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dani california cooks

homegrown and homemade in CA

Vegan Chocolate Maple Gingerbread (gluten free)

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This vegan and gluten free gingerbread is spicy, hearty, and studded with walnuts, chocolate, and candied ginger.

Also - the Wild Friends snack pack giveaway ends midnight on Monday!

muf3 My brother and I started a holiday tradition, where we could cook a big dinner for my dad’s side of the family the night before Christmas. It started out as just a baking activity. We had so many fails, it became almost a joke. Like that time we tried to make gingerbread cookies and they were so hard that you could throw them against a wall and they wouldn’t break (we tried) or when we just got goofy with the sugar cookie batter and made this giant, pretty inedible snowman.

Our cooking exploits have gotten a LOT better over the years. We’ve made pot roast and lasagna and cookie trays that have been a lot more successful. My little brother has become quite an excellent sous chef. But we haven’t tried the gingerbread again…until now.

MOLASSES. That’s what we were missing all along! After teaching Spinning on Sunday morning, I was milling around the store looking for some baking inspiration and I came across molasses. Gingerbread it was going to be! What an amazing ingredient for texture and flavor. And boy do you just love that color.

It rained like crazy intermittently throughout the weekend. It was kind of wild! I was worried it was going to break the windows. But that just meant it was the perfect time to do some holiday baking. Since it doesn’t rain very often around here (hi, drought) when it does, you really want to embrace it and bake and snuggle in bed and write holiday cards and burn candles and eat soup. So I did just that. “Easy like Sunday morning”…just all day.

Since we’re going to Mexico over the Christmastime week, I’m not sure what kind of cooking and baking we’ll be able to do, but rest assured that if there are any kitchen fails, I will share them with you. But in the meantime, please enjoy this kitchen success!


Vegan Chocolate Maple Gingerbread (gluten free)
 
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This vegan and gluten free gingerbread is spicy, hearty, and studded with walnuts, chocolate, and candied ginger.
Author:
Serves: 1 dozen
Ingredients
  • 3 cups gluten free flour blend (or 3 cups regular flour, if not gluten free)
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup molasses
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • ⅓ chopped candied ginger
  • ⅓ chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is a great brand)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Mix spices, sugar, and flour
  3. Mix in wet ingredients
  4. Fold in walnuts, ginger, and chocolate chips
  5. Line your muffin tin with liners
  6. Fill each liner to almost the top with batter
  7. Bake for 30 minutes
  8. Test with a knife or toothpick that it comes clean
  9. Cool on a rack and enjoy!

If you like these, you’ll love: Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars (vegan and gluten free)

Baked Lemon Garlic Tofu and Kale Salad

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To me, this is the ultimate balanced lunch - it has plant-based protein, healthy fats, and hearty greens and LOTS of flavor and only a few ingredients. I eat this almost every day when I’m on the road, so I recreated it for home!

Also - if you haven’t entered in the giveaway for a Wild Friends snack pack - there is still time!

If you’ve been reading DCC for some time, you’ll know that one of my favorite lunches to have on my weekly business trips is curly kale massaged with tahini and lemon juice, tossed with a garlic baked tofu I pick up at a local health foods store. Well, I was working from home this past week and all I wanted was that same damn kale and tofu salad. What gives? Sometimes we are just creatures of habit! I mean, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I’ve been on an eggs for breakfast kick for about a year with an intermittent, short-lived smoothie phase this summer.

Massaging your kale at home is much more appropriate? cleanly? It’s less attraction-inducing, for sure. I usually try and find a place in the kitchen at my client site that’s away from the race to the microwave so I can massage my kale in peace, but let me tell you, I get a LOT of weird looks. Just some tender loving care with salad over here - nothing to see, people.

Baked Lemon Garlic Tofu and Kale Salad | danicaliforniacooks.com

Regardless, I’m sure you’re seeing a ton of delicious posts around the blogosphere for lots of holiday meals and goodies. But if you’re like me, those are generally enjoyed just on the weekends or special birthday occasions. There’s no need to have egg nog for lunch on a Tuesday! I actually don’t think I’ve EVER had egg nog. I don’t even quite know what is in egg nog, but I believe it’s alcoholic? Let’s google that.

