But anyway, getting sick and not having the energy to cook good (or bad) food for myself did make me think about my diet and the things that I know are good for me and make me feel good. I stopped the chocolate habit cold turkey, and turned towards the good stuff. Kale is one of those things that makes me feel good. I like to buy it from Whole Foods because they have organic kale in all kinds of varieties, or even better, from the Farmer’s Market when it is in season. The other day, though, the DH took me to my follow up-checkup on my lungs (because he is a sweetie) and I was feeling so much better that we decided to get lunch out together.

Calafia Cafe
Town & Country Village Suite 130
855 El Camino Real (at Embarcadero Road)
Palo Alto California
(650) 322-9200

I had read about Calafia Palo Alto being a good restaurant with a gluten-free menu, and I’d passed it numerous times in the Palo Alto Town and Country square, but I’d never actually eaten there. Half of the restaurant is a deli, and I’m easily intimidated by delis. However, the other half of the restaurant is a nice, sit-down restaurant with menus, and we decided to get a table. I was happy to see the gluten-free labeml on many of their dishes, but weirdly enough, I was even happier to see that they split the menu in half between vegetarian and omnivore options. They even labeled their vegan dishes. Unfortunately, I wasn’t actually that hungry because I had eaten a very full and nutritious breakfast (leftover Dal made my the DH the night before, my hero!). But I decided to order their Braised Greens with Almond Butter, which they describe on their menu as: “rainbow swiss chard, sautéed with shallots, glazed with cider vinegar and finished with a vegan turmeric scented almond butter,
dried cranberries and walnuts.” The small dish that arrived wasn’t very dramatic, but when I took a bite I could literally feel my blood being supercharged with nutrition. The funny thing is, I wasn’t completely in love with the balance of flavor. I could taste cayenne more than turmeric in the almond butter, and was a trifle spicy for me after years of cooking for a DH with a sensitive tummy and now a toddler who despises spiciness. At the same time, I felt so good as I ate it and I was ultimately very happy with it. It was also novel because it was both like something I might cook for myself but at the same time not with the exact balance of flavor I would choose. How often can you go out to eat and feel like you’re getting a more nutritious meal than you would have at home? That is why I fell in love with this restaurant and would go back in a heartbeat. They had an intriguing assortment of specialty smoothie beverages, and tons of entrees and other dishes marked gluten-free and vegetarian. The DH was also happy, although he ordered a gluten menu item of what he called a “salad pizza”- a pizza with goat and blue cheese with a gorgeous pile of arugula on top. (They don’t offer gluten-free pizza, but plenty of other places do so I didn’t mind.)

I did some reading and found out that Calafia was started by a chef named Charlie Ayers that was the head chef at Google for six years after being a caterer for the Grateful Dead. Not only that, but he has his own book called Food 2.0: Secrets from the Chef Who Fed Google. According to the booklist description, “Raw, organic, and fermented is Charlie s mantra, which is reflected in more than 90 easy-to-prepare recipes, whether it s a Kick-start Breakfast, a Power Lunch, or a Light, Bright Dinner. And, following the world-famous formula Charlie used at Google headquarters, the meals and snacks are designed to feed your brain exactly what it needs at different points throughout the workday.” It has been a while since I went to a restaurant that I found as exciting as this one, and after reading more about the chef I can understand why. It isn’t a raw-foods cookbook, and not even a vegetarian cookbook, but I was intrigued enough by the description that I ordered a used copy for myself. I’ll let you know how I like it!

Anyway, their braised green recipe with almond sauce was a delightful restaurant offering and also got me thinking about how I might try my own (very different) version when I brought home some tasty organic kale from the farmer’s market this weekend. Here’s my take on it, which met with approval from my omnivorous dad and allergy-sensitive mother. Toddler Yum found it to be too much green for her, but since she scarfs down raw broccoli, cauliflower, and roasted chickpeas, I think I’ll overlook this temporary disdain for kale. It took me some years to develop a love affair with kale, after all, and now it is my favorite breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu item! I hope you enjoy this recipe for a vegan almond sauce kale recipe as much as we did.

Looking for more kale-almond recipes?
Addictive Vegan Kale Salad
Kale Almond Pesto
Almond Crunch Kale Chips
Chopped Kale Salad with Toasted Almonds
Just Plain Scrumptious Kale Recipes:
Cashew Creamed Kale Recipe
Kale and toor Dal
Kale in Puttanesca Sauce
Gluten-free Cornmeal Dumplings with Red Beans and Kale
Gluten-free Stuffing with Kale, Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
Kale with Pine Nuts and Raisins
Vegetarian Lasagna with Kale and Cheese
Feta Breakfast Kale

Hey, I’m in the running for the Circle of Moms Top 25 Vegan and Vegetarian Mom Blogger Award!

