Cafe Johnsonia

Condiments, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Main Dish, Main Dish, Sauces, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vegetarian + Vegan, Winter

Coconut Quinoa Bowls with Broccoli and Tahini Sauce

February 13, 2017 9 Comments

Coconut Quinoa Bowls with Roasted Broccoli and Miso Tahini Sauce

These Coconut Quinoa Bowls will have your tastebuds rocking out. Topped with tender-crisp roasted broccoli and yummy tahini sauce for a delicious, healthy meal. Hallelujah, it’s February! That means we’re almost through the harshest part of winter. Spring is on the horizon! February can be a little sparse produce-wise, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t delicious recipes to be had. I mean, think of all the citrus! I had totally planned another recipe for this […]

Custards + Pudding, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Spiced Tembleque de Coco (Coconut Pudding)

February 9, 2017 12 Comments

Tembleque de Coco with Mandarin Oranges and Pomegranate | CafeJohnsonia.com

This recipe for Spiced Tembleque de Coco is perfection with the tart, juicy burst from the pomegranate arils and mandarin oranges. I’ve fallen completely in love with coconut milk. I loved it enough before, but now it’s official. This Tembleque de Coco sealed the deal. I bookmarked this recipe in Joy of Cooking a long time before I stopped eating dairy. We’ve had a lot of sickness at our house the last two weeks, […]

Autumn, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vegetarian + Vegan, Winter

Winter Cauliflower Rice Bowl

January 9, 2017 13 Comments

Wintery Cauliflower Rice Bowl with Roasted Butternut Squash, White Beans, Baby Kale, and Cranberry-Mustard Sauce

Comforting, nourishing, and healthy as can be, this Winter Cauliflower Rice Bowl is full of mouthwatering flavors, textures, and seasonal ingredients. Over the past year or so, I’ve become the hugest fan of “bowls.” I think it all kind of started with my love affair with Chipotle. I used to be like, “What’s the deal with Chipotle anyway?” And now I’m all about those burrito bowls! After awhile, I finally started recreating those bowls at […]

Autumn, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Main Dish, Main Dish, Soup + Stew, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vegetarian + Vegan, Winter

Vegan Pumpkin Black Bean and Lentil Chili

January 8, 2017 7 Comments

Pumpkin Red Lentil Chili with Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes

This Vegan Pumpkin Black Bean and Lentil Chili is both filling and nourishing. Cook up a big pot to enjoy by the bowl full on a cold day or use in other favorite ways – over a baked potato, with nachos, as a base for tamale pie, or for game day eats. Ah, chili. Its popularity is not going away. I think I’ve made dozens of varieties of chili over the past 20 years. And […]

Beverages, Gluten-Free, Smoothies + Juices, Vegan, Vegetarian

Ultimate Superfood Green Smoothie

January 4, 2017 7 Comments

One of my favorite things to do is develop new smoothie recipes, especially if they are green smoothies. I work closely with one of my favorite companies, Simple Green Smoothies, on recipe development as well as photos and videos. So on any given day, you’ll find my fridge full of various leafy greens and a freezer full of fruit. Not a bag gig! For my own purposes, I wanted to develop a recipe for an […]

Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Main Dish, Main Dish, Pasta + Noodles, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vegetarian + Vegan

Antipasto Vegan Pasta Salad

January 2, 2017 7 Comments

Well, here it is, the first recipe of 2017, Antipasto Vegan Pasta Salad. (It’s also gluten-free!) Truth be told, I didn’t post nearly as many recipes as I wanted to last year. Life was busier than I expected and a lot of things fell to the wayside. I’ve been craving being in my own little corner of the Internet again so I can share what I’m cooking with you. (By the way, if you’re reading this, […]

Bar Cookies, Candy, Christmas, Cookies, Dessert, Dessert, Gluten-Free, Holiday, Kid-Friendly, Winter

Gluten-Free Peppermint Bark Brownies Recipe

December 24, 2016 7 Comments

There’s a bit of story and history behind these Gluten-Free Peppermint Bark Brownies… I first made Peppermint Bark Brownies way back in 2006 in the early days of Cafe Johnsonia. Back then CJ was called Just Recipes. That was a very long time ago in blog years! The idea for the brownies came from my friend, Tania, who brought me dinner after my second baby was born. Along with a delicious soup, she also included […]

Candy, Christmas, Dessert, Dessert, Gluten-Free, Holiday, Vegetarian, Winter

Maple Pecan Butter Toffee Recipe

December 8, 2016 4 Comments

This toffee recipe is made with real butter, maple syrup, and pecans for an irresistible salty-sweet treat. As I know is true for many home cooks, the holidays are a favorite time of year. I learned how to make homemade candy and other treats by watching my mom and scouring her cookbooks and handwritten recipe cards. It wasn’t until I was older that I attempted to make candy without supervision. Ha! But once I did, […]

Books, Dairy-Free, Fish + Seafood, Gluten-Free, Main Dish, Main Dish, Reviews, Salad

Superfood Weeknight Meals: Thai Coconut Salmon Salad

December 6, 2016 1 Comment

Thai Coconut Salmon Salad from Superfood Weeknight Meals

This year I finally got to meet my dear friend, Kelly Pfeiffer, in person. She’s the brilliant and talented cook and photographer behind the Nosh and Nourish blog. She’s also the author of two books. Her second book, Superfood Weeknight Meals, just came out a few days ago. And it’s just as fantastic as her first book. Superfood Weeknight Meals is basically the book I’ve been waiting for – all of my favorite foods turned into […]

Autumn, Christmas, Dessert, Dessert, Gluten-Free, Holiday, Ice Cream + Sorbets, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, Winter

Roasted Persimmon Ice Cream

December 5, 2016 19 Comments

This Persimmon Ice Cream starts with slow roasted persimmons. No sugar added, 100% fruit-sweetened. Last year I took the plunge and decided to finally try persimmons. I had bought them many times but they were only used for decoration, or sat on my counter while I tried to decide what to do with them. And then I made Persimmon Butter, which remains one of the single greatest things I’ve made in the last year. So after […]