restaurant and Hotel in…

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Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut butter blossoms will make all your chocolatey, peanut-y Christmas dreams come true! These classic cookies are delicious and easy to make.

Who else loves peanut butter blossoms?! If I see these festive treats on a cookie plate around the holidays, I reach for one right away. I think they’re kind of genius. Peanut butter cookies are great on their own. So are chocolate kisses. But together, this pair is completely irresistible. I love how the rich chocolate candy melds into the soft, sugar-crusted cookie. And I mean, nothing bad ever happens when peanut butter and chocolate team up. It’s no wonder that peanut butter blossoms are a Christmas classic. If you’re planning to make a batch this holiday season, check out…

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Apple Pie Filling

Learn how to make apple pie filling from scratch! Sweet, tart, juicy, and warmly spiced, it's delicious in pies and on ice cream, pancakes, and more.

Once I started making this apple pie filling recipe, I knew I’d never fill an apple pie any other way. The apples come out with the perfect texture–tender, but not mushy–and they’re dripping with syrupy, cinnamon-spiced juices. If you’re making an apple pie this fall, I can’t recommend this filling highly enough. But even if you’re not making a pie, I still hope you’ll try this recipe. This homemade apple pie filling doesn’t need to hide inside a flaky, buttery crust to be a delicious treat. The soft, sweet-tart apples are fantastic on ice cream or yogurt, stirred into oatmeal, or…

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Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

These roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts have a delicious crispy texture and sweet, tangy flavor. You'll want to eat them straight off the baking sheet!

A balsamic Brussels sprouts recipe was one of our first-ever posts on Love & Lemons (10+ years ago now!), so I’ll always have a soft spot for this classic side dish. I wanted to share a new, updated version of it this fall because it’s such a good one to have in your back pocket during the holiday season. Balsamic Brussels sprouts are no harder to make than regular roasted Brussels sprouts, but the addition of the vinegar and a little honey really gives them restaurant-quality flavor. They’re sweet, tangy, caramelized, and crisp around the edges. I love to toss…

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes

No matter who you're serving, these mashed sweet potatoes are guaranteed to be a hit! They're smooth, creamy, and full of sweet and savory flavor.

If mashed sweet potatoes have never made an appearance on your dinner table, now’s the time to change that. They’re just too delicious to not have in your side dish rotation, especially in the fall. These mashed sweet potatoes have a beautifully smooth and creamy texture, and I season them with garlic, ginger, and rosemary to create a rich, warm flavor that’s part savory, part sweet. But maybe best of all, this mashed sweet potato recipe is SO easy to make! It calls for 8 ingredients, and the oven takes care of most of the work for you. It’s a…

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French Toast

Learn how to make French toast perfectly every time! Custardy, lightly sweet, and golden brown, it's a delicious breakfast or brunch.

This classic French toast recipe is one of my favorite things to make for brunch. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a holiday or a regular old lazy weekend morning: just thinking about French toast makes my stomach start growling. What could be more crave-worthy than thick slices of bread with custardy middles, crisp edges, and a mound of fresh fruit on top? This French toast recipe is delightfully quick and easy, so Jack and I make it whenever we have day-old bread in the house. Still, it has the flavor of a special occasion treat. The eggs make it nice and…

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15 Best Vegan Cookie Recipes

These delicious vegan cookie recipes include peanut butter cookies, sugar cookies, chocolate chip, and more. You won't miss the butter or eggs one bit!

You don’t need eggs or butter to make delicious cookies, and these vegan cookie recipes are here to prove it. They include all the classics – peanut butter cookies, sugar cookies, gingerbread, and chocolate chip – as well as fun, out-of-the-box vegan cookie recipes for anyone looking to try something new. Whether you’re gearing up for holiday baking or just in the mood for an easy sweet treat, I hope you find some vegan cookie recipes you love! Vegan Spice Cookies These vegan cookie recipes are especially perfect for the holidays, but if you’re tempted to make them at another…

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How to Make A Cheese Board

Learn how to make a perfect cheese board for entertaining! Filled with a fun variety of cheeses, fruits, and spreads, it offers something for everyone.

Whether I’m hosting a dinner party, a happy hour, or a holiday get-together, a cheese board is always my go-to appetizer. It’s my #1 choice for so many reasons – it offers a little something for everyone, it looks so pretty and festive, and it’s easy to put together (no cooking required!). Now, if you’ve never made a cheese board before, it might not seem so easy. What cheeses do you pick? What do you pair with them? I promise that the process really is simple, and to get you started, I’m sharing my favorite way to assemble a cheese…

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Crispy Smashed Potatoes

These smashed potatoes are SUCH a tasty side dish or snack! They're crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle, and packed with savory garlic flavor.

Crispy smashed potatoes? Two, no, three. …Ok, more like four for me, please! I’m a huge fan of potato wedges, roasted potatoes, and even French fries, but these crispy smashed potatoes might just be my favorite potatoes yet. They have glorious crispy skins, comforting creamy middles, and a savory garlic-Parmesan flavor that I’m pretty sure no one could ever get enough of. Conveniently, they’re perfect for a wide variety of occasions. Top them with a drizzle of chipotle sauce, and they’d make a mouthwatering game day snack. Sprinkle them with fresh herbs, and they’d be a crowd-pleasing Thanksgiving side dish.…

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French Onion Soup

This easy French onion soup recipe will rival any you've had at a restaurant. Topped with crispy, cheesy baguette, it's rich, savory, and comforting.

French onion soup is one of my favorite comfort foods. For years, I hadn’t been able to find a good vegetarian version of it, because it’s traditionally made with beef broth. But since caramelized onions are what make it so flavorful, it seemed like a prime candidate for a meat-free makeover. After lots of testing (and lots of soup), I’m here to tell you that this French onion soup recipe is just as good as any made with beef stock. Swimming with velvety caramelized onions, it’s bold, savory, and delicious. To make it, I turn to my go-to ingredients for…

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35 Best Vegan Appetizers

Who says you need meat or dairy to have a good time? These easy vegan appetizers are fun and flavorful. You won't be able to get enough of them!

These easy vegan appetizers prove how fun plant-based eating can be! As I compiled this list over the weekend, I found myself itching to make each one of these vegan appetizer recipes. They’re colorful, bold, and bright, the kind of food that makes you want to reach out and try it…and then go back for another bite. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or someone who eats everything, you’re going to love these vegan appetizers! They range from creamy dips to refreshing salsas, from pretzels to spring rolls to bruschetta and beyond. Over the years, we’ve made them for parties, date nights, cookouts,…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.