Love and Lemons

This corn casserole has a delicious creamy center and sweet and savory corn flavor. It’s like a softer, almost spoonable version of cornbread, with plenty of whole corn kernels mixed in for crunch. The recipe is inspired by classic corn casserole with Jiffy mix, but instead of relying on a boxed cornbread mix and canned corn, it stars fresh corn and a homemade blend of flour, cornmeal, and baking powder. (Though don’t worry—if you prefer to use a mix or canned or frozen corn, I’ve tested them al

Our Cooking Club is a fun way to celebrate the Love & Lemons community of readers. The concept is super simple—each month, I choose a recipe. You make it, and you leave a comment on the recipe’s blog post. At the end of the month, I randomly select one winner to receive a prize. I love the sense of community that comes from so many people cooking one recipe each month. We’re kicking off our September challenge today with our green curry recipe, and I hope you’ll join in the fun. Here’s how it wo

This celery salad recipe is fresh and flavorful, filled with a delicious variety of textures and flavors. Chewy Medjool dates and tender chickpeas accent the celery’s crunch, and apple adds a nice sweetness to play off the celery’s savory flavor. Rich, nutty almonds and Parmesan balance the fresh ingredients, and a bright lemon dressing ties the whole thing together. I love this salad because it shows that celery can be so much more than a supporting ingredient in a soup or the base for ants on

Move over, ketchup and hot sauce—this homemade harissa recipe is one of my favorite condiments to keep on hand. Made with a blend of roasted red peppers, dried chiles, warming spices, garlic, and lemon, my version of this North African chili paste is sweet, smoky, and bright, with a subtle kick of heat. I love stirring it into shakshuka for spice, slathering it in falafel wraps, and dolloping it on roasted veggies to punch up the flavors. I started making homemade harissa years ago, back before

On busy mornings, I love having a stash of these oatmeal bars on hand. They’re a perfect grab-and-go breakfast, packed with hearty oats, walnuts, dried cranberries, and eggs to hold them together. They have a delicious soft-baked texture, and brown sugar and cinnamon fill them with sweet, spiced flavor. With two kiddos in the house, I rarely have time to make actual oatmeal on a weekday, but lucky for me, these oatmeal breakfast bars are even better! I adapted this oatmeal bars recipe from my ba

Let’s make mini muffins! These bite-size treats are moist, puffy, and studded with gooey, melty mini chocolate chips. The recipe calls for basic ingredients and is easy to make—easy enough that if you have mini-muffin-loving kids in your house, they can help bake! These chocolate chip mini muffins have been one of my family’s go-to snacks for over a year. I developed the recipe because, well… I had gotten in the habit of buying store-bought mini muffins for my son Ollie when he was a toddler. Bu

This succotash recipe is a celebration of late summer vegetables, filled with sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes, okra, and lima beans. I lean into the fresh flavors by adding herbs like basil and thyme and mix in a pinch of smoked paprika for smoky depth. Ready in under 30 minutes, this succotash recipe is an easy side dish to whip up when you have lots of summer veggies on hand. I’ve been making different variations on it for years (see the Summer Squash Succotash on page 273 of The Love & Lemons C

Our Cooking Club is a fun way to celebrate the Love & Lemons community of readers. The concept is super simple—each month, I choose a recipe. You make it, and you leave a comment on the recipe’s blog post. At the end of the month, I randomly select one winner to receive a prize. I love the sense of community that comes from so many people cooking one recipe each month. We’re kicking off our August challenge today with our pasta alla Norma recipe, and I hope you’ll join in the fun. Here’s how it

This crispy rice salad recipe is quickly becoming my favorite summer lunch. It starts with a base of veggies—marinated cucumbers, edamame, scallions, avocado, and fresh mint—that I top with crunchy roasted peanuts, sheet pan crispy rice, and sesame ginger dressing. It’s so good that I’ve already made it 3 times this summer. Check back with me in a few weeks—I have a feeling I’ll have made it at least 3 times more. Crispy Rice Salad Ingredients I got hooked on the concept of crispy rice salads af

This crispy rice recipe is one of my favorite ways to add crunch to salads and bowls. Easy to make on a sheet pan with just 4 ingredients, it transforms dry, dull day-old rice into something completely delicious. It’s crackly, toasty, and infused with nutty, savory flavor from tamari and sesame oil. I love it as the base of a bowl or salad or as a crunchy topping for roasted veggies, sweet potatoes, and more. I developed this crispy rice recipe after eating the most delicious crispy rice salad a

