Homemade Soft Pretzels

We love making this soft pretzel recipe on weekend afternoons! It's super fun to make, and the pretzels are always chewy, flavorful, and delicious.

If you love fall baking but need a break from pumpkin spice, make homemade soft pretzels! Way back in the early years of Love and Lemons, Jack and I shared a vegan soft pretzel recipe that continues to be one of the most popular recipes on the site. A few weeks ago, when we were in the mood for a fun weekend project, we decided to give the old recipe a go. Our homemade pretzels came out pretty well, but we thought we could make them even better. This soft pretzel recipe is a new and improved version of the…

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Jalapeño Poppers

These baked jalapeño poppers are the ultimate game day snack! They're crispy on top, creamy in the middle, and packed with delicious savory flavor.

If anything could turn me into a sports fan, it’d be these baked jalapeño poppers! Like all the best game day snacks (looking at you, salsa and guac), they’re simple, tasty, and really darn fun. The day I took these photos, I planned to eat just one or two jalapeño poppers straight from the oven, to check that the flavors were right. Before I knew it, I’d had 3, 4… I think it’s safe to say that the flavors were a-ok. 🙂 Of course, I couldn’t write a jalapeño poppers recipe without adding a fresh twist. These jalapeño poppers are…

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Sweet Potato Salad

This roasted sweet potato salad recipe is a perfect fall lunch or side dish! Feta cheese, avocado, and a bright tahini dressing fill it with flavor.

I hope you’re all excited, because this sweet potato salad recipe is the first of many fall salads that I have coming your way this season! I love salad all year long (Like, who can say no to a tomato salad in the summer?), but fall salads have a special place in my heart. We move away from juicy summer bounty towards sweeter, starchier veggies like sweet potatoes and squash. And after a few months of craving leafless salads filled with tomatoes and corn, I want nothing more than a bowl of fall greens like spinach, arugula, or kale. Together,…

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I make these roasted sweet potatoes nonstop from the first day of fall to the last day of spring! Enjoy them as a side dish or in tacos, bowls, and more.

Who else loves roasted sweet potatoes?! I don’t know what it is about fall weather, but when the air gets cool and crisp at this time of year, I start cooking sweet potatoes like crazy. I bake them, I noodle them, I blend them into cozy sauces and toss them into soups. But most often, I roast them. Why? First, roasted sweet potatoes are so darn easy to make! Just chop them up, toss them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake! The oven does most of the work for you. Second, they’re delicious. The salt and pepper…

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Gluten Free Banana Bread

This gluten free banana bread recipe is moist, tender, and filled with spiced banana flavor. It's everything banana bread should be, gluten-free or not!

I’ve gotten so many requests for a gluten free banana bread recipe over the years, and I couldn’t be more excited to share this one with you! Tasting this gluten free banana bread, you’d never guess that it wasn’t made with wheat flour. It’s moist, tender, and filled with spiced banana flavor. In fact, if I did a side-by-side comparison with my regular Healthy Banana Bread, I wouldn’t be able to choose a favorite! We’re getting some sunshine in Chicago today, but for the last week, it’s been cool and rainy. I love starting gray, chilly mornings like these with a thick…

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Mojito Recipe

If you're in the mood for a fun summer drink, this mint mojito recipe is just what you need! It's refreshing, delicious, and super easy to make.

When life gives you mint leaves, what do you make? This mint mojito recipe! When Jack and I planted our little back deck garden this summer, I immediately started wondering, “What am I going to do with all this mint?!” The basil looked good, the eggplant was thriving, but the luscious, leafy mint plants were the cream of the crop. This summer, I’ve been tossing mint into salads and blending it into pesto like crazy, but I wanted to find a way to really showcase the pretty, aromatic leaves. A mint mojito recipe seemed like the perfect solution. For the…

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How to Make Veggie Noodles

Learn how to make veggie noodles with carrots, cucumber, kohlrabi, and more! They're super fun and flavorful - you won't miss the pasta one bit.

Did you know that you can make veggie noodles out of cucumber, carrots, kohlrabi, and more? We’ve all heard of zucchini noodles by now, but lots of other vegetables can transform into curly, colorful noodles too! Making these veggie noodles is one of my favorite summer cooking projects. It doesn’t require the stove or the oven, so unlike baking, it won’t heat up the whole house. It’s also a great way to showcase peak-season summer produce. But most importantly, it’s fun! There’s something mesmerizing about watching a humble root veggie turn into vibrant vegetable noodles. You can make vegetables noodles…

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Nicoise Salad

You won't miss the tuna in this vegetarian spin on a Niçoise salad! Olives, artichokes, capers, and lemon vinaigrette fill it with bright, briny flavor.

I first fell in love with Nicoise salad when Jack and I visited the city where it originated: Nice, France. While we were there, I ordered it everywhere we went. There’s something about the combination of crisp summer veggies, bright lemon vinaigrette, and briny olives and capers that I find absolutely irresistible. As an added bonus, hard boiled eggs and potatoes make it hearty enough to be a meal on its own. And in the summer, anytime I’m eating salad for dinner, I’m happy. If you’re familiar with traditional Niçoise salad, you know that it’s made with tuna. Of course,…

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Socca Recipe

Have you ever tried socca? This gluten-free chickpea flatbread hails from Nice, France, and it makes a delicious appetizer, side dish, or light meal.

When Jack and I visited Nice, France, I ate two things as much as I could: Niçoise salad and socca. If you’re not familiar with socca, it’s a savory chickpea pancake with crisp, golden brown edges and a moist interior. It’s popular throughout southern France and northern Italy, and once you try it, you’ll see why. Chickpea flour and olive oil give it a rich, nutty flavor, and its crispy edges are so tasty that you won’t be able to help reaching for a second slice. Served plain, it makes a delicious appetizer, side dish, or snack, but with the…

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Green Goddess Dressing

Looking for a way to use up the herbs in your fridge? Make this green goddess dressing recipe! It's creamy, bright, and brimming with fresh flavor.

At this time of year, I make this green goddess dressing recipe almost every week. Jack and I have just planted our little garden on our back deck, and we have loads of fresh herbs. Straight off the plant, they’re fragrant and tender, ready to add a punch of fresh flavor to almost any dish. I often grab a handful of parsley for a weeknight pasta, a sprig of mint to finish a salad, or a bunch of basil to sprinkle over pizza. Chances are, I end up picking extra, so little by little, the fridge fills up with leafy…

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51 Easy Picnic Food Ideas

Looking for new picnic food ideas? You're in the right place. With recipes for sandwiches, wraps, salads, and more, we've got something for everyone!

It’s picnic season! Your blanket’s ready, your cooler’s out, and you can’t wait to get outside. Now, all you need is good picnic food to take with you. In my experience, the best picnic food ideas aren’t just delicious – they’re simple, too. They’re dishes that you can make ahead knowing that they’ll still taste great when you’re ready to eat. They’re easy to pack in a cooler or a bag, and you only need a few utensils to serve them. No utensils? Even better! Jack and I don’t have any big travel plans this summer, but we are anticipating…

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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.