UConn wins award for best vegan recipe

Connor Linskey, The Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn.
·3 min read

May 19—STORRS — The University of Connecticut Department of Dining Services at the Storrs campus received a gold medal in the best vegan recipe contest from the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS).

UConn received the honor for their cinnamon chipotle cachapas with black bean avocado salsa and pickled red onions.

This was part of the menu rotation at McMahon Dining Hall on the Storrs campus this spring semester, as the department of dining services showcased plant-based foods.

Robert Landolphi, assistant director of culinary development and interim associate director for residential dining at UConn Storrs, is happy the university's department of dining services received the award. He thanked those who helped the department receive the award.

"We are proud to have an administration that supports our involvement in NACUFS, a team of managers and chefs that believe in sustainability," Landolphi said in a press release. "Most importantly we have a student body that dines with us daily and are willing to share with us what is important to them as they assist us in expanding our plant-based cuisine."

The department of dining services is on a roll lately.

They also won the gold award for their vegan recipes in 2020, 2018 and 2016. In addition, earning gold in this year's best vegan recipe contest is the second award that dining services has earned from NACUFS this year.

In March, UConn Storrs Dining Chef Sean Hawkins received a bronze award during a culinary challenge at the NACUFS Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Regional Conference.

Hawkins won the award for his herb crusted turkey filet, coriander sweet potatoes, frenched green beans and a leek cream sauce.

A printable recipe and a link to a video demonstration for the cachapas as well as a printable recipe for the turkey filet can be found at dining. uconn.edu/recipes.

The best vegan recipe contest celebrates colleges and universities who have incorporated creative and healthy vegan recipes in their menus.

UConn placed first in the contest, ahead of the State University of New York at Buffalo and Marist College, respectively. The best vegan recipe contest takes place in even-numbered years.

NACUFS is a trade association committed to supporting and promoting excellence in collegiate dining. The association offers food contests in order to highlight some of the best university foods. NACUFS also offers the NACUFS Foundation Clark E. DeHaven Scholarship to students at member institutions interested in pursuing careers in accredited programs in the foodservice profession.

UConn Spokesperson Stephanie Reitz noted the recent awards UConn's Department of Dining Services have received from NACUFS are wellearned.

"UConn has a great history of success in this particular awards program and it really recognizes the hard work and thought that goes into our dining services," she said.

Reitz added the department of dining services works hard to cater to a variety of food preferences.

"We know we have students who are vegan or vegetarian who have a variety of food preferences and we want to meet all those preferences," she said.