Whipped Ricotta

Topped with honey, lemon, and fresh herbs, this whipped ricotta dip feels elevated. But it's so easy to make! You just need 5 minutes and 4 ingredients.

This whipped ricotta dip will be my go-to appetizer for the rest of the summer…and fall…and winter. It feels elevated, but it couldn’t be simpler to make. We’re talking 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep! The recipe comes together in the food processor, the S-blade whizzing away the graininess that store-bought ricotta often has straight out of the package. The whipped ricotta becomes insanely creamy and silky smooth, with a bright burst of flavor from lemon juice. I love to serve it with fresh toppings like honey, herbs, and lemon zest to balance the richness of the dip. Scoop…

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Salsa Roja

Spice up your favorite Mexican dishes with this salsa roja recipe...or just eat it with tortilla chips. With its smoky flavor, it's delicious any way you try it!

Are you team salsa roja or salsa verde? I’m team…both! I adore all types of salsa made with fresh ingredients, and this salsa roja recipe is one I’ve been especially loving lately. It differs from other red salsas I’ve previously shared in two ways: I roast the fresh ingredients. Charring the tomatoes, onion, and serrano peppers adds smoky depth of flavor to this salsa recipe. I use a dried chile. It thickens the salsa, adds rich complexity, and brings out the smoky flavor even more. If you try this salsa roja, you won’t believe it’s homemade. It tastes like you could have…

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Lemon Blueberry Bread

This lemon blueberry bread is moist, tender, and bursting with juicy berries. Drizzle the loaf with a simple glaze for an extra pop of lemon flavor.

This lemon blueberry bread recipe is one of my favorite ways to use the blueberries we pick in Michigan every summer. These sweet, bursty berries are so tasty that we eat most of them plain, but I always try to save enough for a loaf of this delicious quick bread too. It’s moist, tender, and loaded with berries, and plenty of lemon zest gives it a pop of bright flavor. Enjoyed alongside a cup of coffee or tea, a slice of this lemon blueberry bread is the perfect light breakfast. For a sweeter treat, drizzle it with a simple lemon…

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Elote Recipe

Level up grilled corn on the cob with this easy elote recipe! Smothered with mayo, chile, cheese, and lime, it's creamy, tangy, smoky, and sweet.

When summer sweet corn comes hits peak season, this elote recipe goes on repeat in our house. I love corn on the cob in all its iterations, but something about elote is especially irresistible. This grilled Mexican street corn is creamy, tangy, sweet, and smoky. If you’ve never tried it—or never tried making it at home—now’s the time. Let’s make it! Elote Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make this elote recipe: Fresh sweet corn, of course! Use the freshest corn on the cob you can find. Mayonnaise – It creates a creamy coating for the corn and helps…

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Zucchini Fritters

These crispy zucchini fritters are a great way to use up a summer surplus of zucchini. Serve them with your favorite sauce for a tasty side dish or snack!

This zucchini fritters recipe is the perfect thing to make when you have a surplus of summer squash in the fridge. It calls for a full pound of zucchini, about 3 medium. But it’s so tasty that if you happen to have even more zucchini than that on hand (and at this time of year, you might), you probably won’t mind making it again and polishing off another batch of zucchini fritters the next day. These zucchini fritters are crispy on the outside and light and tender in the middle. Lemon zest makes them nice and bright, while scallions, garlic, and…

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Zucchini Smoothie

This zucchini smoothie tastes like a chocolate milkshake, but shhh! It's made with healthy ingredients like almond butter, dates, and zucchini.

This zucchini smoothie tastes like a chocolate milkshake. It’s creamy, rich, and sweet. Even though it’s healthy enough to drink for breakfast or a snack, it could totally pass for dessert. It’s that good! Zucchini Smoothie Recipe Ingredients Ready to try this chocolate zucchini smoothie recipe? Here’s what you’ll need: Zucchini, of course! You’ll need one medium. Chop and freeze it at least a day before you plan to make the smoothie. Medjool dates – For sweetness. Almond butter – It adds protein and healthy fats. Cocoa powder – It gives the smoothie a rich chocolate taste. Cacao powder works…

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Zucchini Bread

This easy zucchini bread recipe is the best I've tried! Packed with zucchini and cinnamon, it's super moist and flavorful. Plan on having a second slice.

This easy zucchini bread recipe is the best I’ve tried. It’s super moist, warmly spiced, studded with crunchy walnuts, and PACKED with shredded zucchini, so you can use up a good portion of your summer squash haul in one go. If there’s something else you look for in a zucchini bread recipe, let me know, but to me, this one is perfection. I love that all the ingredients are pantry basics, that the batter is a breeze to stir together, and that the recipe yields two loaves. Freeze one for later or share it with a friend…and then, if you’re…

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Fresh Spring Rolls

Stuffed with noodles, tofu, veggies, and fresh herbs, these spring rolls are SO refreshing! Serve with peanut sauce for a delicious vegetarian appetizer.

I’ll never turn down fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce for dipping, but they especially hit the spot on hot summer days. Served cold or at room temperature, they’re cooling and refreshing, stuffed with noodles, tofu, veggies, and fragrant herbs. The sweet and savory dipping sauce takes them over the top. I’ve ordered fresh Vietnamese spring rolls countless times at restaurants, but if I think to snag a pack of rice paper wrappers at the store, I make my own at home. I can’t call them 100% authentic because I love to experiment with different ingredients in the filling (mango?…

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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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A Beautiful Spring Appetizer Board

Hosting a spring gathering? This gorgeous board would be the perfect appetizer. It's filled with fresh veggies, hard boiled eggs, and whipped feta.

Jack’s parents are visiting for Mother’s Day this weekend. After the rush of the last few weeks—we launched Simple Feel Good Food! Our son Ollie turned 2!—I’m hoping to keep the cooking simple. A spring appetizer board like this one will definitely make an appearance sometime over the weekend. I love these types of platters because they look gorgeous (check out those pretty spring radishes!), they offer lots of contrasting textures and flavors, and they’re surprisingly easy to put together. Bonus: you can prep all the components in advance! If you need an appetizer idea for a gathering this season, I highly…

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Quick Pickled Carrots

Learn how to make quick pickled carrots! Crunchy, tangy, and refreshing, they're a delicious snack or addition to salads, appetizer boards, and more.

Pickled carrots don’t get as much love as dill pickles or pickled red onions do, and I’m really not sure why. They can add crunch to a salad, acidity to a sandwich, or unexpected depth to a simple crudité platter.  They’re even great straight from the jar. Dripping with fridge-cold brine, pickled carrots are snappy, tangy, earthy, and sweet. You won’t find a more refreshing snack. So, if you’ve never tried pickled carrots before, make this recipe! It’s insanely easy—the prep takes under 15 minutes—and it’s so delicious. These quick pickled carrots keep for up to 2 weeks in the…

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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.