Katie's Cooking KC est. 2026

Recipe Collection

The whole kitchen — mains, salads, and sides, all plant-based and made to be savored slowly and shared often.

Two pans of plant-based lasagna fresh from the oven, golden and bubbling N° 01
Mains · Italian

The Sunday lasagna that brings everyone to the table

Layers of garden-fresh zucchini, a creamy cashew ricotta, and a slow-simmered tomato sauce that's been on the stove longer than most movies. Made in a double batch — because long Sunday afternoons and a full table are kind of the whole point.

1h 45m · total 8 · servings
Key ingredients
  • 2 large zucchini, shredded
  • Yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 28 oz crushed San Marzanos
  • 15 oz tomato sauce
  • 2 cups raw cashews, soaked
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice + nutritional yeast
  • 1 cup plant-based mozzarella shreds
  • ¼ cup vegan parmesan or almond flour
  • Lasagna noodles (12 sheets, egg-free)
  • Fresh basil & parsley
  • Italian seasoning, salt, pepper
  • Olive oil & red pepper flakes
Cast iron skillet with golden saffron rice, blistered tomatoes, green beans, and artichoke hearts N° 02
Mains · Spanish

Saffron paella, plant-tweaked

A souvenir from a Spanish kitchen, made plant-friendly without losing its soul. Bomba rice toasted in cast iron, drenched in saffron broth, then crowned with the whole rainbow of garden vegetables. The socarrat is the point — don't stir it.

55m 6 servings
Key ingredients
  • 2 cups Bomba or Calasparra rice
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • Generous pinch of saffron
  • 1 large red bell pepper
  • 1 cup green beans, trimmed
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 jar artichoke hearts, quartered
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • Smoked paprika
  • Olive oil, salt, lemon
A long white platter of caramelized rainbow carrots and delicata squash N° 03
Sides · Roasted

Rainbow carrots & delicata squash

Purple, gold, and orange carrots roasted until their edges turn into caramel and their middles go silky. The dish that gets called "eating the rainbow" most literally — and tastes the way good food is supposed to.

40m 4–6 servings
Key ingredients
  • 1.5 lb rainbow carrots
  • 1 medium delicata squash
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp flaky sea salt
  • Cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • Lemon zest, to finish
Grilled pineapple rings on a colorful plate with veggie burger patties in the background N° 04
Mains · Hawaiian-ish

Pineapple teriyaki veggie burgers

Hearty black bean and oat patties baked till the edges go almost crispy, then stacked with caramelized rings of grilled pineapple and a glossy teriyaki glaze. Even the burger skeptics ask for seconds.

45m 6 patties
Key ingredients
  • 2 cans black beans, drained
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp ground flax + water
  • 1 fresh pineapple, in rings
  • Soy sauce or tamari
  • Brown sugar, fresh ginger
  • Rice vinegar, sesame oil
  • Vegan potato buns & butter lettuce
A stainless steel bowl of roasted asparagus tossed with thinly sliced onion and toasted walnuts N° 05
Salads · Spring

Charred asparagus, walnut & shaved onion

The kind of salad that doesn't apologize for itself — asparagus blistered in a hot oven, toasted walnuts, paper-thin red onion, all dressed with lemon and good olive oil. Bright, green, and the kind of food that makes you feel like spring's already here.

25m 4 servings
Key ingredients
  • 2 lb asparagus, woody ends snapped
  • 1 small red onion, sliced thin
  • ¾ cup raw walnuts
  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1 lemon, juiced & zested
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp Dijon
  • Flaky salt & pepper
A white bowl filled with quinoa, kalamata olives, diced cucumber, and chopped scallions N° 06
Salads · Mediterranean

Lemon-bright quinoa with olives & cucumber

Fluffy quinoa shot through with bright lemon, briny kalamatas, and an absurd amount of diced cucumber. Tastes better the next day, lives in the fridge for three, and saves weeknight dinners on a Wednesday.

30m 6 servings
Key ingredients
  • 1.5 cups quinoa, rinsed
  • 3 cups water or broth
  • 1 English cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup kalamata olives, halved
  • 4 scallions, thin-sliced
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup plant-based feta (optional)
  • Salt, pepper, oregano
A white plate of cavatappi pasta topped with a hearty lentil and tomato bolognese, dusted with plant-based parmesan N° 07
Mains · Italian

Lentil-walnut bolognese over curly cavatappi

A long-simmered tomato sauce built on green lentils, finely chopped walnuts, and a deep soffritto — all the meaty texture and richness of a Sunday gravy, none of the animal. Spooned generously over cavatappi so every curl catches the sauce.

