It's not a secret that I am slightly obsessed with Cafe Umami in Oakland. The combination of flavors hits you like a bomb every time, the bowls are super healthy and balanced the way I love it, and the little cafe is a cute haven from the busy Oakland streets.

Today's bowl is an effort to make a Umami bowl at home - super quick, and super delicious. Yes, it looks like a long list, but I promise you it takes less than 30 minutes to assemble everything. All you need is leftover brown rice, but you can use any kind of leftover grain from your fridge.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Makes 1 serving:

For the rice:

• 1 cup cooked brown rice

• 1 Tbsp miso paste

• 1/3 cup water

For the marinated mushrooms:

• 2 button mushrooms

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 2 Tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)

• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 1/8 tsp ground cumin

• freshly ground black pepper

For the crispy kale:

• 2 big kale leaves (doesn't matter if curly or not)

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

And the toppings:

• 1 spring onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 avocado, sliced

• 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

• 1 Tbsp kimchi or sauerkraut or anything else pickled you like

1. Start with pre-heating the oven to 200°C/ 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and set to the side.

2. Next, marinate the mushrooms by slicing them thinly, then adding all the other ingredients, and set to the side.

3. Thinly slice kale into ribbons. Massage with olive oil and salt, then spread on baking tray in one single layer. Put in oven for 15 minutes until crispy.

4. Add water and miso paste to a pot, and whisk to dissolve.

5. Add the rice to the miso water, and heat gently until water has evaporated, and the rice is creamy - about 5 minutes.

6. To assemble everything, place miso rice in the bottom of the bowl. Top with marinated mushrooms, then the crispy kale. Top with all the other toppings, and enjoy the warm comfort.

Yummy!

#coriander #cilantro #avocado #kale #applecidervinegar #mushrooms #garlic #brownrice #miso