What are Leeks? (And How to Cook Them)

Leeks add sweet, oniony flavor to soups, stews, pastas, and more! Read on to learn how to cut and cook them, and find some of my favorite leek recipes.

cooking basics

Ever heard of potato leek soup? I thought so! But how often do you cook leeks in other recipes? Have you tried them in pasta, stuffing, or risotto? Have you eaten them on their own? If I had my way, we’d all be eating leeks way more often. They’re incredibly versatile, adding unique, sweet, and mild onion flavor to a huge range of dishes. To spread the leek love, I’m sharing my go-to methods for how to cut, clean, and cook leeks below, as well as my favorite leek recipes. If you have a leek in your fridge right now,…

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Sautéed Broccoli

Learn how to sauté broccoli like a pro! This easy sautéed broccoli recipe is a light, healthy side dish or delicious addition to pastas, bowls, and more.

side dishes

I’ll say it: I don’t cook sautéed broccoli often enough. I don’t know why, but whenever I have broccoli on hand, my first impulse is to roast it. But a few weeks back, I was making this butternut squash pasta for dinner, and I needed a quick and easy side dish to pair with it. I chopped up a bunch of broccoli and cooked it on the stove with lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. The broccoli florets came out vibrant green and tender, while the stalks kept a nice al dente bite. It was so simple, flavorful, and refreshing…

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Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

This vegan cream cheese frosting recipe is perfect for cakes, cupcakes, bars, and more! With just 4 ingredients, it's creamy, tangy, and easy to make.

desserts / cooking basics

This vegan cream cheese frosting recipe is creamy, tangy, sweet…and totally dairy-free! If you ask me, it’s just as delicious as classic cream cheese frosting, and I love that it’s easy to whip up with 4 simple ingredients. I use this frosting on my vegan carrot cake, cinnamon rolls, and more. Spread it on any vegan (or regular) baked good for a pop of rich, tangy flavor. I’ve been experimenting with vegan frosting recipes for over a decade at this point (see the cashew one on this chocolate zucchini cake or the sweet potato(!) one on this vegan chocolate cake). This…

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How to Cook Wheat Berries

Learn how to cook wheat berries perfectly every time! This chewy, nutty whole grain is a delicious addition to soups, salads, bowls, and more.

cooking basics

When I lived in Austin, I bought wheat berries all the time from the bulk bins at our grocery store. But when we moved to Chicago, I couldn’t find them anywhere – not in bulk, not pre-bagged, nothing. Finally, this fall, I noticed a local wheat grower selling organic wheat berries at our farmers market. I love pairing this earthy whole grain with autumn ingredients like squash, kale, and dried cranberries, so I knew I had to get some. Since then, I’ve been tossing wheat berries into salads and side dishes like crazy! For how delicious they are, I don’t…

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11 Fresh Beet Recipes

Don't underestimate beets! They might be a humble root veggie, but these fresh beet recipes prove just how versatile and delicious they can be.

fall / favorites

One of my many missions in life is to create fresh beet recipes that will win over even the biggest beet skeptics. Luckily, Jack has given me ample practice over the years. When we first met, he wouldn’t come near a beet, let alone taste one. But with time (and only a little trickery), I’ve gotten him to try and enjoy a host of beet recipes. Just last week, he devoured an entire beet salad at dinner, proclaiming how much he loved it with every bite. So if you’re still on the fence about beets, I get it. Their earthy…

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Sautéed Kale

This easy sautéed kale recipe is healthy, delicious, and versatile. Serve it as a side dish, or add it to grain bowls, pastas, frittatas, and more!

side dishes / cooking basics

If you’ve never cooked sautéed kale before, now’s the time to try it! It’s a versatile side dish, just as at home alongside a bowl of soup as it is next to a pile of pasta, but it’s also a fantastic cooking component. My recipe calls for 6 ingredients (3 of which are olive oil, salt, and pepper), and it cooks up in under 5 minutes. Because it’s so simple, it’s one of my go-to additions to clear-out-the-fridge frittatas, quick weeknight pastas, improvised grain bowls, and more. As an added bonus, it’s jam-packed with nutrients, and it tastes delicious. Kale…

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Almond Flour Pancakes

These almond flour pancakes are light, fluffy, and filled with delicious nutty flavor. They're an easy, satisfying gluten-free breakfast or brunch!

gluten free / breakfast

If you like pancakes that are light, fluffy, moist, and flavorful (who doesn’t?!), you’re going to LOVE these almond flour pancakes! I had the idea to make them last spring, when Jack and I were saving our limited supply of regular flour for baking projects like pita, bagels, and no-knead bread. All-purpose flour is easier to come by now, but in our house, these almond flour pancakes are sticking around for good. This almond flour pancake recipe is totally grain and gluten-free, but it’s just as good as any traditional pancake recipe I’ve tried. The pancakes are soft and tender,…

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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.

appetizers

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.

fall / salads

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

These oven roasted sweet potatoes have crisp, caramelized edges and tender centers. They're delicious as an easy side dish, in tacos, bowls, and more!

fall / cooking basics

These roasted sweet potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes. They’re easy to make in a hot oven with just olive oil, salt, and pepper, but they’re still so delicious. These roasted sweet potatoes are lightly crisp on the outside, tender in the middle, and full of sweet and savory flavor. I don’t know what it is about fall weather, but when the air gets cool and crisp, I start cooking sweet potatoes like crazy. I make baked sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, and sweet potato soup. But this roasted sweet potato recipe is how I cook them most…

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Tartar Sauce

Once you learn how to make tartar sauce, you'll never buy it at the store again! This recipe is creamy, tangy, and easy to make in under 10 minutes.

cooking component

This tartar sauce recipe is creamy, fresh, and packed with tangy, savory flavor. No store-bought version I’ve tried comes close! Luckily, this homemade tartar sauce is easy to make with simple ingredients like mayo, dill pickles, capers, and lemon. You can whip up a batch in 10 minutes or less! Tartar sauce is traditionally served with seafood, but we love this recipe with potatoes, veggies, and more. Really, anytime you feel like a dish could use a rich, tangy pop of flavor, you can make this tartar sauce recipe to brighten it up! Tartar Sauce Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make…

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

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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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