Baked Lemon Garlic Tofu and Kale Salad | danicaliforniacooks.com But before I google that, I’m off to make myself one of these kale salads for dinner (yum!!) Not sure why I’m craving one of these salads on this rainy and foggy evening, but I hope you find some time to fit this into your holiday routine…or maybe your New Years Resolution routine?

Baked Lemon Garlic Tofu and Kale Salad
 
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The ultimate balanced salad - healthy fats, plant-based protein, and hearty greens - and tons of flavor.
Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 block extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
  • One lemon, halved
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 2-3 cups of curly kale, stems removed
  • Olive oil spray
  • 2 gloves garlic, peeled
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
  2. Place the cubed tofu on a baking sheet, and spray lightly with the olive oil
  3. Squeeze half of the lemon juice over the tofu
  4. Using a cheese grater, grate the two garlic cloves over the tofu. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
  5. Place in oven for 15-20 minutes, or until browned and "chewy"
  6. When you're ready for lunch, wash your hands!
  7. Place your curly kale in a bowl, and squeeze the other half of the lemon over it
  8. Spoon the tahini on top of the kale and use your hands to break down the leaves and massage the lemon juice and tahini into the kale
  9. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and toss in ⅕ of the tofu
  10. Enjoy!
Notes
Bake up the whole block of tofu, and assemble this salad for lunch all week! I use about ⅕ of the baked tofu for each individual salad.
If you like this, you’ll love: Marinated Chickpeas and Kale Salad

chick2

Chocolate Mint Chip Truffles (vegan, paleo)

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So much decadence in this simple recipe! These chocolate mint chip truffles are rich with a minty kick. They are paleo, vegan, and just plain delicious, so it’s a holiday treat that has something for everyone!

I CANNOT believe I’m blogging about sweets, or treats, or anything food-related.

I’ve been so full since like Tuesday I don’t even remember what hunger feels like.

It’s been a total bender. Since Thanksgiving, we somehow managed to eat dessert with every meal until we flew home on Saturday night. It was a totally awesome, truly wonderful vacation. Nate’s aunt is an insanely good cook, and it was just how Thanksgiving should be. I loved being a part of their family for the week.

Going into Thanksgiving, there seem to be two courts of opinion - either eat a balanced meal, or go all out, since it’s only once a year. I was definitely in the latter, and I thought I may feel some guilt about it. But I didn’t AT ALL. I honestly enjoyed every single indulgent bite over the weekend, and I ate gluten and dairy and there was just zero stress. I loved being able to put whatever I wanted on my plate.
It made me realize how much happier I am when I am not trying to abide by any food restrictions, even though I normally do so because it makes my rheumatoid arthritis pain lessen. But, my arthritis is no worse and no better in the days after the holiday, and it got me thinking. Does the stress from planning/monitoring about your diet counteract any of the benefits from the clean eating? So, Sunday rolled around and we went back to our healthy eating ways. It didn’t feel like before, when I would binge and then restrict my food - “my diet starts tomorrow” sort of behavior. It felt very normal, like, “well, vacation’s over. It was awesome. Now back to real life”. I truly enjoy eating healthy foods 90% of the time, but this past vacation made me realize that I can now have mindfully indulgent weekends and not feel like the next day I need to do a juice cleanse. And did I mention that Nate’s aunt is just an amazing cook? Chocolate Mint Chip Truffles | danicaliforniacooks.com Ah, these truffles. I wish I had it in me to enjoy chocolate right now, because these would be at the top of my list. One of Nate’s colleagues is vegan, so I took that as a challenge accepted to create an indulgent treat that he could enjoy.

However, Nate and I will be sharing one persimmon for dessert tonight (no joke). And I’m actually looking forward to it! I’ll save these truffles for when I’m ready for real dessert again :).


