What is the Alternative Kitchen?

4 -Jan - 2026

The Alternative Kitchen is a multidisciplinary platform that explores how food shapes our health, our environment, and our relationship with the world around us. Built on the belief that food is the one universal experience we all share, the project invites people to rethink what they eat and why it matters.

Our show, hosted by Yal Solan, guides us through the process of making our own plant-based foods.

Rooted in Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine, The Alternative Kitchen promotes accessible, affordable vegan living using simple, local ingredients already found in most households. It is not only for vegans, but for anyone curious about eating more consciously, from mindful carnivores and vegetarians to those ready to fully embrace a plant based lifestyle.

The project challenges the myth that veganism is expensive or nutritionally lacking, highlighting science backed evidence that humans can thrive on a plant based diet while reducing the environmental damage caused by industrial meat consumption. Through recipes, storytelling, and community building, The Alternative Kitchen shows that plant based food can be nourishing, diverse, joyful, and deeply satisfying.

More than a food project, The Alternative Kitchen is about reclaiming sovereignty over what we eat, reconnecting with the land, and discovering a world of flavors, ingredients, and possibilities that go far beyond привычous food habits. It is an open invitation to step into a more conscious, compassionate, and delicious way of living.

OTHER EPISODES

9 Apr, 2026

Almond Milk

This segment of Yal playfully challenges dairy culture by questioning the normalization of cow’s milk and exposing its ethical, environmental, and biological contradictions. Through humor and honesty, it highlights how homemade plant based milks like almond milk are cheaper, more sustainable, and free from animal suffering, inviting viewers to rethink dairy and embrace simple, compassionate alternatives without sacrifice.

9 Apr, 2026

Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

In this segment, Yal reimagines desserts by showing that milk, eggs, and butter aren’t essential for indulgent sweets. Using plant-based ingredients like cacao and chocolate from local Lebanese brands, she creates vegan cookies that are flavorful, cruelty-free, and healthier, proving that desserts can be satisfying, ethical, and free from unnecessary animal products.

9 Apr, 2026

Vegan Pancakes

In this segment, Yal presents a versatile vegan pancake that’s fully plant based, indulgent, and customizable with fruits, nut butters, and natural sweeteners. Using local, high quality ingredients, the recipe offers a nourishing, cruelty free breakfast that’s healthier than traditional pancakes, celebrating sustainable, flavorful, and fun ways to start the day.

9 Apr, 2026

Hummus

In this segment, Yal challenges the idea that veganism is difficult in Arab countries by highlighting chickpeas and hummus as foundational Levantine staples. By exploring their nutritional value, affordability, and cultural significance, the segment shows that plant based eating is not a modern trend but a continuation of ancestral food traditions rooted in resilience, nourishment, and food sovereignty.

9 Apr, 2026

Vegan Shanklish

In this segment, Yal reimagines shanklish by removing cheese and revealing the true power of its herbs, spices, garlic, and thyme. By questioning dairy’s impact on flavor, health, ethics, and the environment, the segment shows how shanklish becomes lighter, more authentic, and more expressive when it returns to its plant based roots, proving that tradition lives in the land, not in animal products.

9 Apr, 2026

Dolma

In this segment, Yal highlights dolma (stuffed peppers) as a naturally plant-based Levantine dish, challenging the idea that vegan eating in Lebanon is difficult. By removing meat, the recipe returns dolma to its historical roots, celebrating tradition, seasonality, and everyday cooking practices that long relied on grains, herbs, olive oil, and legumes, proving that vegan food in the Levant is ancestral, authentic, and culturally intact.

9 Apr, 2026

Gourmet Plant-Based Burger

In this segment, Yal redefines plant-based burgers as flavorful, nutrient-rich, and ethical alternatives to meat, highlighting their health, environmental, and animal welfare benefits. Featuring mushrooms, lentils, nuts, and vital wheat gluten, her Special Alternative Kitchen Gourmet Plant-Based Burger delivers protein, iron, and fiber without saturated fat or cruelty, proving that indulgent, wholesome, and conscious eating can be delicious, satisfying, and empowering.

9 Apr, 2026

Cashew Cheese

In this segment, Yal explains why vegans avoid cheese by unpacking its health, ethical, and addictive nature, focusing on casein, saturated fat, and dairy industry practices. She introduces a comforting, stretchy plant based cheese that delivers the flavor and texture people love, without cholesterol, hormones, addiction, or animal exploitation, proving that cheese enjoyment does not require harm or compromise.

