Ugly Vegan Kitchen

Tempeh Eggplant Adobo

I rarely use tempeh. And yet, it has so many health benefits. It’s a probiotic. It’s loaded with protein. It’s a good source of vitamins, like manganese, copper, b2, and magnesium. And it has a ton of fiber. Every time I eat it, I think, “I should eat this more often.” And then, I don’t.…
Carrot Artichoke Tortellini with Garlic Butter Arugula

This vegan tortellini recipe is a fresh spin on the classic Italian pasta. The vegan tortellini filling uses grilled marinated artichokes, finely chopped carrots and fresh parsley. No nuts. No tofu. No soy. If you positively love artichokes, this is the one for you! Vegan wonton wrapper tortellini? Yes, it can be that easy to…
Hearts of Palm Ceviche

Eaten all across Latin America and the Caribbean, ceviche is a popular seafood appetizer. It often involves raw fish, citrus, cilantro and chiles. It is commonly enjoyed on its own or with tortilla chips. And there are cultural differences in ingredients and preparation. Inspired, I came up with this vegan (or vegetarian) hearts of palm…
Buffalo Soy Curls Wrap

This vegan buffalo chicken soy curls wrap recipe is super easy and tasty! It’s great for lunch or a quick dinner during the week. Or deconstruct it and make it into a salad. A few things… This vegan buffalo chicken recipe makes ~4 servings of buffalo soy curls, whether you put them on wraps or…
Miso Shiitake Soup with Tofu and Bok Choy

This bok choy and shiitake mushroom soup recipe relies on red miso, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and scallions to create a brothy, comforting bowl of soup. When I was growing up, we never bought vegetable broth or bouillon cubes. We would finish a dish by adding miso at the end of cooking.…
Zucchini Basil Soup

Years ago, one of my best friends would go to the farmer’s market, load up on zucchini and fresh basil, and make a batch of soup. I always looked forward to it. Because even in the height of the summer, this vegan zucchini basil soup recipe made complete sense. It was somewhat creamy yet had…
Soy Curl Tetrazzini Primavera

Tetrazzini is an American pasta dish named after an opera singer. It involves a cheesy sauce, some kind of meat (usually chicken or tuna), and some vegetables. When I was a kid, I thought it sounded very classy. This vegan chicken tetrazzini recipe is built around a delicious cashew cream sauce. White wine, raw…
Seitan Beef Stew

This vegan seitan beef stew recipe wants to be your favorite. I used a little bit of red wine, red miso, and a hint of soy sauce to bring the umami. If you don’t have red miso, substitute a vegetable or fake beef bouillon cube, instead. Just make sure to taste it at the end,…
Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup

Inspired by the North African and Middle Eastern dish, shakshouka, this vegan roasted garlic and tomato soup recipe uses fresh mint, parsley, cumin, paprika and coriander. If you are used to tomato-basil soup, this is a nice departure. While it may seem out of the box to put fresh mint in a tomato soup, it…
Texas Caviar with Italian Dressing

The first time I had Texas caviar (also known as cowboy caviar) was at a work potluck. As I recall, it was the one dish that didn’t make it home. We devoured it straightaway. And thus, I was inspired to make this recipe for Texas caviar with homemade vegan Italian dressing! So, what is Texas caviar?…
Jerk Jackfruit

Putting this together could not be easier! You mix canola oil, spices, soy sauce, liquid smoke and shredded young jackfruit in a bowl, and then, grill it. Served with homemade mango salsa, this vegan jerk jackfruit recipe tastes awesome in tacos, inside a wrap or alongside Slow Cooker Kidney Beans and Coconut Brown Rice. It’s…
Chimichurri Chickpea Potato Salad

A few years back, I made a recipe with chimichurri sauce. I served some potatoes on the side with it. And I couldn’t help but think, “This sauce tastes great on potatoes too.” So here we are, with a vegan chimichurri chickpea potato salad recipe that’s absolutely delish. Is chimichurri vegan? While it is often…
Spinach, Wild Mushroom and Pea Gnocchi