50m 6 servings
Key ingredients
  • 1 cup green or brown lentils
  • ¾ cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 carrots, finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 28 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 lb cavatappi pasta
  • Splash of red wine
  • Italian seasoning, bay leaf
  • Vegan parmesan, to finish
  • Olive oil, salt, pepper
A white plate piled with crisp chopped romaine in a creamy Caesar dressing, topped with golden croutons N° 08
Salads · Classic

Chopped Caesar with cashew-caper dressing

Crisp romaine tossed in a creamy cashew-and-caper dressing that does everything a Caesar should — garlicky, lemony, briny — without a single anchovy. Finished with hand-torn sourdough croutons and a generous shower of plant-based parmesan.

20m 4 servings
Key ingredients
  • 2 heads romaine, chopped
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked
  • 2 tbsp capers + brine
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 cups sourdough, torn for croutons
  • Olive oil, salt, pepper
  • Vegan parmesan, to finish
Two golden-crusted white bean burger patties on a hand-painted plate with greens, served alongside a bowl of pesto penne on an outdoor table N° 09
Mains · Mediterranean

White bean burgers with basil pesto pasta

Cannellini-and-herb patties pan-seared until the crust goes deeply golden and the middles stay tender — set over a handful of baby greens and paired with penne tossed in a bright, garlicky basil pesto. A patio-night dinner that feels effortless and looks like summer.

40m 4 servings
Key ingredients
  • 2 cans cannellini beans, drained
  • ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp ground flax + water
  • Fresh parsley & oregano
  • 1 lb penne pasta
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • ⅓ cup pine nuts or walnuts
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • Olive oil, salt, pepper
  • Baby greens, to serve
A navy bowl of three-bean and baby potato salad with sweet corn and fresh herbs, served with a side bowl of sliced red and orange bell peppers on a patio table N° 10
Salads · Summer

Three-bean & baby potato salad with patio peppers

Tender baby reds, three kinds of beans, charred sweet corn, and a confetti of bell pepper — tossed in a lemony herb vinaigrette while the potatoes are still warm so they soak up every drop. Served alongside a bowl of crisp sliced peppers for the kind of summer dinner that doesn't need a stove.

35m 6 servings
Key ingredients
  • 1.5 lb baby red potatoes, halved
  • 1 can black beans, drained
  • 1 can kidney beans, drained
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 cup sweet corn, charred
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 3 scallions, thin-sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh basil & parsley
  • 2 lemons, juiced & zested
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp Dijon, garlic, salt, pepper
  • Sliced red & orange peppers, to serve
Two golden-crusted herb falafel patties set over a bed of fresh arugula on a white square plate N° 11
Mains · Mediterranean

Herb falafel patties with farfalle garden salad

Crispy-edged herb falafel patties — packed with chickpeas, fresh parsley, and warm spices — pan-seared until deeply golden and served over peppery arugula. Paired alongside a bright farfalle pasta salad tossed with mixed greens, red onion, and a lemony vinaigrette. A dinner that earns the rainbow twice over.

45m 4 servings
Key ingredients
  • 2 cans chickpeas, drained & dried
  • 1 cup fresh parsley & cilantro
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp cumin, coriander, smoked paprika
  • 3 tbsp flour (chickpea or AP)
  • 1 lb farfalle pasta
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups mixed baby greens
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Arugula, to serve
  • Salt, pepper, olive oil for searing
A white bowl of twisted pasta in a rustic tomato sauce, piled with roasted portobello slices, white beans, and a dusting of golden plant-based parmesan N° 12
Mains · Italian

Roasted portobello & white bean pasta

Meaty portobello slices roasted until their edges blacken and go glossy, then folded into a slow-simmered tomato sauce with creamy cannellini beans and a tangle of gemelli. Finished with a generous shower of golden, nutty plant-based parmesan — a weeknight bowl with all the depth of a long Sunday sauce.

45m 4 servings
Key ingredients
  • 12 oz gemelli or fusilli
  • 1 lb portobello mushrooms, sliced thick
  • 1 can cannellini beans, drained
  • 28 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • Splash of red wine (optional)
  • Italian seasoning & red pepper flakes
  • Vegan parmesan, to finish
  • Olive oil, salt, pepper
  • Fresh basil, torn
Crisp baked taquitos on a bed of fresh arugula, topped with sautéed red, yellow, and orange bell peppers and onions N° 13
Mains · Mexican

Mountain-kitchen baked veggie taquitos

A rainbow of bell peppers, onions, cremini mushrooms, and black beans sautéed until sweet and jammy, rolled tight in tortillas and baked until shatteringly crisp — no frying required. Born in a rented mountain kitchen high in the Utah backcountry, they're served over peppery greens with brown rice and a good spoonful of chunky salsa.

