About Ashley!
Hello!
Welcome to “Ashley’s Cooking” where we make vegetarian cooking easy and enjoyable so that everyone can make plant-based meals a daily habit!
I’ve been there too – standing in grocery store aisles, feeling overwhelmed by ingredients. You keep ordering takeout because you want home-cooked vegetarian meals but are unsure of your ability to make them. Does that sound familiar?
Together, we can break that habit and use any of our tried-and-true recipes to make something delectable from scratch. Each one is directly from Ashley Cass, whose expertise in plant-based nutrition and dietary needs can transform your meals.
Where It All Began
In 2019, Ashley launched The Mindful Kitchen. She had to abandon the entire effort when COVID struck because of some harsh family issues. She’s back with Ashley’s Cooking now, ready to inspire and bringing some major green energy!
She’s creating special sections for plant-based dishes with dietary restrictions, totally inspired by what she and her own family needs to eat. And get this, she’s incorporating all her nutritional knowledge into these recipes too!
Practical vegetarian cooking combined with just enough knowledge from her education to create delicious meals without the guilt is a recipe for success. I promise you’ll want to save all of her recipes to your bookmarks!
Why writing about Vegetarian recipes?
At seventeen, I was diagnosed with severe food allergies and advised to give up many animal products I was used to eating. I tried a lifetime of bland “alternative” products that didn’t taste good and didn’t satisfy me. (I would call them “substitute foods,” but definitely not crave-worthy.)
So, I refused to believe that this was my sole choice as a teenager who loved good food – who could blame me?
I’d been experiencing digestive issues and low energy for years, which made me wonder if there was a way to enjoy delicious meals without animal products. This prompted me to seek a degree at Loma Linda University in Plant-Based Nutrition, because I knew that simply eliminating foods wasn’t going to help. I kept having health issues even after trying several dietary approaches, including processed vegetarian foods that left me feeling unsatisfied.
Disclaimer
I manage my health using a whole-foods plant-based approach, and I only talk about my own experience and not medical advice to follow the same approach. The food choices I talk about might not work for everyone, but they work for me. Please talk to your doctor before starting any new eating plan, such as transitioning to vegetarianism.
My epiphany came upon reading Dr. Michael Greger’s “How Not to Die.” Changing what I put on my plate helped me regain my energy by combining those case studies with my classroom knowledge on plant-based nutrition and flavor profiles.
Now I make vegetarian recipes with specific combinations of ingredients to maximize nutrition while still delivering incredible taste. This gives me more satisfaction knowing I’m nourishing my body properly while enjoying every bite.
The recipes here aren’t your standard “vegetarian alternatives.” They are meals that have been tried and tested and are better for you and our planet. The taste has not been compromised in any way.
Let’s Eat Plant-Based!
Find 40 tested recipes for delicious vegetarian soups, stews, curries, and more that are satisfying, nutritionally complete, and still taste amazing.
Get it for freeCooking With Purpose
I’m Ashley, the cook and brain behind “Ashley’s Cooking”. I do all the recipe testing and food photography for the site.
I graduated from Loma Linda University with a MS in Plant-Based Nutrition, then worked as a nutrition consultant at a holistic wellness center for a few years. That background helps big time now since so many of my family members have embraced vegetarianism. When I’m not surrounded by fresh produce, you’ll find me in my garden growing vegetables (total plant nerd) or hiking with Pesto, my rescue dog who thinks he runs the place.
Ashley runs “Ashley’s Cooking” solo as this blog just launched recently. Recipe readers can reach out to Ashley directly through her personal Facebook or Instagram accounts.
Making Recipes
Every recipe on “Ashley’s cooking” is tested by me. I take pictures that show you the exact same steps until I know they will work in your kitchen. If something goes wrong, please let me know in the comments; I check them every day and will step in to assist in resolving the issue.
Our Goal!
I created “Ashley’s Cooking” to share vegetarian recipes that worked every time. There are no fancy ingredients or skills, just simple steps, lots of photos, and recipes that won’t disappoint. People tell me they love how I walk them through every step, which is the whole point—making delicious plant-based food accessible to everyone, regardless of cooking ability or dietary preferences.
I develop my recipes using what I’ve learned in college, taking into consideration the purpose of making the recipe (boosting protein, avoiding specific ingredients, getting the best taste, etc.), and I refine my recipes based on feedback from my family and readers.
If you notice my content is missing a part or a section, please do not hesitate to let me know, and I’ll be happy to fix it.