5.0 from 1 reviews
Chocolate Mint Chip Truffles (vegan, paleo)
 
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These paleo and vegan chocolate mint chip truffles are decadent, yet simple to make! Adapted from Minimalist Baker.
Author:
Serves: 14 truffles
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups dairy-free chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life chocolate chunks)
  • ¾ cup full fat coconut milk
  • 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
  • ½ tsp mint extract
Instructions
  1. Over a double boiler, melt down the chocolate chips with the coconut milk and one ½ tsp of the mint extract
  2. Once completely smooth and melted, transfer to a bowl and cover
  3. Put in the fridge for 2-3 hours, or until the mixture has hardened completely. Like the texture of cold, hard butter!
  4. Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out the truffle mixture.Using your hands, roll each into a ball. Do this quickly or else it will start to melt and be a bit harder to roll
  5. Roll and dust off plain cocoa powder, and store in the fridge until serving!
If you like this, you’ll love: Homemade Dark Chocolate Bark

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Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies (vegan, gluten free)

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These slightly sweet oatmeal cookies have apples, raisins, walnuts, and plenty of cinnamon. Let’s just say the celebrate the best apple pie, sans the wheat or butter!

cook9 I had my new book club come over to my place for our first session the other week, and while it was sunny (yay, California!) it still was a tad blistery. Seems like no better time to indulge all of my fall fantasies! So before everyone arrived, I started out strong by making a fire, wearing slippers, making some hot apple cider, baking some cookies…and then I totally unraveled and went off the deep end and made some sweet and spicy almonds, then took some photos for the blog, then vacuumed the apartment, then rearranged the furniture (why?), then made Nate some breakfast sandwiches, then packed for my upcoming trip, and goodbye to all of my snuggly fall fantasies.

Let’s just say that the last 100 pages of the book that I had planned to read went completely unread as I whirled myself around the house like a crazy person doing all of these unnecessary things.

It’s really tough when you travel every week for work to find downtime on the weekends. And I take relaxing super seriously! I sleep 9 hours a night (that’s not a joke). I nap every weekend. I can (and have) binge watched TV shows like it’s my job. But I find it really hard when I’ve been traveling M-Th and go into the office on Friday, to use my weekends to relax and just hang around. I start buzzing around prepping for the week ahead, and especially pushing all of my blogging photography into just a few days.

These cookies were the fruit of all of the labor on Sunday, and I have to say - they were worth it. I think I ate four of them, and they were a hit with the book wormies. And now I’m glad I took the time to make them and share with you! They are gluten free, vegan, and just celebrate the best flavors of apple pie in a healthier cookie.

Speaking of relaxing and downtime - this Friday, at 5pm, MARK MY WORDS, I am shutting down my work computer and turning off my work e-mail notifications and taking my FULL vacation through next Sunday. Lucky for me, I have an awesome team that I’ve prepped for my absence. I didn’t think how excited I would be to take all of this time off, but I can’t WAIT! First stop is DC, to catch up with some girlfriends. Then Nate and I are headed to his family’s farm for several days. Then we’re going to Raleigh for Thanksgiving with his extended family. I packed my Lactaid pills and it’s going to be a dairy bonanza. Hallelujah.

Looking forward to updating you all from the farm!

Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies (vegan, gluten free)
 
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These slightly sweet oatmeal cookies have apples, raisins, walnuts, and plenty of cinnamon. They are apple pie, sans the wheat or butter!
Author:
Serves: 14 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1½ cup rolled oats
  • ¾ cup gluten free flour blend
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • ¾ cup chopped dried apples
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil, softened
  • 3 heaping tablespoons of applesauce
  • ½ tsp baking soda
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
  2. Mix oats, flour, cinnamon, maple syrup, coconut oil, baking soda, and applesauce
  3. Fold in raisins, apples, and walnuts
  4. Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out dough and quickly form into balls using your hands
  5. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and slightly press down
  6. Bake for 15 minutes
  7. Remove from oven, but allow to cool on the baking sheet
  8. Store in a tupperware!
If you like this, you’ll love: Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Muffins

oatm

Probiotic Chimichurri (vegan + paleo)

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We’ve pretty much been pouring this sauce on everything - fish, rice, steak - you name it. It’s full of umami flavors and fresh herbs, and you can feel good knowing you’re getting good gut bacteria in every spoonful!