50m 6 taquitos
Key ingredients
  • 8 small flour or corn tortillas
  • 1 red, 1 yellow & 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 can black beans, drained
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp cumin & smoked paprika
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice, to serve
  • Fresh arugula or mixed greens
  • Chunky tomato salsa, to finish
  • Lime wedges
  • Olive oil, salt, pepper
Three golden pan-seared red pepper falafel patties on a bed of mixed greens, served alongside a bowl of macaroni pasta salad with Kalamata olive hummus, cherry tomatoes, olives, and herbs N° 14
Mains · Mediterranean

Red pepper falafel & pasta salad with Kalamata olive hummus

Golden, pan-seared red pepper falafel with a craggy, deep-bronzed crust and a tender, herb-flecked center, plated over peppery mixed greens. Served alongside a cool macaroni salad tossed in briny Kalamata olive hummus with cherry tomatoes, olives, and fresh herbs — a bright, shareable plate that's become our go-to for celebrating a summer birthday.

45m 4 servings
Key ingredients
  • 2 cans chickpeas, drained
  • Roasted red peppers, chopped
  • Fresh parsley & cilantro, chopped
  • Garlic cloves, minced
  • Ground cumin & coriander
  • Chickpea flour or breadcrumbs, to bind
  • Olive oil, for pan-searing
  • Mixed greens, to serve
  • Elbow macaroni
  • Kalamata olive hummus
  • Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Kalamata olives
  • Red onion, thinly sliced
  • Fresh herbs, to finish
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
Two golden pan-seared corn cakes over baby greens with grilled corn kernels and avocado wedges, a bowl of black bean rice salad blurred in the background N° 15
Mains · Mexican

Charred corn cakes with black bean rice salad & avocado

Grilled corn on the cob, charred until smoky and sweet, gets shaved off the cob two ways — folded into deeply golden, herb-flecked corn cakes pan-seared to a craggy crust, and tossed through a hearty brown rice and black bean salad with cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, shallot, and fresh cilantro and mint. Plated over peppery baby greens with ripe avocado wedges, it's a full rainbow of a summer dinner that comes together straight off the grill.

1h · total 4 · servings
Key ingredients
  • 6 ears corn, grilled & kernels cut off
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1 can black beans, drained
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 orange & 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • Fresh cilantro & mint, chopped
  • Lime juice & olive oil, for the dressing
  • 3 tbsp flour or breadcrumbs, to bind
  • 1 tsp cumin & smoked paprika
  • Olive oil, for pan-searing
  • Baby greens, to serve
  • 1 ripe avocado, sliced
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
A square white plate of rotini pasta topped with a hearty chickpea and vegetable bolognese sauce N° 16
Mains · Italian

Chickpea bolognese rotini with crispy chickpea kale salad

One big tray of oil- and pepper-crisped chickpeas, put to work two ways. Half get crumbled into a long-simmered sauce of sweet carrot, celery, and onion soffritto and crushed tomatoes for a rustic, meaty rotini bolognese. The rest stay crisp and whole, tossed through massaged baby kale with toasted pecans and a creamy garlic dressing for a bright side salad — a full, plant-powered dinner from a single sheet pan of chickpeas.

1h · total 4 · servings
Key ingredients
  • 3 cans chickpeas, drained, patted dry & divided
  • Olive oil, cracked black pepper & salt
  • 1 yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 carrots, finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 28 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 lb rotini pasta
  • Italian seasoning & bay leaf
  • 4 cups baby kale, massaged
  • ½ cup pecans, toasted & chopped
  • Creamy garlic dressing, to toss
  • Vegan parmesan, to finish
A dinner table set with plates of marinated grilled tofu and charred pepper and zucchini skewers, alongside bowls of white bean pasta salad and sliced celery, with drinks and a pepper grinder N° 17
Mains · Mediterranean

Grilled tofu & rainbow pepper skewers with white bean pasta salad

Extra-firm tofu cubes soak up a bright, herb-flecked marinade before hitting a hot grill until the edges char and crisp. Rainbow bell peppers and zucchini get skewered and grilled alongside until just tender, then everything is piled over peppery greens. Served with a hearty rotini pasta salad tossed with white beans, cherry tomatoes, olives, and arugula, it's an easy, colorful backyard dinner built entirely on the grill.

45m · total 4 · servings
Key ingredients
  • 2 blocks extra-firm tofu, pressed & cubed
  • Soy sauce, olive oil & balsamic vinegar, for the marinade
  • Garlic cloves, minced
  • Italian seasoning & cracked black pepper
  • 2 zucchini, sliced into rounds
  • 3 bell peppers (red, orange & yellow), cubed
  • Mixed greens, to serve
  • 1 lb rotini pasta
  • 1 can white beans, drained
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Kalamata olives
  • Baby arugula & spring greens
  • Balsamic vinaigrette, to toss
  • Salt & pepper, to taste