Try Something New with Watermelon: Plant-Based Dishes for Summer
Get into clean eating with these unique takes inspired by Cafe Gratitude’s menu.
Courtesy of Café Gratitude
Chances are you’ve sliced up at least one watermelon this summer, whether you’re cooking it on the grill, sipping it in a cocktail, or tossing it with some feta in a salad. But we’ve got a new way to transform the fantastic fruit.
We caught up with Seizan Dreux Ellis, executive chef of Southern California Cafe Gratitude locations, who shared a recipe for a bountiful watermelon poke bowl. Poke bowls are typically served with chunks of fresh fish, rice, nori, edamame, and more toppings. In this version, Dreux replaces the meat with roasted watermelon, surrounded by watermelon radish, edamame, pickled ginger, and seaweed on top of a bed of forbidden rice.
Dreux says watermelon is the perfect centerpiece for the dish because it mirrors a familiar taste. “It’s not quite tuna but very delicious.” Once lightly cooked, watermelon’s water content “is reduced in the oven which causes it to visually look like raw tuna, have the same mouth-feel as raw tuna, and absorb the poke bowl’s marinade well,” Dreux said.
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Watermelon isn’t the only way to keep your plant-based dishes exciting. Most proteins have a fruit or vegetable substitute. “Look to whole foods!” Dreux says. “For example, bean chilis or curries.” You can “smash beans with grains and veggies to make delicious whole-food vegetable patties,” Dreux added. “I also gather unique, fresh veggie ideas from regional cuisines like Japan, Italy, China, or India.”
Cafe Gratitude launched a cookbook last year, Love is Served, so dedicated patrons can try their hand at elevated plant-based dishes at home. Some are even popular items on the cafe’s fully plant-based menu. In the book and in each cafe, dishes are named after positive affirmations, such as “I Am Awakening” key lime pie, or a favorite of Dreux, “I Am Warm-Hearted,” a French-style grilled polenta with mushroom ragout.
If you can’t get your hands on the book or have a few days to wait while it ships to your door, we’ve gathered a few plant-based dishes to serve with watermelon poke. Keep scrolling for our favorite plant-based dinner menu.
Watermelon Poke Bowl
Cafe Gratitude started in the San Francisco Bay Area but has evolved into a Southern California plant-based powerhouse, with several locations in the greater Los Angeles area as well as San Diego. (There’s still a pop-up in San Francisco.) Chef Seizan Dreux Ellis shares an out-of-the-box answer to the question, “How do you make poke without actual fish?”
Overnight Oats with Blueberries
Steel-cut oats have a wonderful chewy texture but can take a long time to cook. By soaking them overnight, all you have to do is heat them in the morning. Chia seeds help make this dish creamy and filling. The recipe comes from the outdoor cooking experts behind the blog Dirty Gourmet.
Sunchoke Soup with Brussels Sprouts and Hazelnuts
Nutty sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem artichokes, give this soup a deep flavor. Find them at farmer’s markets and well-stocked grocery stores. This hearty soup is a study in contrast between the sweetness of coconut milk and the earthy vegetables.
Asian Kale Salad
Every time Sunset reader Maya Conrad brings this salad to potlucks, she leaves with several requests for the recipe. She likes to make a little extra for workday lunches since it holds up well. If you’re heading into Cafe Gratitude, try the “I Am Dazzling,” a plant-based version of a classic Caesar with kale and Brazil nut parmesan.
Farfalle with Artichokes, Peppers, and Almonds
Ground almonds take the place of pasta’s usual parmesan, making this a good vegan choice. Trim raw artichokes down to the very tender hearts and slice them quite thin, so they’re crisp but not chewy for a bit of added texture.
Vegan Pavlovas with Pomegranates and Chocolate
Aquafaba, the beany liquid in canned chickpeas, is astonishing stuff; it whips up just like egg whites. Here, it’s paired with coconut cream to create a vegan version of pavlova, a crunchy meringue that typically uses egg whites and dairy cream. Don’t be afraid of the eight-hour time on this recipe; most of it is spent idle, as the aquafaba has to chill and the pavlovas have to bake in the oven.