Probiotic Chimichurri | danicaliforniacooks.com

This seemed fitting to post since I shared so many new probiotic finds from the grocery store this week on my Instagram. I definitely think Wildbrine’s probiotic salsa is a keeper. I can’t decide if Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar Limeade was too stevia-y.

When I took that Intro to Fermentation class, the two biggest key takeaways for me were 1) try to get some probiotics at every meal and 2) a variety of probiotics is key. Just like eating the rainbow of veggies is important, so is eating a variety of bacteria! And because bacteria are so teeny tiny, even a teaspoon of sauerkraut packs the same amount of probiotics as a pill. <— not backed by any science, just my memory of hearing it somewhere…

The history of fermented food is really interesting, in my opinion. People needed a way to keep food from “going bad” before refrigeration, and they discovered fermentation as a natural way of “preserving” the food. A lot of the fermented foods we recognize go back to ancient condiments. Sauerkraut - obviously a condiment for sausages in Germany. If you ever go to a Korean or a Chinese restaurant, there are often a plethora of fermented sauces and chili pastes just preserving away at your table. Miso is a huge one for Japanese cuisine. Supposedly Confucious refused to eat a meal without the “proper condiment”! He sounds like my mom…

chim

People really stopped preserving foods naturally once refrigeration was introduced, which is why we have pickles these days that get their tangy taste from vinegar - not bacteria! I find it telling that allergies and autoimmune diseases really jumped globally (especially in Western cultures) when people started eating less fermented foods since they could just store stuff in their fridge! I’m sure there are plenty more reasons and causations for that spike, but more and more studies show that healthy guts helps maintain immune health and reduce symptoms of autoimmune disorders. I personally noticed major relief on my joint pain and digestive issues when I read this NYtimes article and started on a similar regimen.

It’s super easy to have a kombucha as a snack, or make your salad dressings with apple cider vinegar for an added probiotic boost. But I have to say - this chimichurri sauce has been the easiest way for us to make sure we are eating some fermented foods at dinner. Like I wrote above, we’ve honestly been pouring it on everything! It’s a classic chimichurri, except using preserved lemons and salt-cured capers - both probiotic. When you allow the chimichurri to sit out on your counter overnight, it turns the rest of the sauce probiotic like magic! You can keep it in your fridge afterwards.

This recipe was heavily adapted from the Intro to Fermentation class I took with Nishanga Bliss - so go check out her blog for some absolutely mind-blowing probiotic recipes.

Probiotic Chimichurri | danicaliforniacooks.com

5.0 from 1 reviews
Probiotic Chimichurri (vegan + paleo)
 
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This classic chimichurri has a probiotic twist when you use preserved lemons! Heavily adapted from Nishanga Bliss.
Author:
Serves: 1-2 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 large bunch cilantro, stems included
  • ½ medium bunch Italian parsley, stems included
  • ½ of a preserved lemon, including rind and pulp. Seeds removed.
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp salt-cured capers
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Juice of one (non-preserved) lemon (optional)
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until all items are blended
  2. Place in a tupperware bin and leave on your counter overnight. It will still retain it's super green color!
  3. Store in the fridge - this sauce will hold up for several weeks!

5.0 from 1 reviews
 
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If you like this, you’ll love: Salmon Bowls with Miso Dressing (also great probiotics!)

Salmon Bowls with Miso Dressing | danicaliforniacooks.com

Miso Soup with Tofu and Zoodles (vegan, gluten free)

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Make the miso soup the star of the meal by adding lots of tofu and zoodles!

So last week I wrote about my forays into meal planning and I figured I would update you on how that went! I thought long and hard about whether it was successful or not, and definitely think it leans more towards being a….fail.

