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Lemon Tahini Farro Bowl with Broccoli, Mushrooms and Peppers
While I love ordering bowls in restaurants, I don’t always enjoy making them at home. It usually requires a lot of different ingredients, cooking techniques, and time. I admit, it’s probably the recipes I’m attracted to. But a few months ago, I had some fresh broccoli with no plan for how to use it. So,…
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Seitan Fajitas
Inspired by the Tex-Mex classic, this vegan seitan fajitas recipe has bell peppers, onions, garlic, cumin, lime juice and more. They were an important part of my mom’s meal rotation in the late 80’s. These days, I break them out on occasion, but have changed the recipe up a bit. Whether you make them out…
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Vegan Shopska Salad
Almost a year ago, I was listening to The Slavic Connexion interview with Dr. Mary Neuburger, Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin and Director of the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES). She discussed her book, Ingredients of Change: The History and Culture of Food in Modern Bulgaria.…
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Cold Mango Soup
One of my favorite summer treats is cold fruit sprinkled with Tajín. For a person, who hardly tolerates fruit, the chili pepper, lime and salt seasoning is a game changer. I actually look forward to it! So, with this in mind, I created a refreshing vegan cold mango soup recipe with pineapple, cucumber, red bell…
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Grilled Red Pepper Spread
I’m lucky enough to live very close to a grocery store stocked with delights from Ukraine, Poland, Romania, the Balkans, and more. One of my favorite things is trying all the spreads! Over the last couple months, I’ve tried so many delicious savory vegetable spreads, but one that really stands out is Bulgarian lyutenitsa (or…
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Mango Hand Roll Sushi
Many Americans are familiar with maki sushi. It is shaped like a long cylinder, is sliced, and then, eaten with chopsticks. Temaki sushi, or hand roll sushi, is cone shaped, and can be eaten by hand. Inspired by Japanese temaki, this is an easy vegan mango hand roll sushi recipe with cucumber, red bell pepper,…
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Cannellini Bean Salad with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
This is an easy vegan cannellini bean salad recipe with roasted red peppers, black olives and a homemade roasted garlic vinaigrette that’s very flavorful. It’s perfect year round. It holds up well. It’s great to pack for lunch or a road trip. And it tastes so nice with toast. While flavor is always the most…
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Vegan Black Bean Soup
Some black bean soup recipes use tomatoes, dried beans, and lots of time. This one uses none of these things. This easy vegan black bean soup recipe uses canned beans and orange juice. It’s simple, budget friendly, and comes together in about 30 minutes. My absolute favorite ingredient is the orange juice. Its sweetness works…
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Seitan Steak Sandwich
This vegan seitan steak sandwich recipe is loaded with bell peppers and onions. It’s perfect for crushing hunger, because it’s just that hearty. And it’s really easy to make! A few things… This recipe makes ~4 vegan seitan steak sandwiches. Discover additional UVK recipes, like Slow Cooker Vegan Italian Beef, Seitan Beef Stew, Vegan Stuffed…
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Gazpacho
Is gazpacho vegan? Usually. Traditionally, the Spanish cold soup is vegan, but sometimes, it’s garnished with meat. And other times, the preparation uses ingredients that are not vegan. When in doubt, find out or better yet, make your own! And this vegan tomato gazpacho recipe couldn’t be easier. Like many modern gazpacho recipes, you add…
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Black Bean, Sweet Corn and Jicama Salad
Jicama is a plant from Mexico. Many people associate the term, jicama, with the plant’s edible tuberous root. This part of the plant is crisp, starchy and slightly sweet. In Mexico, it is often enjoyed raw with lime juice, chili powder and salt. And thus, it was the perfect candidate to add some dimension to…
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Vegan Paella with Artichokes and Green Olives
Paella is a rice dish that originated in Valencia, Spain. Saffron, a spice derived from crocus flowers, is one of the main seasonings. In addition to making the rice yellow, it has a distinct flavor that’s a bit like honey. It’s very expensive, but it doesn’t take much of it to flavor a dish. And…
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Romesco Sauce
Whether it’s hot, room temperature or cold, this romesco sauce recipe tastes awesome on roasted or grilled vegetables, toasted bread, or as a vegan dip. You can also enjoy it as a spread for sandwiches or on veggie burgers hot off the grill. It works for any time of year, and tastes delicious on just…
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Vegan Stuffed Red Peppers with Chickpeas and Rice
This is an easy vegan stuffed red bell peppers recipe with brown rice, chickpeas, turmeric, lemon juice, cilantro, mint and more. It’s partly inspired by UVK’s Golden Beet and Couscous Salad with Slivered Almonds and Currants and to some extent, it’s inspired by elements of Indian cuisine. This dish is easy to make, tastes amazing,…
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Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Spiced with garam masala, this vegan roasted red pepper soup recipe is absolutely delicious. Garam masala is one of my favorite spice blends. It works so well in soup, like this Okra Soup or in Roasted Sweet Potato Soup. While preparations of garam masala vary regionally across the Indian subcontinent, it often possesses warming spices…
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Kidney Bean Succotash
Lima beans are my least favorite vegetable. If they are in front of me, I will eat them, because they are food. And in my opinion, food should never be taken for granted or wasted. But, for the most part, I avoid lima beans. So when I decided to put together a summer vegan succotash…
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Vegan Caribbean Papaya Stew
Stoba is a popular stew from Curacao, which may include green papaya, beef, pork tail or goat. Also popular in Aruba and Bonaire, it is a hearty mainstay on the ABC islands. Taking inspiration from Curacao’s stoba, I put together a vegan papaya stew recipe that is rich in flavor and hearty. While some recipes…
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Slow Cooker Vegan Ropa Vieja
This recipe is inspired by the Cuban national dish, ropa vieja. The English translation of ropa vieja is “old clothes”, because the shredded beef and vegetables look like rags. This slow cooker vegan (or vegetarian) ropa vieja recipe uses thin sliced seitan, shredded jackfruit, dry white wine, peppers, red onion, crushed tomatoes, green olives, and…
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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…
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Slow Cooker Cajun Kidney Beans and Rice
Taking inspiration from Louisana’s Cajun cuisine, this slow cooker vegan kidney beans and rice recipe involves stewing the beans, green peppers, celery, and onion with a bit of smokiness, a bit of heat, and a lot of savory flavor. I love it on top of some short grain brown rice, but you could also have…
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Cajun Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Inspired by Cajun cuisine, this hearty vegan black-eyed pea soup recipe is easy to prepare, cooks up fast, and tastes absolutely fantastic with a piece of cornbread on the side. It can be enjoyed year around. It makes 4 servings. For this recipe, you can use a prepared Cajun seasoning blend. In the past, I…
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Italian Tempeh with Peppers, Onions and Herbed Farro
This is a savory vegan recipe for Italian tempeh with peppers, onions, and herbed farro. Peppers and onion mingle with tempeh seasoned like Italian sausage with fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, garlic and oregano. All of this deliciousness is served over a bed of toasted farro with fresh basil, parsley and lemon juice. This Italian…
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Vegan Street Corn Skillet with Soy Curls
While there are many preparations of Mexican elote, many Americans think of it as grilled corn on the cob slathered in a delicious, creamy sauce. Inspired by this Mexican classic, this is an easy vegan street corn skillet recipe with red potatoes, fried soy curls, and a delicious chipotle mayo sauce. It’s creamy, smoky and…
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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?…