A Bowl of Goodness
I Am Fortified at Café Gratitude in San Francisco
I was lucky enough to get to spend a week in (mostly) sunny California last week. I made sure to visit some of the great San Fransisco yoga studios, including Laughing Lotus and Yoga Works, and a bunch of healthy cafe’s and restaurants with so much delicious local food! Fresh oysters by the sea,purple cauliflowers and potatoes, fresh grapes and really raw almonds ( I brought a HUGE bag home)
California has the climate to grow food year around and their farmers markets are overflowing with amazing fresh fruits, vegetables, raw milk and local meats. No excuses there! One of the places I went back to again and again was Café Gratitude. Although their hippie vibe might be a bit too much for some cynical New Yorkers, I found it totally fun and refreshing. Who doesn’t want to order a meal called I Am Fortified? And their chocolate treats are absolutely divine… Reminded me of my Chocolate Macaroons…
Homemade Buddha Plate - quinoa, fall veggies, dulse, almond sauce and sauerkraut
So, as I returned to New York I felt so inspired that I made my own version of this delicious bowl of (vegan) seasonal goodness! As it turns out, my husband couldn’t stop raving about how delicious it was - so I thought I’d share it with you all!
Here’s how I made it, but this recipe really has endless possibilities. Switch up your grains and vegetables and sauces to fit whatever you desire.
RECIPE
Serves 2
Grains:
1/2 cup quinoa (i recommend soaking all grains for 8hours before cooking to remove anti-nutrients and make the grains more digestible. It even makes the cooking time shorter) Cook with 1 cup of pure water, sea salt and a piece of kombu (optional)
Veggies:
Here you can just use what ever you have. I used:
1/2 kambucha squash
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 large daikon radish, sliced
1 leek, sliced
Handfull sugarsnap peas
1/2 bunch of kale, stem removed and torn into chunks
(other grate options: broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkins, spinach, Swiss chard and peppers)
Steam!
Start with the harder vegetables such as squash and carrots, then layer the rest of the vegetables on top with the leafy greens last. Put a lid on it and let it steam until tender, but not mushy!
Sauce:
2 garlic cloves
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp almond butter
A few whole almonds (preferably soaked)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp water
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
A pinch of cayenne pepper
Serve with a sprinkle of dulse (seaweed flakes,) chopped cilantro and a pile of raw sauerkraut or kimchi.
Let me know how you like it!