Breakfast worked perfectly, but I ended up having lunch dates every day this past week so I never ate lunch at home. Dinner was great Monday and Tuesday, but I ran to Whole Foods on Wednesday for the items we needed for Wednesday and Thursday dinner. OH and I swung by Target on Tuesday for some baking groceries so I could make these for Nate’s work. Overall, I definitely spent way too much money at the grocery store and farmer’s market for having to go back twice this past week. Lessons learned!

I wish I had some more time to refine my meal planning skillz but I’m back on the road on Monday! I’m pretty much traveling non-stop through the end of January for my job. I’m taking the week of Thanksgiving off but we’ll be on the east coast, and then I’m taking two weeks off around the holidays and we’ll be in Mexico with my family, and then Tahoe with our friends. So while I’ve definitely taken full advantage of my month working from home, I’ll certainly miss it!

The things in particular that I will miss about working from home include:

  • taking workout classes at reasonable hours of the day
  • cooking dinners for me and Nate every night
  • the incredibly beautiful weather we have in SF (Spokane has a low of 29 this week! YIKES)
  • lunch dates all around the Bay Area
  • not having to smush all of my SF social stuff into just a weekend
  • working from my pajamas in front of the TV

However, to end on a more positive note, there are plenty of benefits to being on the road! Including:

  • my corporate card being able to pay for all of the delicious salmon that I will eat
  • someone else making coffee for me
  • the E! network! (we don’t have cable at home…)
  • working in person with my colleagues and clients again
  • spinning classes at The Union
  • having a rental car - helps me run some errands that would otherwise be a pain here in SF!

Most of all, I’ve enjoyed experimenting in my kitchen a whole lot. Like ZOODLES. I discovered zoodles this month working from home! I’ve made them a bunch of times and I don’t know why it took me so long to take my zoodle maker out of this case. While it’s delicious to top zoodles with a big batch (for some reason “big batch” combined into “bitch” in my mind and I typed that out first…whoops!) of a meaty, hearty marinara sauce, I decided to try out zoodles in all other sorts of forms.

Turns out, they taste AMAZING lightly cooked in a salty, umami miso broth with lots of tofu and mushrooms. This one is certainly going to be added to the meal planning rotation!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Miso Soup with Tofu and Zoodles (vegan, gluten free)
 
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Make the miso soup the star of the meal by adding lots of tofu and zoodles!
Author:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 block extra firm tofu
  • 1-inch knob ginger, grated
  • 2 cartons of stock - I used the miso stock from Whole Foods but vegetable stock will be fine!
  • 4 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tbsp yellow miso
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 2 zucchinis, spiralized
  • Toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling
  • Red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, simmer the ginger, mushrooms, stock, and red pepper flakes to taste for a minimum of one hour
  2. While that is simmering, drain and press the tofu (Google actually has a great step-by-step guide for this)
  3. Cut the tofu into cubes
  4. In four shallow bowls, place ¼ of the spiralized zucchini and tofu
  5. Turn the heat off of the soup
  6. In a seperate bowl with warm water, dissolve the miso
  7. Pour the miso into the large soup pot
  8. Divide the soup across the bowls, on top of the tofu and zucchini
  9. Top with scallions and sesame seeds
Notes
The zoodles and tofu will cook/soften the minute the hot soup touches them!

I like the way fresh tofu tastes in this soup, but I have also eaten it by baking the tofu cubes before as well. Adds a different texture to the soup!

For people who want more heft to the soup, you can add quinoa or rice into each bowl before you pour the soup over

If you like this, you’ll love: Miso Ginger Chicken and Chickpea Soup

soup3

Crockpot Pumpkin Apple Raisin Butter (vegan)

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So simple to make and such a crowd pleaser! Throw the ingredients into your crockpot and wake up in the morning with spiced and sweet vegan pumpkin butter dotted with apples and raisins.