You can vote once per blog every 24 hours until February 14th at 8pm EST. I’d love to make it to the final count!

Almond Butter Kale Recipe Side Dish  Vegetables  American

Ingredients 2 tsp. grapeseed or olive oil 1 small to medium bunch of kale, rinsed and dried with spine cut out, chopped 3 tbsp. diced onion sauce: 1/4 cup roasted almond butter 2 tbsp. hot water or more for desired texture 1 tsp. agave nectar, maple syrup, honey (look for neutral flavored honey), or simple syrup 1 tsp. lime or lemon juice herbamare or your favorite salt blend dash cayenne pepper or paprika Directions Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet on medium high and add your chopped kale leaves. I like to pan fry them until they get browned and dry in patches, but you can cook them to your preference. When almost done, add your diced onion to the pan and saute until translucent. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Add more hot water if needed to have a sauce you can pour. When kale and onions are done, put into an attractive bowl and drizzle generously with sauce. Fold sauce into the kale until evenly distributed and serve.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Inspired by recent restaurant meal, but the contents of my brain. Please do not replicate without my permission. Recipe ID:  1585 Added:  February 5, 2012 Last Modified:  February 5, 2012

So, about those recipes. I think you all know my friend Ali Segersten with the blog at Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen, Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, and a new cookbook coming out soon. I adopted her some time ago for Adopt a Gluten-free Blogger. Way back in July she had this amazing recipe for Dairy-free Creamed Kale that I could eat like candy, I swear. Instead of using those tasteless packaged dairy-free milks, Ali used all fresh, real ingredients and make the creamy sauce with cashews. I just loved this recipe, and started thinking about other ways to use cashews as a creamy sauce in recipes.* I tried a creamed broccoli/cauliflower recipe, and it was good but not spectacular. But then the other night I was staring at my pantry trying to figure out what to make for dinner, and I was trying to think of how to make pasta interesting but not so interesting that Toddler Yum would snub it. We also had this huge container of mushrooms from Costco staring glossily back at me in the refrigerator, and it occurred to me that a cashew, dairy-free cream sauce would make a great mushroom alfredo. I seared some mushrooms and chard from our garden and added grated zucchini for bulk and sneaky mama veggie quotient and reduced the heck out of that cashew cream sauce. I also popped some white sweet potato “fries” in the oven to roast as a side dish.

At first I was going to make some plain pasta for the dear toddler, who can be relied on to ask for “plain, mama, plain pasta”. But then I thought that since she has never met a cashew dish she didn’t like, I’d try serving her the alfredo. The mushrooms were picked out immediately, and she eyed the chard very suspiciously, but she slurped down the pasta in sauce like a starving puppy and asked for more. My girl had four helpings before the night was out! And before you get worried, she had skipped the (disgusting) lunch at her daycare and had recently recovered from a tummy bug, so I think she was ready for a serious calorie infusion. The picky DH, who can be very skeptical of dairy-free sauces, dove in with gusto, and it goes without saying that I ate more than my fair share. Success!

I would definitely make this recipe again, and might just have to try this cashew sauce in some other classic creamy recipes. If you have a vitamix, I think the creamy sauce will be even more creamy, but the texture with my (pathetically weak) blender reminded me of the texture of melted parmesan regianno bits, so it worked well for us. These photos were taken the following day when the greedy pasta had drank up a lot of the sauce. It tasted good reheated but was most spectacular freshly made. Also, I used the new Trader Joe’s gluten-free corn spaghetti, and thought it worked well. A brown rice (Tinkyada) or my all time my favorite gluten-free pasta by Le Veneziane might make it even better!



*This recipe posting is Ali-approved… I love my fellow bloggers and always like to ask them when I use a blogged recipe as serious inspiration when developing a new recipe.

