Basil Pesto Recipe

Pesto is one of my favorite condiments to keep on hand. Try these easy, fun pesto recipe variations to brighten pasta, salads, roasted veggies & more!

One of my favorite things about summer is the bounty of fresh herbs that are just outside my doorstep. Fresh herbs make any meal instantly more flavorful and beautiful. My favorite thing to do with all of those fresh herbs (aside from sprinkle them on everything) is to make pesto! It’s especially great for lazy summertime cooking. I like to dollop it on grilled vegetables, pasta, spaghetti squash, salads, eggs, toasted bread, pizza, sandwiches… you get the idea. With just a few easy steps, it makes anything an instant tasty meal, whether you feel like cooking or not. What is…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Crostini Appetizers

Make a big, beautiful tray of easy crostini appetizers for your next gathering! With 6 flavor pairings, you'll have something for everyone.

appetizers / summer

Now that the 4th of July has come and gone, summer is in full swing. Not only are we (finally) seeing sunny skies and warm weather, but we’ve also had a lot of visitors in the last few weeks. Jack’s sister was in town for the 4th, and his parents were in a week earlier. We’ve had friends visiting as well! With company in the house, I always like to have a few good appetizer ideas up my sleeve. Different people like to eat at different times, and I never want guests to starve while they wait for dinner to…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Pineapple Salsa

Move over, tomatoes! This fresh, easy pineapple salsa recipe adds the perfect sweet & spicy finish to tacos, salads, burritos, and more.

summer / appetizers

When I moved to Austin, I discovered how fantastic fresh salsa could be. Whether made with tomatoes, tomatillos, chiles, or fruit, fresh salsas were always tangier, juicier, and more flavorful than their jarred counterparts. Of course, it wasn’t long before I started making my own at home, and this easy pineapple salsa recipe is one of my favorites. With just 7 ingredients, it couldn’t be simpler to make. Delectably sweet, spicy & juicy, it’s the perfect topping for grilled veggies (or grilled meats, if you’re not vegetarian) and all sorts of Mexican-inspired dishes. I hope you love it as much…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Vegan Tacos

Jerk-spiced jackfruit and mango avocado salsa pack these vegan tacos with a big punch of flavor! They're bright, fresh, and fun to eat.

When I flipped through the Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook by Nisha Vora, these jerk-spiced vegan tacos caught my attention right away. Combining jerk seasoning with ginger, tamari, and meaty jackfruit isn’t something I would have thought of myself. But wow, wow, wow, were these delicious! In the past, I’ve made vegan taco recipes with roasted sweet potato, black beans, a ground beef-like mushroom taco “meat,” and more, but this jackfruit filling is one of my new favorites. It has a fantastic hearty texture and bold, spicy flavor that’s perfectly accented by a sweet and juicy mango avocado salsa. I’m obsessed with…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Perfect Oatmeal Cookies

The best oatmeal cookie recipe! It yields soft and chewy oatmeal cookies that are perfectly spiced with cinnamon. Add raisins or chocolate chips!

snacks

This oatmeal cookie recipe makes perfect soft and chewy oatmeal cookies! They’re warmly spiced with cinnamon and filled with rich flavor from butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. And though I often make this recipe with raisins, it works well with a variety of mix-ins. Fold in walnuts, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips! Another reason to love this oatmeal cookie recipe? You don’t need a mixer to make it. The dough is easy to mix up with a spatula and basic pantry ingredients whenever a cookie craving strikes. This recipe was originally published in Sarah Copeland’s cookbook Every Day Is Saturday, and…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Fajita Veggies

Celebrate summer with these rainbow fajita veggies! Incredibly easy and insanely flavorful, this veggie fajita recipe is perfect for entertaining.

