Enchilada Sauce

Flavorful and easy to make, this homemade enchilada sauce is so much better than the canned kind. Use it in your favorite enchilada recipes!

When I’m craving enchiladas on a weeknight, I first make this red enchilada sauce recipe. It’s the perfect starting point for fast, flavorful homemade enchiladas. It takes minutes to make, and it calls for simple pantry ingredients. Still, its balance of tangy, earthy, and savory flavors really packs a punch. Swap it in for the store-bought stuff, and I promise, you’ll taste the difference. Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe Ingredients Growing up in the Midwest, I thought of enchilada sauce as one thing: the tomato-based stuff that comes in a can. But when I moved to Austin, I learned that in…

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Oatmeal Pancakes

This healthy oatmeal pancakes recipe comes together in a blender, meaning that it's quick enough to make on weekdays and weekends alike.

I’ve been sharing lots of back-to-school breakfasts lately (see here, here, or here), and I have one more for you today: these oatmeal pancakes! I think most pancake recipes are best suited to a lazy Sunday morning, but these oatmeal pancakes are quick and easy enough to make on any day of the week. They’re so speedy because the recipe employs the help of a blender to mix up the batter – no whisking required! The blender trick also means that you won’t find any flour in this recipe, just lots of whole rolled oats. As a result, these healthy…

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Breakfast Sandwich

This make-ahead breakfast sandwich recipe is the ULTIMATE way to start your day! Filled with veggies, eggs, and cheese, it's hearty and delicious.

If you start your day with a breakfast sandwich that looks like that (see above), you KNOW it’s going to be a good one. And the best part about it is that you don’t actually have to make said sandwich on the day you’re planning to eat it. Nope, this breakfast sandwich recipe freezes perfectly, so you can assemble a week’s worth of sandwiches on the weekend and feast on them all week. If you ask me, it’s one of the nicest things you can do for your future self. Sitting down to a toasted English muffin slathered with herbed goat cheese…

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Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

This peanut butter banana smoothie is thick, creamy, and packed with sweet and nutty flavor. Make it for an easy, delicious breakfast or snack!

This peanut butter banana smoothie is the kind of breakfast that makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning. It calls for 4 simple ingredients, it takes minutes to make, and it tastes so good that it could almost pass as dessert. The peanut butter, banana, and whole rolled oats make it thick and creamy, and they infuse it with the BEST sweet and nutty flavor. They also happen to add fiber, protein, potassium, and vitamin C, meaning that this delicious breakfast is a healthy one too. I think you’ll love it! Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Recipe…

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Lentil Salad

Add this lentil salad recipe to your lunch rotation ASAP! Packed with fresh veggies, olives, and feta, it's super flavorful and great for meal prep.

This lentil salad recipe is helping me ease into a new lunch routine. After a summer filled with picnic leftovers and impromptu farmers market meals, I’m trying to get back in the rhythm of doing at least a little meal prep at the start of the week. That way, at lunchtime, I’m not totally stumped by what to eat. Luckily, this lentil salad recipe is simple to make, so it’s a breeze to put together on a Sunday. It also tastes so good that I don’t mind eating it for a few days on repeat. I douse al dente lentils,…

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How to Make Crostini

Learn how to make crostini! Topped with fresh garnishes or a creamy spread, these crisp, golden little toasts are the perfect party appetizer.

If you ask me, everyone should learn how to make crostini. These little Italian toasts are at home at any party or gathering, and they’re an absolute breeze to make. Thinly slice a baguette, brush the slices with olive oil, and toast them in the oven until they’re crisp and golden. Once they’re toasted, they’re the perfect base for all kinds of toppings. Creamy spreads, fresh veggies, herbs, fruit, or cheese… You’ll find over 10 crostini recipes in our recipe index and another 4 in my cookbooks. What can I say? The crostini topping possibilities are endless! How to Make…

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Italian Seasoning

Instead of using store-bought Italian seasoning, make your own at home! This simple blend of dried herbs is delicious in sauces, soups, and more.

Italian seasoning is one of those kitchen basics, like bread crumbs or a simple vinaigrette, that I prefer to make at home instead of buying at the store. I keep all the ingredients in my pantry anyway. I may as well combine them myself instead of picking up an extra spice! More importantly, making my own Italian seasoning allows me to control the balance of flavors. My homemade blend has a mix of sweet, earthy, and aromatic notes that I absolutely love. I’ve shared my favorite Italian seasoning recipe below. Try it as written, or experiment with the ratios to…

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Mezze Platter

This mezze platter is perfect for serving a crowd! Filled with fresh veggies, pita, and assorted spreads and dips, it offers a little something for everyone.

If you ask me, a mezze platter is the perfect solution for feeding a crowd. This Middle Eastern tradition of serving a medley of appetizers and small plates before a meal (or even as a meal) ensures that there’s always something for everyone. Folks can munch on fresh veggies, salads, bread, cheese, dips, spreads, and more. I love that you can prep every component ahead of time, so if you’re entertaining, you just have to pull the dishes out of the fridge and assemble your mezze platter when your guests are ready to eat. They’ll love sampling all the different…

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Tabbouleh

This version of tabbouleh - the Middle Eastern herb and bulgur salad - is zingy, fragrant, and SO refreshing. Perfect for a mezze platter or picnic!

Herbs are arguably my favorite fresh ingredients, so it should come as no surprise that I love tabbouleh. Alternatively spelled tabouli or tabouleh, this Middle Eastern salad consists of finely chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, and bulgur wheat. Don’t let the bulgur’s presence fool you – traditional Lebanese tabbouleh isn’t so much a grain salad as it is an herb salad with grains. The parsley and mint are the real star ingredients, making the salad pungent, fragrant, and intensely refreshing. You’ll find my go-to tabbouleh recipe below. If you love bright, herbaceous flavors, it’s one you have to try. Pack it up…

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Whipped Feta Dip

Lusciously creamy, rich, and tangy, this whipped feta dip is always a hit at gatherings. You only need 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to make it!

I love serving this creamy whipped feta dip at parties and gatherings because it always surprises people. It looks like any other creamy white dip, maybe a ranch-y sort of thing made with cream cheese or sour cream. But it tastes like something else entirely. Lemon gives it zing, garlic adds bite, and the feta fills it with a delicious salty tang. Set it out with pita and veggies, and I promise, it’ll disappear in minutes. Another reason I love this whipped feta dip recipe? It’s SO easy to make. You just need 5 ingredients, 5 minutes, and a food…

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Air Fryer Fried Pickles

Love fried pickles? Try making this air fryer version at home! Crispy, crunchy, and full of pickle flavor, they're a delicious appetizer or snack.

By popular request: air fryer fried pickles! Recently, a few of you have asked me if I’ve made fried pickles in the air fryer. After getting the question a couple of times, I knew I had to try it. I have to say, I’m so glad I did! These air fryer fried pickles are crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle, salty, tangy, and completely addictive. They’re a great fun, easy appetizer for a summer happy hour, though honestly, we like these air fryer pickles so much that I plan to make them at all times of year. I…

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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.