Top Recipes of 2016

Our top 10 reader-favorite recipes of 2016. Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells, Vegetarian Pho, Carrot Breakfast Cookies and more!

vegetarian / reader favorites

Happy 2017 everyone! I know everyone is ready to kick 2016 to the curb, but before we forget about it entirely, I wanted to share our top 10 recipes of the past year. These recipes not only top our site analytics, but they’re among the most made and shared recipes on Instagram. If you’re new here, (welcome!) this group of recipes is a great place to start. Click on the links OR the photos themselves to go directly to the recipes. Vegan Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells (pictured above) Ok technically I posted this one at the tail end of 2015, but…

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Christmas Morning Recipes

Favorite healthy holiday breakfast and brunch recipes - including Vegan French Toast, Blueberry Baked Oatmeal and more!

breakfast / brunch / holiday

And the countdown begins! As a kid, Christmas morning was always the absolute BEST part of the year. For the special morning my family celebrated with one of 2 breakfast rituals – a can of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls or a box of Entenmann’s chocolate doughnuts. We loved it all – although my sister and I could honestly care less about the food because the morning was all about waking up and waiting sooooo patiently for my parents to get their coffee before we could start opening presents. The recipe suggestions here are a little more homemade, but hey no judgement if you have…

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Brussels Sprout Salad Avocado Toast

This smashed avocado toast is topped with a tangy Brussels Sprouts salad. Great for breakfast, a snack, or to serve to family.

appetizers / vegetarian / gluten free

There’s a shaved Brussels sprout salad in our Cookbook (page 68) that’s one of my go-to salads in the fall and/or winter. It has a tangy citrusy dressing and it’s tossed with cranberries and pine nuts. A few weeks ago while I was planning to make that salad for Thanksgiving, I saw a sprout and ricotta toast recipe on Epicurious and got the idea that my favorite little salad would make a bright festive appetizer. Instead of using ricotta cheese to hold the filling onto the toast I used smashed avocado – because I can never resist yet another seasonal avocado toast. This…

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2016 Cookbook Gift Guide

Cookbooks make the best holiday gifts. Here are some of my top picks of 2016!

cookbooks / holiday / gift guides

Like I say year after year – I think cookbooks make the best gifts! Here’s my official 2016 list. Some titles you may recognize because I’ve featured them here throughout the year, and some you’ll likely hear more about very soon. You might also want to check out my 2014 and 2015 lists because there are some favorites on those lists as well. As always, be sure to list your recommendations in the comments – I always love hearing about new books! Click the books in the photo above or in the links below to check them out! The Love & Lemons…

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Cookbook + Whole Foods Giveaway

Win a copy of The Love & Lemons Cookbook and a $50 Whole Foods Market Gift Card!

cookbook / giveaway

Have you been holiday shopping this weekend? If not, here’s a great start – for this giveaway 6 WINNERS will each win a copy of The Love & Lemons Cookbook along with a $50 Whole Foods Market Gift Card. So whether you’ve been waiting to get your copy or you’re looking for a great gift, enter now: This giveaway is now closed, winners will be notified. Happy Holidays! Special thanks to Whole Foods Market for partnering on this post and providing the gift cards!

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Butternut Squash Recipes

A collection of favorite fall recipes: Butternut squash walnut and sage pasta, Kale & Quinoa Stew, Squash and Leek Risotto, Breakfast Hash and more!

butternut squash / fall

It’s officially fall here in Austin. It’s drizzly and cold outside (well, cold-ish) and that makes me want to do nothing more than roast cozy squash-y things in the oven. Here are a bunch of my favorite butternut squash recipes – what are yours? Butternut Squash Walnut & Sage Pasta Butternut Squash Kale & Quinoa Stew Butternut Squash Croquettes Butternut Squash & Leek Risotto Butternut Squash Breakfast Hash Rosemary Roasted Veggies Butternut Squash & Tart Cherry Quinoa Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili Vegan Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

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A Fall Wine Party (& a video!)

Fall entertaining tips, appetizer recipes and a delicious pumpkin hummus recipe.

fall / entertaining

A few weeks ago I threw this simple, fun Friday night wine party. Here in Austin, it was the first day of fall (read: the first day that the temps dropped below 90 degrees)… I invited some of my closest friends, served up some fall-inspired appetizers and (to keep things easy!) opened up a few boxes of Bota Box wines. Here was my menu: – Roasted Butternut Squash Crostini w/ Sage – Assorted Cheese Platter – Pumpkin Hummus (recipe below) I roasted cubes of butternut squash and topped them onto crostini with lemon ricotta and fried sage. This is my…

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Healthier Halloween Treats

haloween / desserts

Hi friends! Happy weekend-before-Halloween! This time of year was always a favorite for me growing up… not so much for the halloween candy, but for the homemade chocolate pumpkin-y treats that my mom would bake. I liked a good 3 Musketeers bar, but I loved pumpkin brownies and cookies even more. So in the spirit of things that won’t get stuck in your teeth, here are some homemade favorites that I’ve made and a few tasty treats from others’ sites that had me drooling this week: Pictured above: Vegan Chocolate PB&J Cups Buttercup Squash Crumble Bars  /  Almond Butter Brown Rice Crispy Treats Sweet Harvest Pumpkin…

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White Bean Tomato Mushroom Soup

fall / soups / vegetarian

Last month, I came home from chilly, rainy Chicago with a sore throat, a cold, and a mad craving for soup. I’ve been trying all kinds of new soup recipes since then, but this one really hit the spot. It’s made with hearty cannelini beans, butternut squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, herbs, and a little kale wilted in at the end. It’s the perfect “cozy up on the sofa and start a new TV show” (we just started Stranger Things) kind of soup. Also, the leftovers are great reheated for lunch the next day. This post is in partnership with Randalls and Albertsons for their O…

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Fall Weeknight Meal Planning Tips

kitchen tips / fall

A few months ago, I wrote this post about how I go about my meal prep for a week of healthy eating. Since then, so many of you expressed how helpful it was so I’m back here again with a fall version. I love this season because the produce is so beautiful and cozy… it all just makes me want to get into the kitchen and cook! To me, there’s nothing better than the smell of squash and onions roasting away in the oven. We’re partnering with Wolf to bring you these tips as part of their Reclaim the Kitchen initiative.…

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10 Favorite Soup Season Recipes

Healthy vegetarian soup recipes - Red Curry Lemongrass Soup, Carrot Soup, Ribollita and more!

fall / recipes

First off, I owe a huge THANK YOU to all of you who nominated and voted for us in this year’s Saveur Blog awards – we won! Now to celebrate with… soup! I spent the past few weeks in Chicago where I watched summer turn to fall over night. One day we were eating corn on the back patio, the next morning I was hugging a hot bowl of oatmeal. Yes, I am the biggest wimp when there is even the slightest bit of chill in the air. I’m back in sunny Austin now but I caught this cold on the airplane…

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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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