Ugly Vegan Kitchen

Arugula and Butternut Squash Salad

This is an easy recipe for vegan arugula and butternut squash salad with cinnamon maple vinaigrette dressing, toasted walnuts, crisp apples and pomegranate seeds. My favorite part is the vinaigrette with it’s hint of vanilla extract and touch of ground ginger. This arugula butternut squash salad recipe makes ~6-8 servings. It’s a great addition to…
Vegan Stroganoff with Mushrooms and Seitan

About a decade ago, I came across a recipe for vegan stroganoff with tahini. Despite having no vegan sour cream in it, the sauce was great. Time passed, and I haven’t been able to locate it. And honestly, at this point, all I can recall is that it had tahini and cornstarch in it! Inspired,…
Jackfruit Chickpea Curry Shepherd’s Pie

I’m a huge fan of Madras curry flavored anything. As I considered putting together a new vegan shepherd’s pie recipe, it was very obvious that it be Indian inspired and involve this delicious curry blend (the chickpeas, jackfruit and kale took a nanosecond longer to decide on). Baked in the oven, broiled to crisp up…
Slow Cooker Tempeh Sauerkraut Stew

This is an easy recipe for vegan slow cooker smoky tempeh sauerkraut stew with liquid smoke, smoked paprika, caraway seeds and more. One of my favorite parts is the way the it smells, as it simmers. It’s smoky, savory goodness! And there’s really nothing like kraut and potatoes, so serving this stew over a pile…
Vegan Italian Meatballs

In an act of ingenuity and stealing heavily from my recipe for this pesto, I created this vegan Italian meatballs recipe with textured vegetable protein (TVP), sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, bread crumbs and more. They’re pretty easy to make, can be baked or pan fried, and taste awesome with spaghetti and sauce, in a vegan Italian…
Curried Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Indian flavors permeate this delicious recipe for vegan curried black-eyed pea soup with spinach, carrots, coconut milk, fresh ginger, garam masala and more. It’s simple, hearty and great for the colder months of the year or whenever the mood strikes you. This recipe makes ~6-8 servings. A few things… Please enjoy! Maybe with some brown…
Barley Risotto with Mushrooms and Leeks

In the Fruili-Venezia Giulia, a region of Italy bordered by Slovenia, Austria and the Adriatic Sea, there’s a long standing tradition of making “orzotto” or barley risotto. It requires very little stirring, and is yet another delicious excuse to eat whole grains. Inspired by this, I put together this vegan barley risotto recipe with mushrooms,…
Cabbage and Wild Mushroom Pierogi

In a Venn diagram, we would see some definite overlap between this vegan cabbage and wild mushroom pierogi recipe and this one. If you like one, you’ll likely enjoy the other, because they involve some of the same key ingredients. And yet, one has potatoes and another has cabbage. One uses only white mushrooms and…
Farinata with Roasted Butternut Squash and Vegan Almond Ricotta

Farinata is a traditional street food from Liguria, a region in northwest Italy. Traditional preparations are vegan, because it’s basic ingredients include chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt. Versions of it are enjoyed up and down the northwest Mediterrean coast, but it’s also popular in Argentina and Uruguay (areas with significant populations of folks…
Green Beans and Potatoes

A few months back, I stirred together this vinaigrette for a salad that was packed for a picnic lunch. Since then, I’ve been a little obsessed with it. And I thought, “This would be great on something warm.” And so, here’s a lovely, warm vegan green beans and potatoes recipe that works well as an…
Tahini Noodles with Tempeh, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Red Peppers and Carrots

A smattering of Asian flavors permeate this delightful vegan tahini noodles recipe with tempeh, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, red peppers and carrots. It came together one afternoon when I had no specific plan for lunch, but a hankering for tahini in or on something. I made it a few more times and improved it every time.…
Sweet Potato Loaf with Sunflower and Pumpkin Seeds

For some time now, I’ve been trying to figure out a recipe for a vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, legume-free, soy-free loaf. With so many folks struggling with food allergies, it felt like a worthy challenge that might fill the void. And so, I bring you this vegan sweet potato loaf recipe with sunflower and pumpkin seeds,…
Slow Cooker Beet Stew with Seitan, Mushrooms and Roasted Buckwheat

Is this just a mushroomy, buckwheaty version of borscht? Well, basically. If you’re into umami, earthy, sweet and sour flavors, you’ll love this vegan slow cooker beet stew recipe with seitan, wild and white mushrooms, and roasted buckwheat. It’s so hearty and makes a nice, big batch. It’s absolutely delicious in fall, the dead of…
Lentil Taco Meat