pumpkin Since Halloween is on Saturday, I figured I would share my final pumpkin recipe of the season. I’ll be honest - I haven’t fully worked my way through the Costco sized pack of canned pumpkin that I purchased with such high hopes. Turns out I don’t have a pumpkin lover in this household *cough cough* NATE. Although the Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins and the Vegan Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars were some of my favorite recipes of this season on DCC. Looking back on Halloween over the last couple of years - boy has it been a range of activities! Last year I hung out with my parents at their house and doled out candy to the neighborhood children. The year before that Nate and I went to a bunch of parties in DC and ended up eating pizza in his apartment in various states of undress while havoc wreaked around us with his roommates. And the year before that I was traveling to New Orleans for work and my team dressed up as Where’s Waldo and went out on Bourbon St! This year we’re going sailing and then have a couple of friends who are throwing get togethers around the city. We still don’t have a costume for the holiday, though! I’m much more creative when it comes to the kitchen than when it comes to what I dress myself in. Seriously. I follow zero fashion bloggers and hundreds of food bloggers. #priorities pumpkin5 This pumpkin butter has suited us well over the last couple of weeks. From bringing it on a sailing brunch trip to smearing on this bread with some PB - yup, it’s like pumpkin pie filling plus a little extra texture and sweetness from the raisins and apples. It’s also one of those embarrassingly simple recipes that turns out impressive and makes you seem like you have it allllll figured out in the kitchen. “You MADE this pumpkin butter?!” is the question I get asked. The response is “yes, I used my can opener and then dumped a bunch of other ingredients into the slow cooker and hit a button”.

Vegan Pumpkin Apple Raisin Butter | danicaliforniacooks.com Sarcasm aside, I’m looking forward to Halloween this year and hopefully the plenty of cute trick o’ treaters we may see in our neighborhood. Even if we don’t have a costume, maybe I’ll just put on an apron and be a “food blogger” and Nate can wear a bib and be my “taste tester”. So clever.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Crockpot Pumpkin Apple Butter (vegan)
 
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So simple to make and such a crowd pleaser! Throw the ingredients into your crockpot and wake up in the morning with spiced and sweet pumpkin butter dotted with apples and raisins.
Author:
Ingredients
  • 2 cans pumpkin
  • 1 apple, cored and chopped
  • 1 cup raisins
  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • ¼ cup apple juice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to crockpot
  2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally
  3. Turn off heat, and let cool
  4. Store in tupperware or mason jars
If you like this, you’ll love: Vegan Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars

Curried Chickpea and Cauliflower Salad (vegan, gluten free)

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This gluten free and vegan dish is a deliciously balanced salad with a ton of different textures and flavors. It reminds me of something I would choose out of a case at a trendy lunch spot!

Curried Chickpea and Cauliflower Salad | danicaliforniacooks.com If you’ve followed along with my most recent nutrition post, you’ll know that I’ve been incorporating a lot more plant-based proteins into my lunch routine. I used to have these big a$$ salads for lunchtime, and usually would do the whole “add chicken” deal because PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN. It’s been remarkable how much more energy I have in the afternoons now that I opt for lighter, plant-based lunches! Chickpeas are obviously an easy go-to protein to add to any salad - they are so versatile! Curried Chickpea and Cauliflower Salad | danicaliforniacooks.com Whenever I go to a health-focused lunch spot, anywhere from Huckleberry to Whole Foods to Nourish Cafe - I always LOVE sampling the chickpea creations they come up with. They are usually incredibly interesting and creative! So much better than just adding a handful of whatever boiled/grilled/shredded chicken they have on hand to a bowl of greens. So I’ve started recreating some new chickpea dishes at home in honor of my favorite new plant-based love. This chickpea dish has roasted cauliflower, sweet raisins, crunchy celery, and lots of flavor from fresh herbs and spices. It’s not a good thing that I’m writing this blog post as I’m getting kind of hungry for dinner, because I’m actually kind of salivating thinking about this dish. It may be time for dinner. I ate this several days in a row - at home, on the plane (it passes through TSA security, promise). It would be an awesome dish to bring to a picnic, or even leave a large tupperware of it at work to portion out for lunches. I ate this on top of a bed of greens both times, and it made for a perfectly balanced lunch. No $5 “Add Grilled Chicken” needed over here in the DCC kitchen, thank you very much.


