At Green Plate, delicious healthy meals start with healthy ingredients

The Green Plate in Whitinsville is a gluten-free café, with owner/chef Danielle Desrosiers of Sutton embracing healthy ingredients to create delicious meals.

“We’re 100 percent gluten free and make dishes from scratch,” said Desrosiers, who grew up in Millbury, daughter of Roger Desrosiers and the late Claudette Desrosiers. “Our goal is to show people that you don’t necessarily need to change what you eat, but rather change the ingredients you use,” said Desrosiers about the Green Plate.

The café at 167 Church St. opened in November 2017 when Desrosiers left her job as assistant manager at Millbury Credit Union to pursue her dream of entrepreneurship. For more than 20 years, Desrosiers also worked a side job as a massage therapist. She has always enjoyed cooking, she said, and has fond food memories growing up. Her grandfather’s half-acre garden not only provided fresh vegetables for the family but also was one of her favorite places, she said.

Desrosiers started exploring gluten-free cooking when a friend with gluten intolerance told her going out to eat was sometimes difficult. “It was at a time when there weren’t too many restaurants with gluten-free menus,” said Desrosiers. “I started creating recipes and I guess you can say I never stopped.”

For home cooks and Dining Out readers, Desrosiers shares healthy dishes from her latest batch of recipes. For easy summer cooking try Chili Lime Chicken Fajita Salad or Zucchini Summer Bake. Break out the veggie tray or pretzel sticks for kid-friendly Honey Mustard Hummus.

The Green Plate menu boasts a variety of Signature Bowls, Build A Bowl, Signature Pizzas, Build Your Own Pizza, Grab and Go Frozen Heat & Eat Meals, Wraps, Bunless Burgers, Salads, Smoothies (all made with 100% coconut water) and several Sweet Treats.

Pizza, which helped expand the café’s business, is “widely popular,” according to Desrosiers.

Examples of other customer favorites include the Mac Daddy Bowl (jasmine rice, ground turkey, red onion and cheddar cheese topped with shredded romaine, tomato, pickles and sesame seeds, drizzled with homemade Thousand Island dressing) and Steak and Cheese Bowl (jasmine rice, shaved steak, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese, topped with roasted red pepper and pepperoncini and drizzled with homemade siracha mayo). Side choices for wraps and bunless burgers include potato salad, roasted chickpeas, chocolate chip cookie, sweet potato cookie or “popcorners” snack.

The café is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; Closed Sunday and Monday. Indoor seating accommodates 20, with several seasonal tables outside. Food platters and catering are available. Telephone (774) 813-0200; Visit www.thegreenplatellc.com for more information.

Whether for medical necessity or a health and wellness choice, gluten-free is one of the hottest and fastest-growing trends in the foodservice industry, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Desrosiers, who also offers vegetarian and vegan options on her menus, recently introduced Green Plate franchise opportunities, sharing her vision “to feed our family, friends and community, delicious, freshly prepared meals that will make them feel good about eating healthy.” Information is available on the business website, or call the restaurant.

Newly leased space next door to the café has an added kitchen for Desrosiers to cook grab-and-go meals and prep food. Her prepackaged meals are convenient and make life just a little bit easier for some people, said Desrosiers, who is looking to ship some of Green Plate’s food across the country. She also is working on a wellness and fitness program in partnership with a local gym.

A member of the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce, Desrosiers participated in the chamber’s 2023 Home & Community Expo, where she competed in a chowder cook-off. Her gluten-free, dairy-free chowder was considered a bowl of pure comfort by the judges.

Away from the café, Desrosiers and her partner, Scott Roberge, enjoy spending time at their Narragansett home with the family pet, Phoebe, a bernedoodle (cross between a Bernese mountain dog and a poodle). Cooking at home with family and friends around is one of Desrosiers' favorite things to do. She has hosted wine dinner parties in her home for as many as 30 people. This cook is far from a fussy eater, explaining that trying new foods not only widens your horizon but also helps you eat healthier. She “loves seafood.”

A dedicated café owner, with an all-women’s staff, Desrosiers continually looks for ways to make more things gluten-free so everyone can enjoy them. “We believe in food that feeds our souls,” she said, “and we want to keep customers comfortable and happy with their dining experience.”

Try one of these deliciously simple recipes from Danielle Desrosiers.

CHILI LIME CHICKEN FAJITA SALAD

Salad:

1 boneless chicken thigh

¼ each yellow and red bell peppers, sliced

¼ red onion, sliced

2 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped

½ avocado, sliced

Cilantro leaves, see note

Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil

⅓ cup lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon coconut sugar

¾ teaspoon red chili flakes

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

Whisk dressing ingredients together. Pour half into a shallow dish to marinate the chicken. Marinate for two hours.

Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in skillet over medium heat and grill chicken until golden, crispy and cooked through. Set aside. Wipe pan with paper towel and drizzle another teaspoon of oil and fry peppers and onion until cooked to your preference.

Dice chicken and prepare salad with lettuce, avocado, peppers, onion and chicken. Top with extra cilantro and sour cream, if desired. Remaining dressing should be put in separate container until ready to use. Serves 1.

ZUCCHINI SUMMER BAKE

10 ounces grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons dried parsley

½ pound zucchini, diced

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

2 cups diced cooked chicken (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add zucchini, tomatoes, garlic and Parmesan cheese, chicken and mozzarella cheese, if using, in addition to dried herbs, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Transfer to prepared baking dish and bake uncovered for 25 minutes for crunchy zucchini, or 35 minutes if you prefer well-cooked vegetables. Remove from oven and garnish with basil or parsley. Serve warm. Serves 6.

HONEY MUSTARD HUMMUS

1 15-ounce can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup yellow mustard

¼ cup honey

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Blend ingredients into a smooth consistency. Use as a dip for veggies, chips or petzel sticks.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Dining In: Green Plate chef shares the key to healthy, delicious meals