Dairy-free Soy-fre Mushroom Alfredo Pasta Sauce Recipe Main Course  Sauces & Condiments  Vegetables  American

Ingredients The Sauce: 2 tbsp. olive or grapeseed oil 1 small onion, diced 1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast 2 cups water 1 teaspoon raw cider vinegar 1 teaspoon herbamare or your favorite herbed salt The Pasta: 1 lb. gluten-free spaghetti The Veggies: 1 tbsp. olive or grapeseed oil (if needed) 3/4 lb mushrooms, cleaned and sliced freshly ground pepper and additional herbamare to taste large handful of chard, cleaned and cut into slivers 2 small zucchini or 1 regular zucchini, cleaned and grated Directions Heat oil on medium-high in a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet. Saute your onion until translucent. Then combine translucent onion, soaked and drained cashews, nutritional yeast, water, vinegar and herbamare in a blender. Blend until you have a creamy sauce. Reserve. Boil pasta until al dente. Heat additional oil (if needed) in your pan on medium-high and add your sliced mushrooms in a single layer on the pan. Season with freshly grated black pepper and herbamare. You may have to do several batches. Brown one side and then turn over to brown the other side. Remove from pan and reserve while you brown the remaining mushrooms. Add your slivered chard to the last batch of mushrooms and sautee them until they wilt and start to brown. Sprinkle on your grated zucchini and let it soften slightly. Pour on your sauce and let it thicken. Mix pasta into the sauce and serve topped with fresh basil if desired. Notes Best the first night it is made, but can be reheated too. I think I might save any uneaten pasta separate from the sauce for the next day and combine them right before heating so that the pasta doesn’t absorb too much of the sauce and you get more creamy liquid for leftovers.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Cashew un-cheese sauce inspired by Ali of Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen Recipe ID:  1582 Added:  December 13, 2011 Last Modified:  December 14, 2011

I initially shared my allergen-free pumpkin pie, but when I tested the recipe again this time around I got funky results that may have been due to not refrigerating it. However, I want to tweak the recipe so I pulled it from the post. You will see a new improved version soon! The pie crust was great, though.

For my contribution, I thought I’d share an unusual but absolutely recipe for delicious apricot glazed brussels sprouts. In my opinion, brussel sprouts are an unfairly maligned vegetable. If they are prepared right, they can be really, really tasty.

Here are some lovely blog recipes for Brussel Sprouts.
I tried the first three recipes and they were YUMMY!
Elana’s Pantry Chestnuts with Brussel Sprouts
Gluten-free Bay Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Gluten-free Bay Lemon Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Fat Free Vegan Brussels Sprouts with Basil and Garlic
Simply Recipes Hashed Brussel Sprouts with Lemon

Apricot Glazed Roasted Brussel Sprout recipe Side Dish  Vegetables  American

Ingredients 1 lb- 1 1/2 lb. brussels sprout olive oil dried dill to taste salt pepper 1/2 cup apricot jam (i use a no-sugar variety) 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice lemon zest, if desired Directions Clean sprouts and shake off water, or fold in a towel. Cut in half, horizontally, and place in medium to large bowl, drizzling with olive oil. Season with dill, salt, and pepper and place flat on cookie sheet. I think that it is easiest if you put them all one way, either flat, cut side face down or round exterior face down. Place in 425 F oven and bake for 15 minutes and then check. If one side is nicely browned, turn over. Otherwise, put back in oven for another 10-15 minutes or until browned on one side. (This will depend on size of the brussel sprout) When this one side is brown, turn the sprouts over and bake for 5-10 minutes or until done to your preference. I like them more done than my DH- My favorite part is the crispy, paper-like exterior. yum! He likes them lightly browned but not papery. To each their own. While sprouts finish browning, put your jam, lemon juice, and zest in a heavy bottomed, small soup pot. Bring to a simmer and let it come to a liquid like texture. Then turn off the stove and reserve glaze. When brussel sprouts are done, put in a pretty, medium sized serving bowl and drizzle generously with glaze, stirring if necessary. Serve and enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Contents of my brain, inspired by many recipes online. Please do not replicate without my written permission. Thanks! Recipe ID:  1466 Added:  October 18, 2009 Last Modified:  October 18, 2009

I’ll start the week with a healthy drink for a dairy-free Chocolate Pumpkin Cream Smoothie that sounds naughty but isn’t really. Toddler Yum heard the word “chocolate” and slurped it down like nobody’s business, which made me happy. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did!

One note- the avocado is there for the additional healthy fats and creaminess. It does add a little flavor so the cocoa is absolutely necessary for smoothing the flavors together, in my opinion. Do be careful not to add too much banana as the flavor is quite strong. It is mostly there for the sweetness, so if you prefer another mild fruit, feel free to experiment.

As part of the Tastemaker program with Foodbuzz, I got the nifty Tervis Tumbler pictured. I thought it might be fun to participate, and we can always use another bpa free, dishwasher safe cup for Toddler Yum. Their 8 oz toddler-sized tumblers look interesting. I might have to get some cups made for Toddler Yum!

