Whole Oat Porridge

This whole oat porridge recipe transformed me from an oatmeal skeptic to a devoted fan! Creamy, hearty, and warming, it can be made sweet or savory.

It’s no secret that I haven’t been a huge fan of oatmeal. See, every morning in college, I cooked instant oats for breakfast. They were cheap, quick, and they filled me up, but after years of eating them day after day, I got sick of their mushy texture and bland taste. I thought that nothing could convince me to try oatmeal again, until I saw the Porridge section of Amy Chaplin’s new book, Whole Food Cooking Every Day. I’ve been a fan of Amy for years – she’s the former executive chef of Angelica Kitchen (the NYC restaurant that first…

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50 Best Brunch Recipes

Looking for new brunch ideas? Try one of our 50 best brunch recipes! With plenty of sweet and savory options, we've got something for everyone.

Brunch might be the most popular meal there is, and for good reason! It’s the perfect combination of breakfast and lunch—you can opt for savory fare like chilaquiles or a slice of quiche or satisfy your sweet tooth with cinnamon rolls or a stack of pancakes. At the brunch table, anything goes. I’m sharing 50 of my best brunch ideas below. Filled with easy, doable, and delicious recipes, this list includes sweet brunch ideas, savory brunch ideas, and our best brunch drinks. Whether you’re looking for inspiration for a big holiday brunch or a lazy weekend meal for two, you’re sure…

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Blueberry Oatmeal Casserole

This blueberry oatmeal casserole recipe is a healthy and delicious breakfast! For a twist, replace the blueberries with your favorite seasonal fruit.

This blueberry oatmeal casserole was the first recipe that convinced me that maybe, just maybe, I could enjoy oats for breakfast. For years, I hesitated to make oatmeal because I didn’t like its mushy texture. I’ve come around since then, but back when I was at the beginning of my oat journey, this oatmeal casserole was the perfect solution for me. The top layer becomes crisp and toasty in the oven, creating a delicious crunchy topping for the soft middle. I count this as a brunch recipe, but it’s also good for dessert with a scoop of ice cream. 🙂…

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Tamago Kake Gohan

This Japanese rice bowl is the perfect healthy breakfast or dinner! Piping hot brown rice cooks an egg, making a creamy, risotto-like texture.

Jack and I ate tamago kake gohan (or tamago gohan, for short) over and over again during our trips to Japan. Its name translates to “egg rice,” and that’s basically what it is – a raw egg mixed into piping hot rice. Don’t be scared – the hot rice cooks the egg as you stir it in. The result is Japanese comfort food at its best – the most creamy, delicious bowl of rice you’ve ever had. It’s almost like risotto, but without so much stirring! It’s traditional to top tamago kake gohan with furikake and Japanese pickles… but of…

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How to Make a Frittata

Learn how to make a frittata with this simple guide + 5 recipe variations! Perfect for any meal from brunch to dinner, they're easy and delicious.

A frittata is my #1 favorite brunch item to make at home. It’s easy and versatile, so I thought with Easter coming up this weekend, you may like a frittata recipe idea… or five! I usually make my frittatas with whatever vegetables I have on hand, which means that I’ve tried a whole bunch of various combinations over the years. Below are a few of my favorites along with some tips. First things first though, you may be asking… what is a frittata? Some call a frittata a crustless quiche (although, I call a quiche a crust-full frittata). It’s an…

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Matcha Baked Doughnuts

These doughnuts are a fun naturally green treat for St. Paddy's Day! They're both baked and decorated with matcha green tea.

With St. Paddy’s day coming up this weekend, I got in the mood to make green-colored treats…. and there’s no better way to naturally color things green than with matcha! Last year, I made zucchini cake with matcha frosting, and this year I thought it would be fun to make (and eat) doughnuts! If you’re new to matcha – it’s a powder made from Japanese green tea leaves. Because the whole leaf is ground (vs. steeping the tea leaves), matcha is packed with antioxidants. Which almost makes these doughnuts count as a health treat 🙂 You can mix matcha with hot…

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Vegan Banana Pancakes

If you like banana bread, then you'll love these vegan banana pancakes! They're lightly sweet, thick, fluffy, and filled with yummy banana flavor.

This stack of vegan banana pancakes pretty much sums up my ideal Saturday morning. Except, well, I don’t eat 7 pancakes on my individual plate, but Jack would if I put them in front of him. Portion control aside, if you have ripe bananas hanging around, give these vegan banana pancakes a try! They’re easy to make in one bowl, and they’re thick, fluffy, and full of yummy banana flavor. I think you’re going to love them! Vegan Banana Pancakes Ingredients These vegan banana pancakes aren’t just delicious – they’re good for you, too! Here’s what’s in them: Bananas, of…

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Vegan Lemon Muffins

These Vegan Lemon Muffins are great to bake for a weekend breakfast. Freeze extras for busy mornings or quick snacks!

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a fantastic celebration. Us? Well, we had a nice dinner and then slept through the new year for (I think) the second year in a row. The thing is – I’ve become a morning person. It wasn’t intentional – it just happened. On weekdays, I find that I get my best work done first thing in the morning. On weekends and holidays, I like to get up, pour coffee, and bake something for breakfast. So here are some yummy lemon muffins that I’ve been baking lately! This post is in partnership with…

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Pumpkin French Toast

This pumpkin French toast is the perfect fall breakfast! Cinnamon fills it with warm, spiced flavor, and a drizzle of maple syrup takes it over the top.

This pumpkin French toast is the perfect fall breakfast! It’s crisp and golden brown on the outside, moist and tender in the middle, and packed with pumpkin flavor the whole way through. It’s super easy to make, so you could whip it up on a weekday, but I especially love it on the weekends, when I can sit back, relax, and savor it. Just like it does in baking recipes, pumpkin puree makes a great egg replacer in this recipe, creating a rich, custard-like mixture to coat the thick slices of bread. As a result, this pumpkin French toast is…

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Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes

What's better than vegan pumpkin pancakes on a cool fall morning? A drizzle of maple syrup highlights their delicious spiced flavor.

These vegan pumpkin pancakes are just one of the many pumpkin recipes I’ve been making lately… mostly because when you open a can of pumpkin (or make your own pumpkin puree), there’s always some left over. I think that’s the true reason why people are so pumpkin-crazy in the fall. If you start with vegan pumpkin pancakes, you might as well go ahead and make pumpkin bars… and then, well, maybe some pumpkin cookies. After all, you have to use it up! (She says while eating said cookie.) Anyway, I’ve had so many requests for vegan pumpkin pancakes, and this recipe…

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Breakfast Oat Bowls

These easy oat bowls are a delicious, healthy make-ahead breakfast. Customize them with toppings like nuts, seeds, nut butter, or fresh fruit!

These easy oat bowls are the perfect breakfast if you love eating oatmeal in the morning but don’t have time to cook before you head out the door. The base consists of whole rolled oats soaked in almond milk overnight with a dash of maple syrup. In the morning, the oats are soft, sweet, and lightly creamy, and they have a porridge-like consistency that’s satisfying to eat. Try one of the four variations as written below, or dress up the base recipe with whatever toppings you like! You can’t go wrong with fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, nut butter, homemade granola,…

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

Welcome to Love & Lemons!

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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