Pickled Serrano Peppers

Love spicy food? These pickled serrano peppers are for you! I like making them to add a pop of tangy, spicy flavor to tacos, nachos, and more.

Move over, jalapeños! Serrano peppers are my current chile obsession for one simple reason: they’re spicier. Serrano vs. Jalapeño Peppers On the Scoville Scale, the official system for measuring the pungency of peppers, serrano peppers score higher than jalapeños. They clock in at 10,000 to 23,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units) versus jalapeños’ Scoville rating of 2,500 to 8,000. That’s 3 to 4 times hotter! But lately, I’ve felt like the difference in heat level between jalapeño and serrano peppers is even greater than that. I think the jalapeños at my grocery store are tasting more and more like green bell…

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Grilled Asparagus

This grilled asparagus recipe is my favorite spring and summer side dish. Simply seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper, it's fresh and delicious.

Grilled asparagus is the best spring and summer side dish! It’s tender, juicy, and lightly charred, and it cooks in minutes on the grill. Seasoned simply with olive oil, salt, pepper, and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice, it pairs perfectly with almost any meal. Below, you’ll find my easy method for cooking asparagus on the grill, along with my favorite ways to serve it. Even if you’re an asparagus skeptic, I hope you’ll try this recipe. My husband Jack used to claim he hated asparagus, but once he tried it grilled, he became a convert. Who knows? You might…

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25 Best Easter Brunch Ideas

I've rounded up my best Easter brunch ideas to help you plan the perfect menu! They include hearty egg dishes, spring salads, muffins, and more.

With Easter just a few weeks away, I’m busy planning my Easter brunch menu. If you are too, you’re in the right place! Below, I’ve rounded up my best Easter brunch ideas, including crowd-pleasing favorites like breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls, and the perfect spring salad. You’ll find savory brunch recipes like quiche and breakfast potatoes as well as sweet ones like coffee cake (and carrot cake, which I think we can go ahead and call dessert). At the bottom of this post, I’ve also shared a sample Easter brunch menu. Try the whole thing (it won’t disappoint!) or use it…

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Roasted Asparagus

This oven roasted asparagus recipe is an easy, delicious spring side dish. The spears are tender, juicy, and flavorful. Ready in 15 minutes!

This roasted asparagus recipe is my favorite spring side dish. I love how the spears become tender, juicy, and lightly browned in the oven, with frizzled, crispy tips. I think they’re delicious straight off the baking sheet (I’ve been known to eat half a pan while putting the finishing touches on dinner…), but they’re even more flavorful with seasonings like Parmesan cheese, garlic, fresh herbs, or a squeeze of lemon juice. Another reason to love roasted asparagus? It’s so easy to make. It only bakes for about 15 minutes, meaning that you can throw it together on a weeknight or…

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Homemade Granola

There's a lot to love about this homemade granola recipe. It's easy to make, it's healthy, it's delicious, and it will make your kitchen smell amazing!

If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent hours in the granola aisle at the grocery store, trying to find just the right kind. You know the one—it has lots of fun mix-ins like nuts and dried fruit; it’s sweet, but not too sweet; it’s spiced with cinnamon; and it’s filled with big clusters of oats and nuts. …And if you’re anything like me, you’ve come to realize that it’s nearly impossible to find the perfect granola at the store. Enter: my homemade granola recipe! Instead of using white or brown sugar, I sweeten it naturally with maple syrup (honey works…

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Quick Pickled Cabbage

Learn how to make quick pickled cabbage with this easy recipe! Tangy, crunchy, and refreshing, it's delicious on sandwiches, tacos, and more.

Have you ever tried pickled cabbage? If you like dill pickles, pickled red onions, or pickled anything, really, you’re going to love this pickled cabbage too. It’s tangy, it’s crunchy, and it has the most amazing bright red color. When I have a jar in the fridge, I pile it onto everything—sandwiches, tacos, grain bowls, you name it. It’s a super easy, super delicious way to give a simple meal a little extra pop. I’m sharing my pickled cabbage recipe at the bottom of this post. Along the way, you’ll find tips for making it and a few tasty variations.…

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How to Cook Rice on the Stove

Learn how to cook perfect rice on the stove! This easy method yields fluffy white rice every time. Find my best recipe tips and serving ideas below!

Learn how to cook rice perfectly every time! Below, I’m sharing my go-to method for how to cook white rice on the stove. It’s easy to make in under 30 minutes, and it always yields tender, fluffy rice. Sooo many people think that it’s impossible to cook perfect rice on the stove. I’m on a mission to change that! While there are some common pitfalls to cooking rice, this foolproof white rice recipe is easy to master. And once you have it in your back pocket, you can quickly whip it up to serve with curries, stir fries, and more. You…

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Tofu Scramble

This easy tofu scramble recipe is a delicious vegan breakfast! It has a savory, eggy flavor and soft, creamy texture. Ready in 15 minutes!

This tofu scramble is one of my favorite vegan breakfast recipes, if not one of my favorite breakfasts, period. I think it’s just as delicious as classic scrambled eggs. It’s soft and creamy, and it has a rich, eggy flavor thanks to nutritional yeast and a few key spices. Bonus: it’s also high in protein! I love having it in my rotation for mornings when I’m in the mood for a savory breakfast that doesn’t involve eggs. It’s easy to make in one pan, so you can throw it together on a weekday, but with the right fixings, it’s totally weekend-worthy too.…

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Homemade Flour Tortillas

These homemade flour tortillas are soft and delicious—so much better than store-bought! The recipe is easy to make with 5 simple ingredients.

These homemade flour tortillas are soft, pliable, and delicious. They’re like an entirely different food from store-bought tortillas—they’re chewier, more rustic, and far more flavorful. Try one while it’s warm from the stove. You won’t believe how good it is! I started making homemade flour tortillas years ago, back when I first moved to Austin, Texas. I imagined that it would be a major cooking project that would require special ingredients and hours in the kitchen. But to my surprise, it turned out to be incredibly simple. So simple, in fact, that I’ve made flour tortillas many, many times since. I’m sharing…

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Easy Veggie Stir Fry

This easy stir fry recipe features colorful veggies in a delicious sweet and savory sauce. Ready in 20 minutes, it's a quick, healthy, and flavorful meal!

This easy stir fry recipe is the ultimate weeknight dinner. It’s quick, flavorful, and healthy too, packed with colorful vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and peppers. Add your favorite protein and serve it over rice for a satisfying 20-minute meal! Years ago, when I first started cooking for myself, I made a veggie stir fry nearly every night. It was the easiest (and cheapest) thing I knew how to make, so I put it on repeat. Fast forward to now, and stir fry is still a staple in my weeknight rotation…but it’s gotten a lot tastier. I’ve perfected my sweet and…

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Stir Fry Sauce

This stir fry sauce recipe is sweet, savory, and super easy to make. Use it to whip up a quick, flavorful stir fry with whatever you have in your fridge!

A good stir fry sauce is the secret to a delicious stir fry. I should know, because I made my fair share of disappointing stir fries when I was learning how to cook. Nine times out of ten, when one fell flat, it was because the sauce was too bland, too salty, or too watery. But over the years, I’ve developed a homemade stir fry sauce I love. It’s nicely balanced, with a sweet, savory, and tangy flavor. It has a perfect texture too. A little cornstarch helps it thicken in the pan, creating a glossy coating for any combination of…

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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.