Here are some additional recipes for Pumpkin Smoothies:
Vegan
Pumpkin Smoothie with Ginger and Maple Syrup
Sugar-free Pumpkin Smoothie with Coconut Whip
Pumpkin Smoothie with Homemade Hemp Milk
Silken Tofu Pumpkin Smoothie
Pumpkin Smoothie with Flaxseed and Soy
Pumpkin Smoothie with Protein Boost
Pumpkin Smoothie with chia and almond milk
Vegetarian
Pumpkin Smoothie with Yogurt
Brown Sugar Sweetened Pumpkin Smoothie

Other Foodbuzz folks put some interesting things in their Tumblers:
Juiced tangerine limeade

Chocolate Pumpkin Smoothie Breakfast  Vegetables  American

Ingredients 1/2 cup cooked pumpkin (canned ok) 1/2 avocado (peeled and without the pit) 1 cup homemade cashew milk* (or favorite non-dairy milk of choice) 1 tbsp agave or your favorite liquid sweetener (such as homemade simple syrup. Do NOT use honey as it has too much personality) 1 tbsp cocoa powder (NOT optional, although carob powder might be a good substitute if you are sensitive to chocolate) 1 small frozen banana 1 nutmeg for grating Directions Combine ingredients in your blender (a cheap-o blender will be just fine) and process until smooth and creamy. Pour in a glass or cup and grate nutmeg on top for serving. Enjoy! I am curious about what it would taste like frozen into a popsicle- I think it might be pretty tasty. I also considered adding 1/2 tsp of vanilla. I might do that next time. You can also add a pumpkin spice type blend of spices. I like Penzey’s Cake or Baking Spice. Notes *CASHEW MILK RECIPE: I made one big batch of cashew milk that I used in recipes for several days. I soaked 1 cup of cashews overnight with enough water to cover and then drained them, discarding the liquid. I blended them together with water up to the top of my blender (measuring 5 cups including the cashews), to make a milk which I did not strain. I stored it in the refrigerator in a glass pitcher to use as needed. For drinking or to use in hot cereal, I add a drop of vanilla and a little agave to the milk.

Rating:  7 Original Source:  Contents of my brain, please do not replicate without my permission. Recipe ID:  1572 Added:  October 24, 2011 Last Modified:  October 24, 2011

-I shared this recipe with Seasonal Sunday and GCC Recipe Swap .

*Note: Adopt a Gluten-free Blogger will be open for sign-ups on September 15th as we will be overseas in early September

Slow Roasted Tomato White Bean Salad Vegan  Side Dish  American

Ingredients 1/3 to 1/2 cup slow roasted baby tomatoes halves* 2 cups or 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained lime olive oil (or lemon olive oil, or plain), for drizzling 2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped dried sabzikoofteh herb blend (savory, parsley, dill, leek)** herbamare or your favorite salt smoked spanish paprika, regular paprika, cayenne or chipotle powder Directions Gently fold together your roasted baby tomato halves with the white beans and drizzle with lime olive oil. Toss some fresh basil and dried herb blend on top and mix it in to evenly coat the salad. Sprinkle top with herbamare (if needed) and a little paprika for garnish. Notes *To roast baby tomatoes, Preheat oven to 225F. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice your tomatoes in half. I used yellow pear and black cherry tomatoes; yum! Place halves on parchment paper with the “cup” facing up so the tomato holds in its yummy juices. Drizzle with olive oil or grapeseed oil. Toss some fresh herbs on top. I like thyme and marjoram, but also usually throw on some sage and basil if I’m feeling crazy. . Sprinkle lightly with salt. Slow cook tomatoes for at least 3 hours. Don’t dry the little darlings out too much; you want them to still be moist and tender, not dehydrated chips of tomato. If your baby tomatoes are large, you may wish to cook for up to 5 hours. Remove from oven, let cool, and place in a tupperware, drizzling them with a little additional olive oil to store. I assume you will taste a few. Try not to gobble them all up on the spot. This is definitely a temptation. **I buy this at a Middle Eastern market, specifically Caron Intl. Food Market in Sunnyvale. If you can’t find it in your area, you can blend your own and use dried chives or dried onion instead of the leek OR just use your favorite green dill spice mix. I served this with an heirloom baked potato drizzled in wonderful tahini from a Middle Eastern Market, seasoned with herbamare and more sabzikoofteh. Delish!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Inspired by Smitten Kitten’s post on slow-roasted tomatoes but given a twist all my own. Please do not replicate without my permission. Recipe ID:  1566 Added:  August 27, 2011 Last Modified:  August 27, 2011