Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers

Crisp on the outside and moist in the middle, this sweet potato burger has a wonderful earthy flavor from rosemary & paprika.

I couldn’t wait to make this sweet potato burger after seeing this recipe. I made a few alterations based on the ingredients I had (or rather, didn’t have) in my kitchen. I ended up making them with tofu instead of beans, which worked out great. I flavored them with rosemary and paprika, which was a nice earthy balance to the maple syrup. Sometimes veggie burgers can be too starchy and brick-heavy, but this one was moist in the center and crispy on the edges. Because there are just 2 of us, I made half the recipe that I listed below.…

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Roasted Broccoli & Cranberry Salad

A delicious 30-minute salad for healthy weeknight dinners in fall or spring. Tossed with a bright Apple Cider and Honey Vinaigrette. Gluten free.

This is my perfect weeknight salad. I like to start the week off on the lighter side… less bread, less starch. It often goes downhill from there… by Thursday it could be all cakes & cocktails, but come Monday it’s time to get it back together. Which still doesn’t mean eating bland food! I love this salad for its balance of bright flavors and variety of textures: the salty ricotta salata, a pop of tartness from the dried cranberries, a meaty bite from the roasted broccoli, crunch from the pine nuts. It’s brought together with a simple sweet & mellow apple cider…

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Avocado & Chickpea Salad Sandwich

My go-to healthy lunch is this Avocado Chickpea Salad Sandwich! With green onion, cilantro & lime, it's ideal for quick & easy vegan sandwiches.

This is my new favorite lunch. I saw this recipe on Two Peas & Their Pod a couple of weeks ago and made it right away. And then I made it again the next day… and then the next day after that… As creative as I like to get at dinnertime, there’s something comforting (and probably a little OCD) about eating the same thing for lunch day in and day out. Beyond the sandwich, I’ve also been eating scoopfuls of this over mixed greens with chopped cucumbers and other veggies. And this summer, I’ll likely be serving it poolside with chips…

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Individual Mixed Berry Oat Crisps

Mini berry crisps are topped with oat & nut crumble to make a divine spring or summer dessert. Use any in-season fruit and make this crisp all year!

This is another treat my mom made for us while she was visiting. Jack has been working crazy hours lately, so it was really fun that week to have the extra company in the kitchen. I love these little mini skillets (I love anything mini), but you could bake this in any oven-safe dish you happen to have. You could also sub in any fruit you like (fresh or frozen).

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Sweet Potato Hummus & Yogurt Flatbread

A simple Yogurt Flatbread is served alongside a spicy, sweet, and smoky Vegan Sweet Potato Hummus. Perfect for a fall or winter appetizer or snack.

This is the easiest flatbread recipe ever… a total go-to of mine for any meal or snack requiring dipping or wrapping. It involves just four ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen and just a few minutes to combine and roll out the dough. The longest part is letting the dough sit in the fridge for an hour, but I’ve gotten away with cutting that back to 20 or 30 minutes while I’m making the other components of my meal… Today the other “component” is this smoky sweet potato hummus, as my contribution to The Food Matters Project. Erin…

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Poached Eggs, Greens & Couscous

A light, 30-minute vegetarian dinner for spring weeknights. Poached eggs top sautéed greens & Israeli couscous. Brightened with a squeeze of lemon.

I think I might make a new category on the side bar over there to the right. In addition to “savory” and “sweet”, I could soon fill an entire category called “things with eggs.” I eat them almost every morning in the form of a scramble, omelette or a breakfast taco… but I especially love runny, yolky eggs for dinner. A poached egg instantly turns something incredibly simple into a fancy meal. (Or nature’s perfect sauce, as Jack calls it). I had never actually poached an egg before this. I have one of those cheater egg-poaching pans… but a dome…

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Black Rice & Spring Vegetable Pilaf

Asparagus, broccolini & edamame are mixed with a black rice pilaf to make a healthy spring entree. Herbs & a lemon yogurt sauce top this gluten-free dish.

I love foods when they’re bright in flavor and in color. This recipe starts with a spiced wild rice pilaf and is mixed with fresh asparagus, broccolini and edamame, but feel free to use the vegetables you love most. I’ve been using black wild rice more and more lately (which is actually a grass and not a rice). It makes for a gorgeous presentation, and has the added benefit of being higher in protein than other rices. The warm nutty rice gets flavored with garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin. In the end the pilaf is topped with a bright pop…

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Molten Chocolate Cakes

Rich molten chocolate lava cakes make a simple & elegant dessert for Valentine's Day or any special occasion. Take under 30 minutes. Dairy-free option.

Jack first made molten cakes for us for Valentine’s Day a few years ago, and these luscious little cakes have been a tradition of ours ever since. It’s the one night a year that Jack cooks, and he doesn’t play it safe. He might not know the difference between a scallion and a scallop, or that 3 cloves of garlic are not 3 bulbs of garlic… every single pot and pan we own will be scattered around every bit of counter space we have… but over the years he’s learned to make a mean molten cake.

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Sweet Curry Brown Sugar Popcorn

Popcorn in a brown sugar-curry coating makes a sweet, spicy snack. Gluten & dairy free & vegan. Unique 10-minute treat for parties or your next movie night.

Since starting this blog a couple months ago (feels more like a year ago), I’ve “met” some of the nicest people and have received the most encouraging feedback. I honestly thought my mom would be our only reader for the first few months (hi Mom), so the idea that people are actually reading and commenting, and tweeting (lord knows that was quite the learning curve for me) has made me feel just so welcomed. One of the first people to reach out to me the week we launched the site was Kate from the blog Cookie + Kate. I’ve been…

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Beet, Avocado & Grapefruit Salad

This roasted beet, avocado & grapefruit salad is my ideal fresh winter meal, with contrasting creamy, crunchy, sweet & tart elements.

This is my favorite winter salad. Although I use the term “winter” lightly – it is almost 70 degrees here. The sun is shining and my windows and doors are open… the dogs are playing in the yard… overall a perfect a Friday afternoon. It’s 20 and snowing in my hometown Chicago, and I couldn’t be more grateful that I live here in Austin where the season for happy hour margaritas on a patio is just around the corner. If it’s cold where you are, hopefully this colorful, juicy, creamy, crunchy grapefruit salad will brighten your day.

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Vegan Nachos with Cashew “Cheese”

A hearty vegan & gluten free nacho recipe with TVP-based taco meat & cashew cheese. Topped with guacamole and pico, these are perfect for spring & summer.

This recipe is from the Native Foods cookbook. Jack and I first stumbled upon Native Foods one night in California on our way back from Disneyland. I typically don’t eat foods at theme parks (I know, I’m “fun” like that), so after the fireworks we set out to drive around and find a restaurant. This was years before iphones and yelp, so it was nothing short of a Disney miracle that we aimlessly found ourselves at this awesome vegan restaurant. If you are new to the idea of nut cheese, it’s really nothing like cheese… but more of a cheese-like…

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.