5.0 from 2 reviews
Curried Chickpea and Cauliflower Salad (vegan, gluten free)
 
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This gluten free and vegan dish is a deliciously balanced salad with a ton of different textures and flavors. It's wonderful served hot or cold, and makes for great leftovers!
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of cooked chickpeas (I used dried and soaked overnight, but canned is fine!)
  • 1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • 2 tbsp vegan mayo (I used Earth Balance)
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil for roasting the cauliflower
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F
  2. Lightly coat your cauliflower in olive oil, and toss with salt and pepper and cumin. Place on a baking rack
  3. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes
  4. In the meantime, mix your dressing of mayo, curry power, vinegar, and salt and pepper
  5. In a medium bowl, place the celery, raisins, chickpeas, and roasted cauliflower
  6. Fold in the dressing, and add the cilantro
  7. Season with salt and pepper

If you like this, you’ll love: Marinated Chickpea and Kale Salad

Marinated Chickpea and Kale Salad | danicaliforniacooks.com

White Bean and Basil Nourish Bowls (vegan, gluten free)

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“Nourish bowls” all have a few things in common, such as plant-based power foods, delicious textures and flavors, all snuggled up into a bowl of health! My take has a white bean and basil mash, roasted sweet potatoes, and greens. It’s gluten free and vegan comfort food!

Sorry for the delay in posting! I had SO much fun this short weekend in NYC catching up with college buddies and colleagues. I don’t even know what time zone I’m in at the moment. New York is just so wonderful this time of year - the weather is perfect, the tourists have died down, and it just feels authentically New York. Definitely a different vibe back when I was here in July. I’m not sure if that makes any sense - especially since I’m no New Yorker - but regardless, wonderful weekend around the city and surrounding suburbs!

I’ve seen so many names for these kinds of meals - nourish bowls, hippie bowls, buddha bowls, power bowls. What I’ve noticed they all have in common is that they are plant-based, balanced meals full of vegetables, healthy fats and proteins. Whether you eat them mixed up in the bowl or each individual ingredient separately, they are delicious! I often whip up things like this when I’m at work. It’s really easy to assemble in an office kitchen, especially if you bring pre-made items. I’ll often grab a pre-made chickpeas salad, greens, sauerkraut, and avocado and put all of the ingredients into a bowl while the employees at my client site watch with amusement. I have to say, I did take it to a new level when I made a massaged kale salad in the breakout room. It definitely wasn’t worth the hassle, and I think I’ll stick to recipes that you “assembly” rather than, well “massage”. I decided to call this a nourish bowl - as opposed to any of the other applicable names - because to me, each component was comforting and felt like it fulfilled something that my body was looking for. Aaaand that’s definitely what she said.

…Sorry. My coworkers always tell me that a) I should stop massaging kale in the office and b) to get my head out of the gutter. I make so many that’s what she said jokes - it’s pathetic. My humor has just regressed as I’ve gotten older! I feel like I can also blame the jetlag. Well, on that note, I really don’t have much else to say about these super tasty, super healthy, and super nourishing bowls. I hope you make and enjoy all week!

5.0 from 3 reviews
White Bean and Basil Nourish Bowls (vegan, gluten free)
 
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This nourish bowl has a white bean and basil mash, roasted sweet potatoes, and greens. It's gluten free and vegan comfort food!
Author:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 can of white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • ½ cup basil leaves
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • Spinach greens
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 435 degrees F
  2. Slice the sweet potatoes into cubes, and toss with olive oil, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste
  3. Bake for 20-25 minutes on a baking sheet
  4. While the potatoes are roasting, in a food processor, place the beans, basil, tahini, and lemon juice. Pulse until a chunky mash forms - you don't want it pureed
  5. Toss your spinach greens with a little olive oil
  6. Layer half of the bowl with spinach
  7. In one quarter of the bowl, spoon about ½ cup of the mash
  8. In the other quarter of the bowl, place a quarter of the roasted sweet potatoes
  9. Repeat for the other three servings, or set the rest aside for later!
Notes
If making ahead, the bean mash and the sweet potatoes can be fully prepared. Don't toss the spinach greens with the olive oil until right before serving!