9 Apr, 2026

Mushroom Gravy

In this segment, Yal shows how mushrooms create a rich, savory, and nutrient-dense plant-based gravy that rivals traditional meat-based versions. By replacing animal drippings with umami-packed mushrooms, the recipe is cruelty-free, healthier, and versatile, proving that indulgent flavor can be fully plant-based without compromising taste or satisfaction.

9 Apr, 2026

Vegan Tuna

In this segment, Yal offers a plant-based tuna alternative made from chickpeas, challenging the health and environmental harms of conventional tuna fishing. By avoiding mercury, toxins, and ocean destruction while delivering familiar flavor and versatility for sushi, salads, and sandwiches, the segment shows how seafood favorites can be enjoyed in a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable way.

9 Apr, 2026

Vegan Escalope

In this episode, Yal reinvents the classic escalope as a plant-based alternative that’s crispy, flavorful, and nourishing. Using vital wheat gluten and chickpeas, the recipe delivers protein, fiber, and iron while avoiding the ethical, health, and environmental issues of conventional chicken. This creation shows that comfort food can be indulgent, wholesome, and cruelty free, proving plant-based eating doesn’t require sacrifice.

26 Feb, 2026

Lentil Kibbeh

In this segment, Yal celebrates kibbeh as a naturally adaptable Levantine dish with deep plant based roots, highlighting lentil kibbeh as a protein rich, flavorful variation. By tracing kibbeh’s history as a grain based staple that only later incorporated meat, the segment reframes vegan kibbeh as a return to traditional, nourishing, and sustainable foodways rather than a modern compromise.

19 Jan, 2026

Vegan Salmon

In this segment, Yal reimagines salmon with a plant-based alternative that delivers smoky, flaky flavor without harming oceans or human health. Using carrots infused with sea-inspired umami, the recipe avoids overfishing, pollution, and toxic contaminants while offering a nutritious, cholesterol-free, and sustainable way to enjoy the seafood experience without compromise.

17 Jan, 2026

Vegan Omelette

In this segment, Yal showcases a plant based omelette that’s savory, filling, and completely free of animal products. Highlighting the ethical, health, and environmental issues of conventional egg production, the recipe proves that a delicious, protein rich breakfast can be enjoyed without harming animals, compromising nutrition, or increasing your environmental footprint.

17 Jan, 2026

Vegan Mayonnaise

In this segment, Yal rethinks mayonnaise by questioning its reliance on eggs and heavily processed oils, and introduces a plant-based alternative that is lighter, healthier, and free from cholesterol and animal products. Using simple ingredients like chickpea flour and black salt to recreate the familiar egg-like flavor, the segment shows how vegan mayo can deliver the same creamy satisfaction while being kinder to the body, animals, and the environment.

16 Jan, 2026

Vegan Labneh

In this segment, Yal answers the question of what vegans eat for breakfast by introducing a Lebanese style labneh made from cashews, offering a dairy free alternative rooted in compassion and tradition. The segment challenges the ethics and health myths surrounding dairy, highlighting animal exploitation and digestive concerns, while showing how familiar flavors can be enjoyed in a kinder, healthier, and more conscious way.

15 Jan, 2026

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

In this segment, Yal reimagines shepherd’s pie, known in Lebanese cuisine as batata bil souniyeh, showing how this traditional dish can be made fully plant based without losing its essence. By removing unnecessary animal products and focusing on vegetables, potatoes, and spices, the segment proves that comfort food can remain hearty, flavorful, and culturally authentic while becoming healthier and cruelty free.

10 Jan, 2026

Tahini From Scratch

In this segment, Yal highlights tahini as a Levantine staple and explains why making it at home is fresher, healthier, and more conscious than buying it from the store. Using only sesame seeds, homemade tahini offers better flavor, higher nutritional value, full control over texture and roasting, and avoids additives and overprocessing, encouraging viewers to reconnect with a traditional ingredient in its simplest and most honest form.

7 Jan, 2026

Peanut Butter

In this segment, Yal reveals the true cost of store-bought peanut butter, showing how homemade versions are cheaper, healthier, and free from preservatives, palm oil, and added sugars. Using just peanuts and a pinch of salt, viewers learn to save money, take control of what they eat, and enjoy a simple, nutritious, and honest alternative.

4 Jan, 2026