Hi, I'm Alissa Saenz!
I'm the creator, recipe developer, and photographer behind Connoisseurus Veg.
I created this site to share some of my favorite vegan recipes, and over the last ten years I've posted over one thousand(!) of them here.
While my focus is on dinner recipes, you'll find all courses here: breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, sides, and appetizers. They're all designed to be delicious, and they are all vegan.
My Story
I'm a self trained cook who transitioned from a career in intellectual property law to becoming a full time food blogger.
Cooking is a passion of mine! I've loved cooking as long as I can remember. My love of cooking is a big part of what first influenced me to give up meat at a young age. I was already not really on board with the idea of eating animals. I enjoyed baking and cooking veggies, but when I tried learning to cook meat, I eventually found that I couldn't force myself to eat it anymore. That was back when I was just thirteen years old.
My focus on recipe development started when I met my husband, back in 2011. He was interested in transitioning to a plant-based diet and was full of requests. You can thank him for some of my vegan remakes of classic dishes like vegan chicken noodle soup, vegan meatloaf, and my vegan Reuben sandwich.
When I published my first recipe post, I thought this site would be nothing more than a hobby. But once things got rolling I became hooked, and the site grew and grew. I'd like to say it happened like magic, but in reality it was a ton of work (definitely a labor of love though).
I learned a lot about photography, cooking, and recipe development along the way. Eventually I was able to turn the blog into a full time business. I retired from the law, and here I am, publishing recipes on the internet for a living and loving it.
My Favorite Recipes
I love every recipe on this site, but there are definitely a few that I love more than the others. Some of the dishes below are favorite weeknight dinners I make again and again, while some are reserved for impressing dinner guests, but they're all my favorites!
Fun Facts About Me
- I first gave up meat at the age of thirteen, which was way back in the nineties. Needless to say, it wasn’t exactly easy to make a meatless dinner back then. Things have gotten much better!
- I'm a massive introvert in person, but much chattier in print. Shortly after starting this site, my mom told me that anyone reading my posts would probably assume I was far more outgoing than I actually am.
- I'm a cat
ladymom. My husband and I currently have three rescue cats: Gary, Xander, and Caroline (left to right, above). We've vowed that this is our maximum capacity… but that will probably change if another one shows up at the back door. - My hobby is collecting hobbies. In addition to cooking, I love painting, knitting, crocheting, gardening (which I’m terrible at, but still enjoy), reading, and fitness.
- Watercolor painting is my favorite hobby, and birds are my favorite subject to paint.
Thanks for taking the time to learn a little about me! I hope the recipes here inspire you to try something new in the kitchen. If you ever have questions, suggestions, or a favorite dish you'd love to see veganized, feel free to reach out or leave a comment on one of the recipes.