I made vegan gnocchi for the first time in college. It was during the time I was studying the Italian language, and it was an epic fail. My gnocchi were too wet, and fell apart in the water. The ones that didn’t fall apart clumped together on the bottom in one big, oddly shaped ball.…
Vegan Cornmeal Galette with Sweet Potatoes, Black-Eyed Peas and Greens

Black-eyed peas were first introduced to Virginia during the 17th century. Grown throughout Asia and West Africa, black-eyed peas favor warm climates, and are extremely tolerant to drought. Thus, crops of black-eyed peas proliferated throughout the Southern United States, and to this day, continue to play an important role in Southern cuisine. This recipe blends common…
Coconut Corn Soup with Soy Curls

This vegan coconut corn soup recipe is what happens when I spend time learning about Guam’s corn soup, have Latin flavors on my mind, and am in the mood for soy curls. Coconut milk, cilantro, lime juice, ground cumin, rubbed sage, and a good amount of garlic make this vegan chicken corn soup oh so…
Slow Cooker Kidney Beans and Coconut Brown Rice

Inspired by Jamaican rice and peas, this slow cooker vegan red kidney beans and coconut rice recipe is easy, tasty and hearty. Allspice, nutmeg, thyme, coconut cream, dark red kidney beans and short grain brown rice create a creamy, savory and delicious family meal. This easy budget friendly vegan coconut rice and beans recipe works…
Watermelon Radish Slaw

This easy vegan red cabbage and watermelon radish slaw recipe is acidic, sweet and slightly bitter in a pleasing way. It’s a delightful salad of very thinly sliced apples, watermelon radishes, red cabbage, carrots and scallions with a classic coleslaw dressing with celery seed and apple cider vinegar. This recipe serves 4. Watermelon radishes are…
Kale Pesto Sandwich with Seitan and Apples

This is a revised recipe for a grilled vegan kale pesto sandwich with seitan and apples. I did very little to change anything, because let’s face it, this is plant based excellence. It’s warm, savory, a touch sweet, cheesy, and very satisfying. This recipe makes enough for 1 very large sandwich or 2 medium sized…
Vegan Tomato Tart with Cilantro Mint Chutney

This savory vegan tomato tart recipe is perfect for brunch, a light summer meal, or whenever your garden provides more tomatoes and herbs than you know what to do with. It’s so easy to make and delicious. It’s really important to thin slice the tomatoes. If you don’t, it will either be very wet or…
Slow Cooker Vegan Plantain Soup with White Sweet Potato and Sweet Corn

Sancocho is a Latin American soup or stew, which can be found in Puerto Rico, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Columbia, Peru, Venezuela, and a number of other countries. It is often a meal of celebration. Traditionally, it is made with a variety of meats and root vegetables. Many say the secret to a delicious sancocho is allowing…
Vegan Spinach Frittata with Fresh Herbs

Traditionally served at Persian New Year’s, kuku sabzi is essentially a frittata that’s heavy on the herbs and greens, but light on the eggs. Inspired by the classic Iranian dish, this is a vegan spinach frittata recipe with fresh dill, chives, parsley, tarragon, scallions, leeks and blended silken tofu. It’s easy to make, gluten free,…
Pear Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

While working on another UVK recipe, I was snacking on a D’anjou pear. I dipped it into some lemon tahini dressing meant for the other recipe, and found it to be incredibly tasty. So here we are. This vegan pear salad recipe makes a satisfying lunch or a simple side salad. It’s just so vibrantly…
Lemon Artichoke Asparagus Soup

This vegan lemon artichoke asparagus soup recipe was inspired by the springtime flavors of two places I hold dear, California’s Monterey Bay and the U.S.’s Pacific Northwest. For a time, we lived close to California’s Monterey Bay. After a long day of hiking, we would stop off at one of the roadside farms for fried…
Vegan Potato Zucchini Pancakes

Inspired by Slovak zemiakové placky (which translates in English to “potato pancakes”), this is a recipe for baked vegan potato zucchini pancakes. It preserves some traditional elements (potatoes, garlic, etc), but does take some departures (vegan sour cream, etc). I also prepare them by baking them, instead of frying them. A bit traditional, a bit…