Avocado Cucumber Sushi Roll

Learn how to make sushi with this easy sushi recipe! Filled with mango, avocado & cucumber, it makes a healthy, delicious sushi roll.

We love sushi. We love it so much that we rarely make it at home, well, because Uchi is just down the street. But this homemade sushi recipe is a fun kitchen project to do with your significant other when you’re looking for something new to do together in a Friday night. Plus, making this sushi roll is way less expensive than ordering sushi at a restaurant. Sushi Roll-Making Tips! First things first – don’t be scared! The only thing required for “sushi date night” is a bamboo mat and a positive attitude. You need to be in the kind of…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Kiwi Avocado Salsa Verde

Change up your usual avocado salsa with a surprising sweet ingredient: kiwi! It's a vibrant, fresh & fun dip that's perfect for parties.

My husband Jack really loves kiwi. He grew up in Florida, so I always envisioned him growing up among kiwi trees. His grandfather had quite the green thumb, and Jack always tells stories of the fruits and vegetables they would pick and eat together. He talks about kiwi so much that I had just assumed that this tropical fruit was part of that picture as well. Last week when I was trying to dream up a unique salsa recipe, I thought kiwi would be fun and different, and most importantly – Jack would love it. It’s not a fruit I typically…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Artichoke Avocado Toast

Simple, springy avocado toast topped with radishes and dill. Vegan, Gluten free option.

Last spring, my mom visited for over a month to help with the book and one of her tasks was Designated Artichoke Cleaner. I love artichokes, but trimming them is kind of a hassle. Unfortunately, my mom does not live an artichoke cleaning’s distance away. Last weekend when I brought these artichokes home, I thought about re-assigning this task to Jack (he is the risotto stirrer and the pomegranate seed picker, among other useful things). But I decided to go for it myself, like a big girl, and it really wasn’t so bad. If you’re psyching yourself out of artichokes this spring – don’t! They take a little time, but…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Prettiest Spring Vegetable Platter

A fresh, healthy way to serve veggie crudite at your next happy hour or party! Vegan and gluten free options, with dip, wine, and cheese pairings.

Is it just me or has spring come early this year? Last weekend, I loaded up on the prettiest brightly colored vegetables to put together a gorgeous yet easy wine party crudité appetizer spread. Two things always intimidate me about putting together party food: 1: Spending tons of time (and tons of money) putting together a guest-worthy spread, and 2: Picking out great wine. So today I have some tips for both… Let’s start with the wine (always my favorite place to start). We’ve partnered with WineSimple, which is my new favorite way to choose wine because they choose it for you! You start…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Healthy Loaded Vegan Nachos

Who knew nachos could be healthy? We love this version topped with walnut-mushroom taco meat, cashew nacho "cheese," and plenty of veggies.

It sounds silly to say, but the first vegan “dish” I really fell hard for was nachos. It was years ago at Native Foods where the Native Nachos were a revelation to us. They weren’t a snack, they were our dinner late one night. They were piled high with taco “meat,” black beans, cashew cheese (a crazy concept at the time), salsa, and guacamole… we scarfed them down saying (with our mouths full) “how are these vegan?!” I came home with their cookbook and every night later that week, I made nachos. My version here is quite a bit different, but the…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Mini Potato Pizzas

Mini Potato Pizzas are the perfect easy & healthy party appetizer.

If there’s any vegetable that’s under-represented on this blog, it has to be the potato. If you take a glance at our recipe index, you’ll notice that I while I have a mild obsession with sweet potatoes, I often skip over other potato varieties. But I have to tell you, I’m in love with all potato varieties (russets, red, whites, blues, the list goes on…), which are especially great for entertaining. These little pizzas are SO delicious and so so easy. A perfect appetizer to serve this Sunday for the big game. To make these, first seek out some colorful pretty petite potatoes. Ok, just kidding, if you…

TO THE POST >>>>

Beet Hummus

I love the bright color of this slightly sweet beet hummus. A little cumin & coriander enhance its flavor, making it an addictive appetizer or snack!

I love the way this beet hummus tastes – it’s slightly sweet, but not too beet-y. Jack, our resident beet-hater, was skeptical as I made this, but he ended up loving it. But what really excites me is the color. It’s so bright and vibrant – exactly what I feel like eating in the middle of winter when the days are bleak and grey. Ok, that’s an exaggeration because it’s actually super sunny here today. But if it’s grey where you are – try out this beet hummus recipe. Beet Hummus Recipe Ingredients To make this recipe, 10 simple ingredients are…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Sweet Potato Pomegranate Crostini

Sweet Potato Pomegranate Crostini make a delicious holiday appetizer or snack! Topped with lemon sunflower spread or ricotta & herbs. Vegan, healthy & fun!

Hello, from holiday-break-land! This year, Jack and I had a quiet Christmas weekend at home. Which really means that we stayed in our pj’s until at least noon every day. We finished watching the new season of Fargo and we’re now onto Homeland (don’t tell me what happens!). We’ve made waffles and cocktails and all sorts of other soon-to-be recipes for this here blog. So far January is looking to be delicious, but before we get there here’s a little festive appetizer that would be perfect for a healthier New Years Eve get-together. This avocado pomegranate crostini is one of my favorites so I…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Sweet & Spicy Popcorn

Easy 6-ingredient homemade Sweet & Spicy Popcorn is a great holiday gift! Vegan, gluten-free & healthier than classic kettle corn, but just as good.

Hello everyone, Jack here, pinch-hitting for Jeanine. She’s been busy making this very popcorn, so she asked me to write about it. Popcorn this time of year makes me think of something that has become a bit of an American tradition – gigantic multi-gallon tins of flavored popcorn. You know the kind – they’re the size of an oil drum, separated into three sections on the inside with a literal ton of popcorn inside. It seems like a good idea – popcorn is cheap, so why not preserve it in a sticky, sugary shell to enjoy over the entire month of December? Well,…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Roasted Delicata Squash Tacos

These easy, spicy vegan Delicata Squash Tacos are perfect for fall! Filled with kale, mushrooms, squash & pumpkin cashew cream, they're healthy & delicious.

I almost posted these last week as an “alternative Thanksgiving” vegetarian option, but then I decided that the “T-day Taco” was a bit of a stretch. Personally, I’d love to eat tacos for any holiday feast, but would you? Raise your hand if so – I’m taking notes for next year… Delicata squash is one of my favorite squashes for a few reasons: 1. you can cut it without worrying about cutting your arm off, and 2. you can roast it with the skins on – no peeling necessary – and it’s so sweet and tender. I’ve been on a cashew…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Pumpkin Spiced Corn Muffins

Pumpkin makes these spiced corn muffins lightly sweet. On their own, they're a delicious breakfast, but they're also good with a hot bowl of soup.

Currently, I’m sitting inside with three shirts on, one scarf, and one coat. I’ve been in Chicago for the last few days visiting my family, and it’s no surprise that I showed up just in time for the first snow. It always knows when I’m coming. In my parents’ house, there are 3 options to get warm – first, don’t take your coat off, and second, turn up the heat when no one is looking… but by far the most effective method is to BAKE. Crank that oven and when you’re done leave it open to feel every last bit of…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>
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.