Welcome!
Hi, I'm Emily Miller, the recipe developer and food photographer behind Resplendent Kitchen. I'm so glad you're here!
I create approachable seasonal vegan recipes for everyday cooking and special occasions, from leisurely brunches and cozy dinners to beautiful desserts and cocktails.
For me, good food is about more than getting dinner on the table. I love recipes that make an ordinary day feel a little more special, especially those that give us a reason to gather around the table with the people we love.
About The Recipes
My recipes are created for real home kitchens, with straightforward ingredients, clear instructions, and helpful tips to guide you along the way.
You'll find everything from easy weeknight dinners and seasonal favorites to brunch recipes, desserts, cocktails, and dishes made for holidays and entertaining. I develop and photograph the recipes you see here, with an emphasis on food that feels approachable enough for everyday cooking but special enough to share.
Whether you've been cooking vegan dishes for years or you simply found a recipe that looks good, you're welcome at my table.
When We Went Vegan
I live in Tucson, Arizona, with my husband, Brian, and our three cats, Oreo, Misty, and Freya.
Brian and i went vegan together in 2016 after watching Forks Over Knives. Before that, I had been a vegetarian and then a pescatarian, while Brian grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota. Neither of us would have guessed that one day we'd both be vegan!
My love of cooking and baking started much earlier. I grew up in Winnipeg, Canada, and one of my earliest kitchen memories is making cinnamon toast for my sister. (Really - cinnamon toast!) It wasn't exactly the beginning of a culinary empire, but we all have to start somewhere.
From Operating Room Nurse to Operating a Camera
Before Resplendent Kitchen, I spent 26 years as a Registered Nurse, working on medical-surgical units and in the operating room. Nursing eventually brought me from Canada to Tucson and gave me a career filled with continuous learning, challenges, and professional growth.
Food photography entered the picture rather unexpectedly.
After going vegan, I enrolled in a three-month online plant-based cooking course that required me to photograph my kitchen creations for assignments. I took pictures under our kitchen skylight with my phone or camera, and couldn't understand why they didn't look anything like the photographs in my favorite food magazines.
I wanted to know why.
I learned to use my DSLR in manual mode and began studying food photography, lighting, composition, and editing. One course led to another, and what started as frustration with a few kitchen photos grew into a passion and, eventually, a new career.
Since then, my food photography has received several awards, and I've had the pleasure of teaching the technical aspects of photography to local high school students in Tucson through Pima JTED.
I'm still learning, experimenting, and refining my craft, which, in funny way, isn't so different from nursing, in that there is always something new to learn.
Beyond the Kitchen
When I'm not developing a recipe or behind the camera, you'll usually find me planning my next bake, reading a book, tending our herb garden, spending time with Brian, or cuddling one of our three cats.
Food also plays a big part in how we travel. Brian and I have planned more than a few trips around what we wanted to eat, and the flavors, ingredients, and traditions we encounter along the way often find their way back into my kitchen and inspire new recipes.
The photo here was taken by Brian in Varenna, Italy. I have my phone camera in hand, naturally (when traveling, my heavy DSLR cameras stay safely at home)!
Featured & Recognized
I'm honored to have had my work and Resplendent Kitchen featured and recognized by publications, organizations, and photography awards.
- Forbes
- Toast - 75 Best Food Blogs in the US in 2025
- Top 50 Vegan Blogs of 2025 by Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN
- Peerspace - One of The 10 best commercial photographers in Tucson, 2022
- Shoutout Arizona
- StyleCaster
- Foodelia International Food Photography Awards.
If you're a brand interested in working together, you can learn more on my Work With Me page or visit my photography portfolio.
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A Cause Close to My Heart
If you'd like to join me in helping vulnerable newborn kittens, consider supporting the Orphan Kitten Club or a shelter or rescue organization in your own community.
Even a small contribution - whether it's kitten formula, supplies, a donation, or your timee, can make a meaningful difference to animals in need.
Meet Our Assistants
Oreo, Misty, and Freya: the sweetest little kitchen assistants.
Their actual assistance is debatable. Helping themselves, however, is an area in which they demonstrate considerable initiative.
Got a question?
Let's Stay in Touch
Have a question about Resplendent Kitchen? You can reach me at Emily (at) resplendentkitchen (dot) com.
If you have a question about a particular recipe, please leave a comment on that recipe so my answer can help other readers too. I'll do my best to respond within 48 hours.