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Sweet Home Chicago

Highlights from Jeanine and Jack's trip to Chicago...including their favorite restaurant stops. Did someone say vegan peanut butter cookie dough milkshake?

Having grown up here, it feels weird to categorize this as a “vacation.” Yet we don’t make it back very often and when we do, so much has changed. This trip was part business trip, part visiting family, and part mini-getaway. This is by no means a comprehensive list or a city guide, just some highlights of what we did and where we went this time. follow the jump to continue reading (and disregard that it says “recipe”):

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Grilled Bell Pepper & Chickpea Salad

A summer salad with red and yellow bell peppers, chickpeas, fresh oregano, and basil! A simple & healthy weeknight dinner for vegans and meat eaters, too.

This Monday, like no other, calls for a healthy start. We got home late Saturday night after spending the week in Chicago. We ate way too many things at way too many places… which is generally how our vacations go. The difference this time is that because we’re food blogging now, I’d make the excuse that we were eating in the name of “inspiration”, or even more ridiculous, “research.” While I might have brought home a few new ideas, I also brought home probably a few extra pounds. So this week is gonna be a healthy one. Yesterday we went to…

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Edamame & Corn Succotash

A fresh & healthy one-pan summer vegetable recipe full of red pepper, green beans, corn, edamame, and tons of fresh herbs. Vegan and gluten free.

summer / vegan / gluten free

I’ve gone on about my love of midwestern corn before. Sweet, juicy, crunchy… the quintessential taste of summer. I’m in Chicago visiting my family this week, and that corn is every bit as good as I remembered. Salt, a little bit of butter, that’s it. I made this succotash a few weeks ago at home with what I call “pretty-good” local Texas corn. It’s the kind of that I don’t feel guilty mixing with other things… crunchy colorful vegetables, spicy jalapeños, and some bright herbs. I love a succotash that is rich and creamy, but to keep this on the lighter side I…

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Roasted Tomato Brown Rice Pasta

Roasted cherry tomatoes burst over gluten-free pasta, basil, and arugula in this simple summer dish. Perfect after a visit to your Farmers Market. Vegan.

summer / vegan / gluten free

Did you know that slavery is happening in today’s tomato fields? Did you know that it is happening, not in a distant land, but right here in the US? They are calling Florida’s tomato fields “ground-zero” for modern-day slavery. I didn’t know this, but it sure inspires me to become even more aware of where the food I eat comes from. Nicole Gulotta, who writes the beautiful food philanthropy blog The Giving Table, has organized today as Food Bloggers for Slave-Free Tomatoes. A whole bunch of food bloggers are posting their slave-free tomato recipes today as a collective voice for change. Here’s the…

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Peach Salsa Tostadas

These easy, flexible tostadas make a fun weeknight summer dinner or party dish! Crispy corn tortillas with sweet & tangy fixings are gluten & meat free.

summer / gluten free

I know, peaches 2 posts in a row… I usually try to mix it up a bit more, but I just had so many peaches left over after that salad. I had never grilled peaches before so I got tons extra “just in case.” And like always, when I plan for the worst (which is almost never), things work out. So last night we finished off the last of those peaches with these yummy black bean tostadas with peach salsa. And speaking of awesome planning, we’re headed to the airport in a little while (off to Chicago), and I’m scrambling.…

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Grilled Peach Salad & Mint Pesto

This 30-minute salad makes a bright, sweet side on any summer table. Juicy peaches, creamy mozzarella & herbs will please vegetarians & meat eaters alike!

summer / gluten free / favorite

This one has moved to the top of my list for favorite summertime dishes. Sweet grilled peaches, spicy arugula, creamy fresh mozzarella, crunchy pine nuts, and herb-y pesto… It’s simple enough to put together for a light weeknight meal, but fancy enough to serve as a starter at your next dinner party.

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Dai Due Supper Club

Jeanine shares her experience with the ultra-locally-sourced Dai Due Supper Club in Austin, Texas. Here's to good food and community!

austin

Jack and I have been going to the Dai Due dinners (prounced die do-aay) for a few years now, and it’s something we really look forward to. I usually try to snag tickets once a year in the summertime for one of the seafood-themed dinners. (There are some obvious themes I can’t go to as a non-meat-eater — ie. “The Whole Hog” dinner). The husband and wife team, Jesse Griffiths and Tamara Mayfield, take “local” to a crazy-person level (the good kind of crazy). While they set the dinner themes ahead of time, individual menu items aren’t decided until the last minute due to…

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Grilled Panzanella with Poached Egg

Crispy bread cubes tossed with tomatoes, basil, and ricotta make an easy, healthy, and elegant summer dinner or side. Add a poached egg for extra protein!

summer / salads / favorite

I love charred bread, but I haven’t always. When I was younger, my dad ate all the family reject burnt food. Overdone toast, accidentally burnt pancakes, cookies we left in the oven too long… my sister and I had a preference toward underdone and doughy food, so whatever we messed up and overcooked, we’d pile on a plate for my dad. And he’d always say “this is the best kind.” The first time I put burnt toast on a plate for Jack, he looked at me and said “what’s this, am I your dad now?” I had just always assumed…

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Quinoa Taco Salad

Enjoy this salad for a summer lunch or weeknight dinner. Corn, poblanos, cilantro, and plenty of lime give this hearty vegan salad crunch and zest.

vegan / gluten free / favorite

I eat a lot of tacos. Here in Austin, you can’t walk 10 feet without tripping over another taco truck or Mexican restaurant. But my favorite thing is actually the taco in its deconstructed form: the taco salad. You can take this in as many different directions as there are taco fillings, but I especially like this with red quinoa (although if you had non-red quinoa it would taste pretty much the same). The chewy little red kernels sort of take on the essence of taco meat. The rest of the ingredients came together from what I happened to have on…

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Austin Restaurants: Contigo

On the far end of east Austin is Contigo, a farm-to-table restaurant with arguably the best outdoor setting in town.

austin

On the far end of east Austin is Contigo, a farm-to-table restaurant with arguably the best outdoor setting in town. Maybe it’s the long drive in the opposite direction of civilization, or the layout of the large communal tables, but the sky just looks bigger here… especially on this particular night when some moody purple & grey storm clouds were just beginning to loom overhead. I love it here in the summertime because the menu is lighter and includes more veggie-friendly options. (In other seasons it can be a pretty meaty-pork-heavy place). But this time the highlights for me were:…

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Fettuccine & Sweet Corn Cream

Fettuccine tossed in almond & corn cream sauce with greens makes a perfect summer dinner. Lighter than a dairy cream sauce but no less delicious. Vegan.

summer / vegan / pasta

Oh, corn… if you’re not from the midwest, you don’t really know corn… in the same way that if you’ve never been to southern Italy, you’ve never truly experienced a tomato. Jack doesn’t “get” corn. But he’s from Florida, so he never grew up with late-July anticipation of the sweet, crunchy, juicy goodness that is Illinois bi-color corn. (And truthfully, I think the closest he got to “corn” as a child was via Frito-Lay). If I had peak-season Illinois corn, I wouldn’t even be cooking it this much. This is a summery dish you make when you live somewhere that…

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hi, I'm Jeanine

I'm a New York Times bestselling cookbook author and the founder of Love & Lemons, a trusted recipe resource for millions of readers. My passion is creating healthy, fun, and delicious vegetarian recipes that celebrate seasonal ingredients and flavors. Let's get cooking!

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