Dukkah Spiced Yogurt Dip

Learn how to make dukkah with this simple recipe! It's a delicious way to spice up a yogurt dip, hummus, toast, and more!

appetizers / vegetarian / gluten free-option

My Dukkah Recipe Inspiration I recently contributed this dukkah recipe to Food 52’s Small Batch series. When they first suggested it, I had to look up how to (authentically) make it. It turns out — there’s no one way. The word dukkah literally means “to pound” and it generally consists of hazelnuts, sesame seeds, and a few whole dried spices. To me, this was the perfect opportunity to use up the nuts and spices I had just cleaned out of my pantry shelves. (Specifically, the ones that didn’t fit when I transferred them from little bags to little jars). Along with the…

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Cold Sesame Noodles w/ Kale & Shiitakes

I may call this a noodle salad, but secretly it's a kale salad, too. Made with sesame dressing and lots of sturdy veggies, it's perfect packed for lunch.

salads / vegan / gluten free

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I think Monday lunch is the most important meal of the week. If I’ve destroyed myself indulged a little too much over the weekend, I like to recover with a good healthy Monday lunch. Start the week off right, and it’s easier to make healthier choices throughout the week. I’m also trying to make more meals in advance (I’m hoping these kinds of recipes are helpful for you too). This is a noodle salad, but secretly there’s a kale salad hidden in here as well. I like to…

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Valentine’s link love

valentines day / recipe links / pinboards

Happy Valentines Day! I’m so happy to be home after a chilly week in Chicago – the sun is shining here and it’s WARM! I’ll take a beautiful day over a dozen roses any day. Jack might get off easy in the gift department, but tonight is the night he cooks(!) and I can’t wait to see what he’ll make. I had some treats planned that didn’t get finished on time – so instead, I thought I’d roundup some sweet things I’ve seen around the internet. All of these recipes and more are on my Valentines Pinboard (click to see it).…

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Creamy Mac and Cheese with Cauliflower

With cauliflower blended into its sauce, this cauliflower mac and cheese recipe is a lighter, but equally delicious, version of the classic comfort food.

winter / vegan-option / gluten free-option

Doesn’t this cauliflower mac and cheese look amazing? I made it with a bright orange cauliflower from Farmhouse Delivery in Austin. Its color reminded me so much of sharp cheddar cheese that I couldn’t resist using it in a cauliflower mac and cheese recipe. If you’re someone who craves creamy pasta in the winter, you have to try this cauliflower mac and cheese. Unlike many mac and cheese recipes, it doesn’t call for heavy cream, cream cheese, or even whole milk. Instead, I make the creamy sauce with blended, steamed cauliflower pieces, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, garlic, shallot, and sherry vinegar. The…

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Pinning: Winter salads

pinboards / winter / inspiration

This year, I have no New Year’s resolutions… (I made a few last year that I still haven’t gotten around to). I say… lets not be healthy because it’s January, let’s be healthy because it tastes good. Soups always steal the show in the wintertime (rightfully so), but lets not count out salads… especially vibrant, hearty ones full of interesting colors and textures. Here are a few from around the web that have inspired me lately. Check out my Winter Salads board to see more. Happy Salad-ing! Image credits: Seared Radicchio from Lily Beet, Carrot and Pomegranate Salad from Foodiecrush…

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A Very Veggie Cookbook Guide

The ultimate vegetarian cookbook gift guide. Perfect for the holidays or as a last-minute birthday gift!

cookbook / holiday / gift guide

Some last-minute gift ideas for the veggie lover in your life! (links below): Mr. Wilkinson’s Vegetables Vegetarian Everyday (by David & Luise of Green Kitchen Stories) Vegetable Literacy *my favorite book of the year* Bountiful (by Todd & Diane of White on Rice Couple) Ripe Superfood Kitchen Vedge Moosewood Restaurant Favorites Pure Vegan True Food Plenty The Sprouted Kitchen (by Sara & Hugh of Sprouted Kitchen) Super Natural Everyday (by Heidi of 101 Cookbooks) Giada’s Feel Good Food

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Kitchen Essentials Gift Guide

holiday / gift guide / kitchenware

While my earlier guide may have been my holiday wishlist, this is it’s more practical sister, the reality-list. These are the things I have in my own kitchen that I use pretty darn often. If you’re new to cooking, or know someone whose moving into their first home or apartment, this might be a good place to start: (links below) 1. Le Parfait Jars : my favorite jars for storing grains in the pantry. Air tight. 2. Whisks, set of 3 : because inevitably one is in the dishwasher. 3. Basic Colander : can’t go wrong with simple stainless. 4. Shun Chef’s Knife : you don’t need a knife set,…

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Favorite cookbooks, by region

holiday / cookbook / gift guide

It goes without saying that I collect a lot of cookbooks. Here are some of my favorites, organized by place: Italy: Amalfi Coast Recipes Franny’s: Simple Seasonal Italian La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy France: Lunch in Provence Little Paris Kitchen: 120 Simple but Classic French Recipes The French Market Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes from My Parisian Kitchen UK: Leon: Ingredients & Recipes (also looking forward to: Fast Vegetarian) River Cottage Veg: 200 Inspired Vegetable Recipes Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch Japan: Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art Kansha: Celebrating Japan’s Vegan & Vegetarian Traditions Japanese Farm Food Korea &…

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Moonshine Sweet Tea giveaway

holiday / giveaway

Today we’re giving away a sweet little taste of Texas: Moonshine Sweet Tea. There are so many budding local food companies here in Austin… good people that are making great things with the best of the best ingredients. So when the folks at Moonshine Sweet Tea approached me, I was over the moon (bad pun, sorry), because this is exactly the kind of business I am excited to support… Family owned: check, locally made: check, good typography: check check. The recipe has been passed down for 4 generations. It’s handmade in small batches using real organic tea leaves. The sweet…

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Whole Foods $75 giveaway

giveaway / whole foods

Here’s a gift everyone could probably use – a $75 gift card to Whole Foods! Go stock up on fancy mushrooms (or whatever you want)… leave a comment below and tell me your favorite way to cook with mushrooms. And if you don’t like mushrooms, well then you’re not eligible (kidding!!). Not sure what to make with mushrooms? Try one of these: Walnut-mushroom veggie burgers (from us) Rosemary mushroom chickpea ragout (The First Mess) Mushroom & chard bruschetta (Whole Foods) Mushroom millet leek frittatas (Sprouted Kitchen) Roasted king oyster mushrooms (Food & Wine) Mixed mushroom soup (Whole Foods) Cheesy brussels sprouts (& mushroom) lasagna (How…

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A White Kitchen Gift Guide

Dreaming of a beautiful, clean, white kitchen? This gift guide is for you, and I even bought most of the stuff on it!

kitchen gift guide / holiday 2013

Black friday… I’m just not into it. Malls freak me out and I’m not into stuff for the sake of stuff. But I do appreciate a few nicely made things. So I thought what better way to celebrate this awful “holiday” than with an all white-themed gift guide. I don’t know if you can tell by looking at this blog, but I kind of like white. As I was laying out these items on my computer screen, Jack looked over my shoulder and snarkily said “so you’re making your Christmas list there?” Before I could react with a snappy comeback,…

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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.

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