• RECIPES
  • ABOUT
  • NEWSLETTER
  • COOKBOOK
  • SAVED RECIPES
  • Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook
Love and LemonsMenu

Navigation

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Recipes
  • My Saved Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Newsletter
  • Contact

Social

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

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…

TO THE POST >>>>

Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

These vegan gingerbread cookies are perfect for the holidays! Soft, chewy, and deliciously spiced, they're fun to make, fun to decorate, and fun to eat.

vegan / holiday

These vegan gingerbread cookies might just be my new favorite holiday cookie! They’re so good that I’ve made them quite a few times this month already. We (ahem, Jack) kept devouring batch after batch, so I just had to make them again this weekend so we could snap some photos and share them with all of you! These vegan gingerbread cookies are soft, chewy, and deliciously spiced. If you ask me, they’re just as good as traditional gingerbread, but they’re made with wholesome, plant-based ingredients like coconut sugar, coconut oil, and almond butter – my secret ingredient. It makes these…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Spaghetti Bolognese

You'll love this fresh take on spaghetti bolognese. It's filled with a hearty mixture of mushrooms, lentils, walnuts, and aromatic veggies.

dinner / pasta

Have you seen those lists of the new 2017 trends? You know, the ones that go around the internet this time of year predicting everything from the popularity of coconut oil to the color of pale pink we’ll all be wearing in the spring? One that’s caught my attention lately is that “they” are saying that staying in is the new going out. And I’m totally on board with that. If you’ve had a busy holiday season how good does this sound: Stretchy pants, spaghetti bolognese, wine, and a nice dinner by the fire with twinkly Christmas tree lights in the background? Ok, just…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

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…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas

We love to cozy up with these vegetarian enchiladas on fall nights. Their filling is a sweet & spicy mix of butternut squash, black beans & scallions.

dinner / vegetarian / fall

To me, it seems like there’s always a shortage of good vegetarian enchiladas on restaurant menus. So often, you find chicken enchiladas only, or the vegetarian enchiladas look a like cheese bomb on a plate. Now, rather than going out, I make this vegetarian enchilada recipe from the “Winter Squash” section of our first cookbook when an enchilada craving strikes. It’s lighter than most restaurant enchiladas, but it’s still spicy & satisfying. Let’s cook! Lately, these vegetarian black bean enchiladas have become one of our favorite dinners for cold nights. The spicy, gooey tortillas and hearty veggie filling are the ultimate form of comfort…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Vegan Carrot “Queso” with Nacho Snacks

Who would have thought potatoes & carrots could blend into a creamy vegan queso? I sure didn't, until I made this tangy, smoky, delicious dip!

appetizers / snacks & dips / vegetarian

This vegan queso recipe takes me back to college, when I used to binge on super unhealthy things like chips and queso at night while trying to eat reasonably healthier and more vegetarian during the day. My transition to eating healthier foods took a few years to settle in. As a busy college student, the foods from Amy’s Kitchen really helped me make this transition. I loved their Vegetable Lasagna, the Breakfast Burrito, and of course these Nacho Snacks. So when the folks at Amy’s reached out to me, I knew I wanted to make a recipe that incorporated these snacks in a slightly healthier holiday appetizer. The secret…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

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…

TO THE POST >>>>

Healthy Hot Chocolate

This healthy hot chocolate recipe is the perfect cold weather treat! It's totally vegan and dairy-free, but it's still rich, chocolatey, and delicious.

vegan / gluten free / winter

Lately, Jack and I have been guzzling mugs of this healthy hot chocolate for breakfast. If you’re thinking, “Hot chocolate for breakfast?!”, you have to hear me out. This healthy hot chocolate recipe is a far cry from the Swiss Miss hot cocoa I drank as a kid. It’s naturally sweetened, and nutrient-rich cacao powder takes the place of processed cocoa. Plus, I make it with almond milk, so it’s totally vegan and dairy-free. Fair game for breakfast? 100% yes. Now, if you think “healthy” is code for “watery” or “bland,” think again. This healthier hot chocolate is rich, creamy,…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Apple Sage Grilled Cheese

A fancy fall grilled cheese that's sweet and savory. Delicious for a quick weeknight dinner.

fall / vegan-option / gluten free-option

Of course you don’t need a recipe for grilled cheese, but I just HAVE to share this simple combo because it’s so so delicious. This is the sort of thing that I love to make when I don’t feel like spending time in the kitchen but I also don’t feel like leaving the house. Sweet, soft apples, savory sage, red onion, and a good slather of grainy mustard – all between melty cheese (or vegan cheese) and bread. I think this might be my favorite sandwich assembly to date, I just love the sweet and salty mix. Make these with a…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

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!

TO THE POST >>>>

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Topped with a sweet and savory rosemary cashew cream and a lemony broccoli salad, these twice baked sweet potatoes are totally irresistible.

fall / gluten free / vegan-option

These twice baked sweet potatoes are a complete departure from the sweet potatoes I ate growing up. Then, I only had them once a year at Thanksgiving, where they were layered into a casserole loaded with mini marshmallows. For years, I thought I didn’t like sweet potatoes. It turns out, that casserole was just too sweet for me! I actually love sweet potatoes, but not when they’re loaded with brown sugar and marshmallows. These twice baked sweet potatoes are a perfect balance of sweet and savory. They take the potatoes’ natural sweetness and offset it with cozy, bright, and tangy flavors.…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>
PRIOR PAGE
NEXT PAGE
A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
SEARCH RECIPES
Search Recipes Search Recipes
breakfast  /  main-dish  /  dessert
vegan  /  gluten free
ALL 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.

Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and FacebookInstagram Pinterest Twitter Facebook
Various Shop Items
Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook
Top Recipes
  • Healthy Breakfast Ideas
  • Easy Dinner Ideas
  • Healthy Lunch Ideas
  • Best Brunch Recipes
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Best Salad Recipes
  • Best Soup Recipes
  • Easy Appetizer Recipes
Cooking With Vegetables
  • Avocado
  • Beets
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Broccoli
  • Butternut Squash
  • Cauliflower
  • Spaghetti Squash
  • Sweet Potato
Plant-Based Cooking Basics
  • Brown Rice
  • Lentils
  • Roasted Chickpeas
  • Farro
  • Tofu
  • Tempeh
  • Quinoa
  • Zucchini Noodles
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • RECIPES
  • COOKBOOK
  • SHOP
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • CONTACT
  • PRIVACY POLICY
Click here to view our privacy policy.
Copyright © 2026 Love and Lemons, LLC. All rights reserved.