While much of the time, I’m a gal that scribbles down ideas for recipes, and then, thinks about them for awhile. This vegan lentil taco meat recipe was created without much thought, besides that I wanted to add it to a salad. That was it. And it was really simple and tasted good, so why…
Coconut Mango Millet Porridge with Toasted Almonds and Golden Raisins

Millet porridge is enjoyed all over the world–China, Africa, India, Eastern Europe and more. While my first experiment with it went in an Eastern European direction, I decided that I really wanted to go more tropical. Because I was obsessed with using coconut milk, the rest of the ingredients were selected with that in mind.…
Vegan Pizza Burger

A staple of early 80’s Midwestern school lunch, I was first introduced to the pizza burger in first grade. Over the summer, I mentioned it to my husband, who mostly grew up on the U.S.’s east coast. He told me, “Yeah, I don’t know that one.” So, I made it my mission to bring yesteryear’s…
Chimichurri Bowl with Black Beans, Zucchini, Sweet Potatoes and Portobello Mushrooms

In the height of summer, the last thing I want to do is cook. Generally, the easier, the better. This recipe breaks that rule. We’ll need to make a sauce from scratch, boil quinoa, pickle red onions and grill (or roast) veggies. Is that without labor? Nope. But that’s what it means to make a…
Chimichurri Sauce

This chimichurri sauce recipe was buried in another post (and yes, it’s totally vegan, because traditionally it is!). While that recipe makes delicious use of the herbaceous condiment, why not make it more readily available for other applications? I made no revisions to the original version. I simply lifted it out, and placed it here.…
Vegan Potato Salad with Grilled Red Pepper and Tomato Vinaigrette

For all my recipe enthusiasts out there, you know that moment when you’ve put very little time into thinking about a dish, but it just comes together? The kind of moment where you’re feeling your way through and the outcome is delicious? That was this vegan potato salad with grilled red peppers and tomato vinaigrette…
Tomato Vinaigrette

While I originally devised of this dressing for a potato salad, it felt like the type of thing that shouldn’t be tucked away inside a different post. This vegan tomato vinaigrette has application well beyond one salad recipe, because it’s incredibly easy, leverages seasonal produce, and tastes lovely. Great on salad greens, drizzled on a…
Herby Chickpea Salad

Layered textures and flavors make this vegan recipe for herby chickpea salad with basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, celery, cucumber, sunflower seeds and more. The chickpeas are marinated in lemon juice, garlic and dried herbs overnight. When they’re done, you mix everything together. It’s delicious on sandwiches, on a bed of arugula, on crackers–whatever you think…
Beet Nigiri Sushi

This recipe looks deceptively simple, but it does require some knife skills. You have to be able to gently slice your cooked beets into very thin rectangular strips. The thin slice is key for allowing the marinade to sufficiently do the job, but it’s also essential for balancing the beet slice on top of the…
Brown Rice Salad with Avocado, Cucumber and Wakame

Lately, I’ve been eating seaweed more often. I love how it adds umami. As I contemplated putting together recipes for spring and summer, I knew the line up needed to include it. So, here we are with a vegan brown rice salad recipe with avocado, cucumber, wakame and a simple tahini dressing. Giving off sushi…
Tempeh Sausage Marinade

With just a few adjustments to the spices, this vegan tempeh marinade recipe can go from breakfast links to Italian sausage. Regardless of the spice profile you go with, the biggest element going into how rich the flavor will be is your patience. Marinades need some time to work. And if you can wait, you’ll…
Vegan Dill Dip

This is an incredibly simple, creamy vegan dill dip recipe with silken tofu, raw whole cashews, dried dill, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon juice and more. It goes well with chopped veggies, like cucumber slices, carrot sticks, celery sticks, radish, etc. It also pairs very nicely with chips. Using mostly vegan pantry staples, it’s easy…
Vegan Whole Wheat Biscuits

For the most part, I try to avoid making baked goods. I find that processed versions work just fine. Whether its to cut costs or have more control over the ingredients, I find myself making more and more from scratch. With those two things guiding me, I put together this easy vegan whole wheat biscuits…
Snap Pea Salad with Radishes, Carrots and Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing

Perfectly suited for spring, this is a super easy snap pea salad recipe with radishes, carrots, arugula, red onions and a homemade vegan honey mustard dressing. This salad is flavorful, fresh and makes an excellent side dish. This recipe makes ~4-6 servings. Two things… Delicious plant based flavor can be easy to accomplish! Discover other…
Tempeh Steak, Baby Potatoes and Broccoli Skillet

This is an easy vegan tempeh steak, baby potatoes and broccoli skillet recipe with an absolutely delicious marinade packed with plant based Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, rosemary and all the good stuff. It’s savory, hearty and a relative snap to pull off in the kitchen. This recipe makes ~4 servings. Two things… I hope this…