This peach crisp recipe is a delicious, easy summer dessert. Just slice up some sweet, juicy peaches, toss them with a little sugar, flour, lemon, and vanilla, and bake them with a quick brown sugar and oat crumble on top. The whole thing calls for 10 ingredients and is ready in under 45 minutes. Peak-season peaches have always been one of my favorite parts of summer. While there’s nothing I love more than eating one over the sink, the juice dripping down my chin, this fresh peach crisp recipe i

This Caprese gnocchi recipe is about to become your go-to summer weeknight dinner! It cooks on one pan in under 30 minutes and is bursting with fresh flavor. Inspired by a classic Caprese salad, it combines store-bought gnocchi with summer tomatoes, fresh basil, and creamy mozzarella cheese. Just like in my sheet pan gnocchi recipe, I don’t boil the gnocchi here. Instead, I bake it in the oven alongside cherry tomatoes. The gnocchi soaks up the flavorful tomato juices while becoming lightly cris

This whipped cottage cheese recipe is an easy, delicious high-protein snack. It comes together in under 5 minutes: just add cottage cheese to a food processor with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and a pinch of salt. With a couple of pulses, the curds in the cottage cheese disappear. You end up with a creamy, tangy, silky-smooth dip that’s perfect for scooping up with crackers and veggies. It’s been on repeat in my kitchen lately. I love blending it up on the weekend so that I have a grab-and-go

Eggplant lovers, this pasta alla Norma recipe is for you! Eggplant skeptics, I think you’ll actually get behind this Sicilian pasta too. It stars a garlicky tomato sauce filled with tender eggplant slices. The eggplant practically melts into the sauce, thickening it and adding rich flavor. I round it out with ricotta salata cheese and a shower of fresh basil. Pasta alla Norma is a classic Italian pasta dish that originated in Sicily, in the city of Catania. My recipe has traditional flavors, fea

This burrata salad recipe is simple summer perfection. Easy to make in just 15 minutes, it stars juicy heirloom tomatoes, balsamic-dressed cherry tomatoes, drizzles of pesto, fresh basil, and torn burrata cheese. It’s like an updated take on a Caprese salad, with the creamy burrata instead of mozzarella and the pesto for extra basil flavor. I’m a Caprese fan through and through, but I might like this burrata version even more than the classic. I originally made this burrata salad recipe in late

Our Cooking Club is a fun way to celebrate the Love & Lemons community of readers. The concept is super simple—each month, I choose a recipe. You make it, and you leave a comment on the recipe’s blog post. At the end of the month, I randomly select one winner to receive a prize. I love the sense of community that comes from so many people cooking one recipe each month. We’re kicking off our July challenge today with our Italian pasta salad recipe, and I hope you’ll join in the fun. Here’s how it

This strawberry icebox cake recipe belongs at your next summer gathering! My strawberry tiramisu became an instant reader favorite after I shared it last 4th of July, so this year, I wanted to develop another no-bake dessert for your summer celebrations. After testing and tweaking this icebox cake multiple times, I’m happy to report that it’s even easier and just as delicious. It has layers of fresh strawberries, homemade whipped cream, and graham crackers that soften into a light, cake-like tex

Say hello to our best 4th of July drinks! They include cocktails that range from fruity and fun (looking at you, strawberry margarita) to crisp and classic (like this negroni). You’ll also find several non-alcoholic options here. They’re colorful, refreshing, and just as festive as any of the alcoholic cocktails on this list. I think drinks are an underrated part of any July Fourth cookout, potluck, or picnic menu. A summery cocktail or a cold pitcher of lemonade will instantly make your celebra

This agua fresca recipe is the best way to cool off on a hot day! Made with 4 fresh ingredients—your fruit of choice, water, sweetener, and lime—these colorful drinks are lightly sweet, bright, and refreshing. On a blistering summer day in Austin, they’re my favorite way to beat the heat. Best Fruits for Aguas Frescas A fun thing about this agua fresca recipe? You can make it with almost any fruit! Here are some of my favorite agua fresca flavors: Watermelon Mango Pineapple Honeydew Cantaloupe S

Who else grew up eating ramen noodle salad at potlucks and cookouts? This recipe is my updated take on the nostalgic summer side dish. It stars crisp veggies, juicy orange segments, a sweet and tangy vinaigrette, and the best part: a crunchy mix of toasted ramen noodles, nuts, and sesame seeds. I’ve made this ramen noodle salad recipe for a few BBQs already this summer, and it’s always been the first side dish to disappear. I hope you try it for a gathering soon—I promise it’ll be a hit! Ramen N