Watermelon Popsicles

What's even more refreshing than watermelon? Watermelon popsicles! These healthy, 2-ingredient treats are perfect for hot summer days.

These watermelon popsicles are the perfect treat for a hot summer day. Ice cold, fruity, and refreshing, they’ll cool you off and quench your thirst in one go. They’re also healthy(!) and super easy to make(!), because this watermelon popsicles recipe calls for two simple ingredients: watermelon and lime juice. That’s right! There’s no added sugar, no added coloring, no added anything here. Just fresh fruit! How to Make Watermelon Popsicles This watermelon popsicle recipe couldn’t be easier to make! You’ll need two simple ingredients: Fresh watermelon – I call for 6 cups cubed, from about 1 medium melon. Not…

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Cucumber Salad

Featuring fresh dill, onions, and a sweet, tangy dressing, this cucumber salad recipe is a refreshing summer side dish. Bonus: it couldn't be easier!

This cucumber salad recipe is one of the simplest summer side dishes, and if you ask me, it’s also one of the best. It’s versatile. Serve it with any cookout or picnic fare. It’s flavorful. Shout out to the sweet and tangy dressing! And it’s SO refreshing. Just the thing for a hot day. It’s my take on a classic cucumber salad, complete with crisp, cooling cucumbers, red onion, and a punchy vinegar dressing. My special twist? I shower it with dill and chives for a fresh, savory kick. This cucumber salad has definite dill pickle vibes, and I am 100%…

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Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

I scream, you scream, we all scream for HOMEMADE ice cream! This sweet treat is rich, creamy, packed with vanilla flavor, and insanely easy to make.

When was the last time you made homemade ice cream? If it wasn’t this summer, it was wayyy too long ago. Break out your ice cream maker, and make this homemade ice cream recipe stat! You can buy vanilla ice cream at any grocery store, but it’ll never taste as good as the stuff you make yourself. This homemade ice cream is rich and creamy, with an indulgent vanilla flavor that even chocolate aficionados will love. And the best part? This homemade ice cream recipe is so easy to make. We’re talking 5 ingredients and 15-ish minutes of hands-on prep.…

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Grilled Zucchini

This easy grilled zucchini recipe is the perfect summer side dish! The squash is tender and flavorful—delicious with whatever you're grilling.

This grilled zucchini recipe is an easy side dish that I make on repeat all summer long. It’s a breeze to put together—slice up some fresh zucchini, toss it with a savory blend of seasonings, and grill until it’s tender and charred, but still has some bite. No soggy grilled zucchini here! I finish it with a handful of herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice. The recipe highlights what I love most about seasonal cooking. It’s simple and quick, but the fresh ingredients make it delicious nonetheless. Serve it with a summery pesto pasta, veggie burgers, or whatever you’re…

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Cabbage Salad

Move over, coleslaw! There's a new cabbage salad recipe in town. Crunchy, colorful, and tossed in a tangy dressing, it's an easy, delicious side dish.

I can’t get enough of this cabbage salad recipe! It’s vibrant and colorful, crunchy and refreshing, made with red and green cabbage, crisp bell peppers, carrots, herbs, and toasty pepitas. But the real star of this cabbage salad recipe is the dressing. It’s a tangy, nutty vinaigrette. A couple tablespoons of peanut butter give it a lightly creamy texture, and apple cider vinegar adds amazing zip. It makes this cabbage salad so lively and unexpected. Serve it as a side dish at your next summer cookout, and everyone will ask for the recipe! Cabbage Salad Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll…

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BBQ Tofu

Think tofu is just for vegans? Think again. This easy BBQ tofu recipe is packed with bold flavor. It's sweet, savory, and smoky...everyone will love it!

You can make this BBQ tofu recipe in two ways: in the oven or on the grill. The oven version is an easy protein for vegetarian dinners all year round, while the grilled BBQ tofu is perfect for summer cookouts. I’ve loved making it for our backyard get-togethers lately because it’s a) super simple to make, b) bursting with BBQ flavor, and c) a hit with everyone, tofu skeptics included! This BBQ tofu has a satisfying chewy texture with edges that are crisp and lightly charred. A glossy layer of BBQ sauce coats each cube, giving it an amazing sweet,…

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Vegan Burrito

You won't miss the meat or dairy in this vegan burrito recipe. It's super easy to make, and the rice, bean, and veggie filling is SO flavorful and satisfying!

This burrito recipe happens to be vegan, but you don’t have to be vegan to love it. It’s easy to make, it’s flavorful and fresh, and you can even meal prep it if you want to get ahead on lunch or dinner. The hearty filling consists of Spanish rice, seasoned black beans, guacamole, pickled onions, and veggies. Take it over the top with a side of salsa for dipping! Below, I’ll walk you through how to make this vegan burrito recipe, offer tips for how to store it, and share some tasty variations. It’s my favorite burrito recipe, vegan or…

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Spanish Rice

This homemade Spanish rice recipe is an easy, delicious side dish! Fluffy and flavorful, it pairs perfectly with Mexican mains like tacos and enchiladas.

I’ve eaten Spanish rice at Mexican restaurants countless times, but it wasn’t until this year that I started making this Spanish rice recipe at home. Today’s post is a PSA: if you’re not already making homemade Spanish rice, it’s time to start. You’re seriously missing out! Spanish rice, also called Mexican rice or arroz rojo, is a type of rice pilaf cooked with onions and garlic, tomatoes, peppers, and spices. It’s commonly eaten throughout northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, and it’s the perfect side dish for a simply cooked protein or Mexican fare like tacos and enchiladas. The…

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51 Best Salad Recipes

A big, bountiful salad is the best way to celebrate delicious seasonal produce! Here are 51 stunning salad recipes I love to make again and again.

Salad recipes are my favorite way to showcase vibrant, in-season produce—fruits and veggies that taste so good on their own that it doesn’t take much to make them into a delicious meal. On cold winter nights, I like to brighten up our table with a colorful mix of root veggies and hearty greens. On beautiful, warm days when I’d rather be outside than in the kitchen, summer salads are the perfect lunch or dinner: they’re simple to toss together, but they’re super flavorful nonetheless. Whether you want to add more plant-based meals to your diet or are simply looking to…

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Buckwheat Pancakes

These easy buckwheat pancakes have a light and fluffy texture and earthy, nutty flavor. They're a delicious breakfast...that's totally gluten-free!

We’re heading into a long weekend—let’s make buckwheat pancakes! These beauties are light and fluffy, and the buckwheat flour gives them a wonderful nutty flavor. Saturday morning, here we come. 🙂 While many buckwheat pancake recipes call for a mix of buckwheat flour and all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, I use 100% buckwheat in mine. I love that you can really taste the buckwheat this way. It’s earthy and nutty, and it makes these pancakes a unique treat. They’re also naturally gluten-free, because despite its name, buckwheat isn’t actually related to wheat. You can read more on that below,…

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Strawberry Compote

Make this easy strawberry compote in just 20 minutes! Bursting with fresh strawberry flavor, it's a delicious topping for ice cream, waffles, and more.

If I’m not eating summer strawberries straight out of the carton, I’m using them to make this strawberry compote recipe. It calls for just 4 ingredients, cooks up in 20 minutes, and tastes so good that I could eat half a batch straight off a spoon. This strawberry compote is lightly sweet, bright with lemon, and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. It’s thick enough to spread on toast like jam, but it also makes a great topping for ice cream, pancakes, waffles, and Greek yogurt…the possibilities here are endless. And good news! Even though this strawberry sauce is AMAZING with…

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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.