summer / dinner

After you try these rainbow fajita veggies, you’ll never need to visit Chipotle again. These guys are super fresh and colorful, tangy, smoky, and perfectly charred. They’d be a great addition to a burrito or bowl, but for my money, they make a great main dish too. Served alongside tortillas and fresh fixings like guac and salsa, this veggie fajita recipe is a delicious quick and easy dinner. These fajita veggies would make a great weeknight dinner, but they’re perfect for parties, too! Not only can you make them in under 30 minutes, but they’re also ideal for serving a…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Pickled Jalapeños

Make these pickled jalapeños once, and you'll be hooked. Sweet & spicy, they're great on tacos, burgers & more, or on their own straight from the jar!

summer / vegetarian

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know that I’m a huge fan of pickled onions. They’re tangy, they’re sweet, they’re salty – really, they’re just darn good. For the longest time, they’ve been my favorite way to add a bright pop of color and flavor to salads, tacos, sandwiches, and more. But lately, pickled onions have been playing second fiddle to a new quick-pickle favorite: pickled jalapeños! These guys are the perfect blend of spicy, salty, and sweet. And if you’re not a fan of spicy foods, they’re still worth a try. The longer you leave…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Healthy Taco Salad

This healthy taco salad recipe is a delicious lunch or weeknight meal! It stars crisp lettuce, a zesty cilantro lime dressing, and fresh taco toppings.

summer / salads

This taco salad recipe is so delicious, I could eat it every day for lunch or dinner. It’s vibrant and healthy, filled with crisp lettuce and other fresh taco toppings, but it’s still super flavorful and satisfying. Avocado adds delicious creamy texture, crispy tortilla strips add crunch, and my favorite veggie taco meat (instead of ground beef) packs in the savory flavor. A zesty cilantro lime dressing takes the whole thing over the top! Prep this recipe ahead for lunch (store the components separately in the fridge and assemble each day), or make it for a healthy weeknight meal. If…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Cilantro Lime Dressing

This tangy cilantro lime dressing is destined for your next taco salad. Enjoy it as a vinaigrette, or add avocado or Greek yogurt to make it creamy!

summer / condiment

This cilantro lime dressing is the perfect summer salad dressing – it’s tangy, it’s herbaceous, and it’s so yummy drizzled over summer salads, grilled veggies, and more. The best part about it this dressing? It can be made 3 ways! Once you make the cilantro lime dressing, serve it as-is, add Greek yogurt to make a creamy ranch-like dressing (pictured in the middle above), or add avocado to make a thick, creamy sauce (pictured left above). Let’s get started! Cilantro Lime Dressing Ingredients I make this dressing in the food processor so that the cilantro gets finely chopped and the…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Crispy Sesame Tofu

Who needs takeout when you can make delicious sesame tofu at home? Nutty, savory, and sweet, it's a healthy dinner that cooks up in a flash.

vegetarian / dinner

Over the last few weeks, Jack and I have had this crispy sesame tofu recipe on repeat. It comes from The Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook by Gina Homolka, and we’ve been having fun making it in our new air fryer. A thick crust of black and white sesame seeds coats slabs of tofu, and a simple sesame sauce infuses them with sweet and tangy flavor. It’s just as fun and flavorful as takeout, but it’s so much healthier. If you have an air fryer, I highly recommend you try this recipe. If you don’t, not to worry! I’m also sharing…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Cilantro Lime Rice

This easy cilantro lime rice recipe is fresh and bright. Serve it as a side dish with Asian or Mexican food, or use it as the base of your next burrito bowl.

vegan / gluten free

This cilantro lime rice recipe is even better than Chipotle’s. Yup, I said it. This easy cilantro lime rice is fresh and bright, flecked with chopped cilantro, lime zest, savory scallions, and jalapeños for heat. It’s an epic base for a homemade burrito bowl—just add black beans, fajitas veggies, salsa, and guac!—but it’s also a versatile side dish. Serve it with Mexican fare like tacos or enchiladas, with an Asian-inspired meal like crispy sesame tofu, or with whatever you’re grilling. This recipe couldn’t be easier or more delicious. I think you’ll love it! How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice This…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Welcome to Love & Lemons!