Linguine with Fennel & Winter Greens

Just 10 ingredients - including balsamic, sage, and caramelized onions - make this simple pasta so delicious that I always go back for seconds.

Before I get to today’s recipe, I have some exciting news for you – do you remember this trip to Sonoma that I went on a few months ago? Well now it’s your chance to go on that exact same trip, hosted by the lovely folks at Fortessa. You’ll get to stay at the gorgeous Fairmont hotel, attend cooking class at the original Williams Sonoma Store, and of course have amazing food and wine the whole time. It was tons of fun (click here to enter) my fingers are crossed for you! Now back to the recipe! This pasta is super easy, yet…

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Chickpea & Cauliflower Tomato Stew

A hearty & healthy vegetable minestrone stew topped with kale pesto. Perfect for cold winter nights or make ahead lunches. Vegan and gluten free.

We’re en route to snowy Chicago today and I’m trying to think warm thoughts. Yes, I grew up there, but I’m such a baby about winter. Scraping car windows, not being able feel my fingers & toes – I did it for years & it’s just not my thing. BUT I’m excited to spend a little time with my family, eat some good food, and probably cook a little. On the menu, obviously, will be warm food like this hot & hearty vegetable-packed soup. This is my take on minestrone although it’s a little less than traditional – it’s in between…

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Lemony White Wine Capellini

The simplest elegant pasta dish made with spinach, herbs, lemon-white wine sauce & a toasted pine nut topping. A fantastic weeknight dinner! Gluten-free.

This recipe describes how I like my holidays: simple and with wine. I don’t get too wrapped up in holiday craziness – I don’t fight crowds at the mall, I don’t bake ten million cookies, and I don’t cook a Christmas ham (is that what people still do?). But I do enjoy making easy elegant dinners like this one. This pasta is bright and merry, with squeezes of lemon and splashes of Barefoot Pinot Grigio. The recipe starts with a very light lemony white wine sauce made with olive oil, shallots, and garlic. Then, I toss in a few handfuls of spinach before…

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Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

Butternut squash stuffed shells are the ultimate fall comfort food! Filled with creamy spinach "ricotta," this recipe is an all-time fan favorite.

Creamy, tangy, and with a caramelized sweetness from roasted butternut squash, this stuffed shells recipe is one you’re sure to love. In lieu of any ricotta, Parmesan, or mozzarella cheese, I stuff them with a light, dairy-free “ricotta.” Made from cashew cream, crumbled tofu, herbs, and lemon zest, it’s rich and flavorful. If your family is squeamish about tofu, just don’t tell them. They’ll never suspect it here. My Favorite Stuffed Shells Recipe While I often use a marinara sauce with my stuffed shells, in the spirit of fall, I opted for a luscious, creamy cashew sauce. I also stuffed my shells…

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Tahini Noodle Salad with Carrots & Chickpeas

This healthy noodle salad is one of my favorite lunch recipes. Tossed in a tangy, nutty sauce, it's filled with crispy chickpeas & lots of veggies.

Today, I’m taking a break from soup season (although I do have some good ones in the works!), because it’s been about 95 degrees lately and a big, cold noodle salad just sounded good to me. This bowl is full of whole grain noodles and crunchy veggies that are all tossed in a deliciously creamy, nutty tahini sauce. In an effort to feel some “fall spirit,” I roasted chickpeas and carrots and tossed those in too. Cooked carrots haven’t always been our thing – the trick is to roast them until they’re slightly tender but still have some bite (just don’t let them get mushy!). If…

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Broccoli Pesto Mac & Cheese

The ultimate mac & cheese mix in - broccoli pesto! A yummy way to get your kids to eat more veggies.

Some exiting news – the book is done(!) and off to print this week. I’ll share some sneak peaks a little later but suffice it to say – I’m tired. I never thought I would say this but after shooting, testing, retesting, checking and rechecking so many recipes – I became a little “cooked” out. Over the last few weeks, while working through final copy and design edits, there’s been a lot of takeout around here and more than a few boxes of macaroni and cheese. But no one is complaining – especially not my mac & cheese-loving husband Jack. He would be more than thrilled…

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Zucchini Noodles & Lemon “Ricotta”

In a few weeks, Jack and I are headed to Rome where we will unapologetically eat gelato and pasta every day. We’ll tell ourselves we’re “walking it off,” and that “walk” will most definitely be on our way to the next meal. Until then, I’m making an effort to lighten things up. Conveniently, zucchini is in season so “zoodles” make for a fun vegetable-focused spin on regular pasta… First off – you don’t need to go out and buy a spiralizer to make these. If you’re going to invest in a gadget, I highly recommend the julienne peeler because it’s inexpensive, works great, and is small enough…

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Sesame Basil Soba Noodles

There are times when I cook that I like to pack in every vegetable and also the kitchen sink. And then there are nights when I just crave something simple. This is the latter, obviously, and it’ll take you only ten minutes to make. The ingredient combo here is a little strange, but hear me out – soba noodles, sesame oil and good parmesan cheese all have a delicious nutty flavor in common. Basil and fresh peas are sweet which offer a nice simple balance. I love the subtle flavor of fresh peas here, if you don’t have any, just skip them…

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Avocado & Lemon Zest Spaghetti

A quick and easy weeknight dinner - especially great for avocado-lovers. Use brown rice spaghetti to make it gluten free.

As I’m putting the finishing touches on our book, (T minus 3 days!) I thought now would be a good time to start making recipes from other peoples’ books… Last week, I briefly talked about Anna’s book, A Modern Way To Eat. While it’s been out for awhile now, it’s only recently been released in the US and I finally got my hands on a copy. What I love about it is that it’s more than just a book full of recipes (although there are over 200 of them!)… she offers tons of delicious ideas for how to mix flavors and textures together in creative but not-fussy ways.…

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Vegan Spinach Mac & Cheese

A creamy vegan mac & cheese made with cashews, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, balsamic, and cayenne. A healthy & delicious weeknight dinner.

Jack here, writing for the blog today while Jeanine writes for the book… I have something to admit that I’m having a hard time with. I’m starting to prefer vegan “mac and cheese” to actual mac and cheese. Now, this is a hard one for me. You see, I love cheese. Almost every time we go to Whole Foods, I raid the “under $3 cheese” bin to find crazy new cheeses that I can barely pronounce. And a great grilled cheese is work of art. But these vegan “mac and cheese” recipes Jeanine comes up with pretty much hit everything I…

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Lemon Broccoli Pasta + Exciting News!

I’ll cut to the chase and just start with “exciting news” part – we’re writing a cookbook! I haven’t been overly secretive about it, but it’s official… 288 pages of never-been-blogged-before vegetable-ey goodness will be out next April! (I know, I know, a whole year away – I promise it’ll be worth the wait). It’s being published by Penguin US and Penguin Canada, the teams behind some of my favorite books including Oh She Glows and What Katie Ate. We’ve been hard at work for months now and I can’t wait to show you how it’s coming together! I’ll be sharing updates and previews…

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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.