If you like this, you’ll love: Marinated Chickpea and Kale Salad

chick2

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars (gluten free)

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Consider these a no-fork-necessary vegan take on pumpkin pie, minus gluten and refined sugars! I’ve enjoyed tricking my tastebuds in thinking that they are getting something super indulgent and decadent with this healthier treat.

I can actually remember the first time I ate pumpkin, not just in roasted seed form or at Thanksgiving. My high school sweetheart really liked these soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies from Ralph’s (a local LA grocery store) and we used to eat them by the handful. This was before I knew that pumpkin was so versatile, so delicious, (and so popular and trendy). We just thought we had stumbled upon a weird combination that somehow “worked!” But now I know better, of course. My first ever DCC blog post had pumpkin in it!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Bars | danicaliforniacooks.com I did a bunch of research before putting these pumpkin pie bars together. I had a lot of requirements. I wanted them to be vegan and gluten free, and I wanted them to be a finger food so I could bring them to a work event and use my colleagues as taste testers. It took several runs to Trader Joe’s and back (remember that lost can of pumpkin I rambled to the cashier about?) but I’m so glad that I finally got the ratios and the ingredients right.

I’ll be honest - I was a bit scared to bring these into the office. Sure, it’s San Francisco and everyone drinks their kombucha, but I’ve seen my coworkers attack a pastry platter like nobody’s business and I wasn’t sure if this was the right group for trying a healthier treat. I made Nate swear that I wasn’t going to embarrass myself by bringing them into the office! I’m not sure why I get so shy when it comes to sharing my way of baking. I should just trust my taste judgement!

Anyways, MAJOR success at the office. People went back for seconds and thirds. I’m excited to distribute the link to my colleagues for this post! And I’ll be honest, I didn’t bring the entire batch into the office with me. I definitely nommed on these all throughout the weekend, and went back for seconds myself. They are so reminiscent of pumpkin pie and all of those delicious flavors and spices, but they aren’t too sweet. I would say they are just right!

On another note, I’m off to NYC this weekend for one of my best friends from college (and sorority sista) going away party. She’s moving to London (gah!) She had a wild 21st birthday at her parent’s place four years ago, and I dug up some old photos of that. It happened to be one of the weekends in NYC that time that broke heat wave records, and everyone got WAY too drunk since we were so dehydrated. I think I went to bed at like 10pm. A lot of the same group is going to be there this time around, and I can’t wait to take a “four years later” picture. Hopefully we will look (and be) much more sober. And less sweaty.

2015-09-22_21-34-21 But yes. It’s time for fall. No more drunken summer parties, and now time for things like these pumpkin pie bars. I know I covered a lot in this post, so thanks for sticking with me.


5.0 from 3 reviews
Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars (vegan, gluten free)
 
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Consider these a fork-free vegan take on pumpkin pie, minus gluten and refined sugars! I've enjoyed tricking my tastebuds in thinking that they are getting something super indulgent and decadent with this healthier treat. Adapted from Choosing Raw.
Author:
Ingredients
  • Bottom crust:
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1½ cups almond flour
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • ⅓ cup almond milk
  • ½ cup melted coconut oil
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Dash of salt
  • Pumpkin filling:
  • 2 cans pureed pumpkin
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • ⅓ cup coconut sugar
  • Crumble topping:
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil, room temp
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Mix the crust layer in a large bowl
  3. In a greased 9x11 baking pan, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan
  4. In the same bowl, mix the pumpkin filling
  5. Layer the pumpkin mixture over the oats mixture evenly
  6. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes
  7. Using your hands, mix the crumble topping
  8. Remove dish from oven, and sprinkle oat crumble evenly over the pumpkin. Press into topping
  9. Bake for another 25-30 minutes
  10. Allow to cool completely (you can even let it sit in the fridge) before cutting into squares and serving

If you like this, you’ll love: Cornmeal Almond Raspberry Bars

corn921