kale

Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

warm squash, parsnip, + kale salad w/ pomegranate dressing /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

not that long ago i was in the kitchen of a lifelong friend of mine, and since a large portion of my life is all about food these days, it was super interesting to see how she was generating dinner that night, along with how she organized her kitchen, and i even found myself curiously peeking at the condiments in her fridge.  she totally confessed to me that she can feel anxious at the thought of what to cook for her and her husband, how to prepare and cook various kinds of ingredients, how to store fresh produce, and how to eat less take-out, and more healthfully.   i could completely relate to the part about planning a meal, because while i may work with food all the time, some days it's nice to not have to think about what to make for dinner.

recently we met for brunch and inevitably the topic of food came up again.  i asked how her cooking quest was coming along and she began telling me about a food delivery service she started using called Blue Apron.  she told me how they offer chef-designed meals with step-by-step instructional recipe cards that are all delivered to your door already proportioned so you don't have to deal with a trip to the store, or have any unused product afterwards.  she said her and her husband use the 2-person plan they offer at $9.99 per person per meal, always with free delivery, once a week of 3 meals for them.  she was really impressed that they have fresh produce from local farms and utilize whole grains, seasonal veg, and healthy fats.  she mentioned they even offer a family plan, which i later looked up is only $8.74 per person per meal and adds some options on delivery and has family style meals as well.

i was super intrigued by all the things i heard my friend tell me over brunch, so a few days later when Blue Apron happened to contact me about trying their service,  i was certainly excited to see what it was all about.  i learned they add 6 recipes every week and cover 80% of the country, so I know i'll have to let my family who lives in LA + north carolina know about them too.  i was impressed when i got my package with so many fresh ingredients in a refrigerated box so nothing was even close to wilted.  there was fresh, local product from farms in upstate new york, as well as from one of my favorite nyc bakeries, hot bread kitchen.  i'm also looking forward to gaining inspiration from Blue Apron's cache of recipes, including this quinoa and tofu "fried rice", and this cozy tuscan ribollita soup with farm eggs!  

you can find the recipe for this lovely squash salad here, where i substituted the farro for sprouted quinoa :)  by the way, the pomegranate molasses dressing in the recipe was a complete revelation, and it's totally making a comeback in my kitchen asap!

this kind of service certainly strikes a chord with me as i know a lot of people don't cook because they can feel intimidated or apprehensive about where to start, just like my friend did, and how so many people fall back on take out and fast food, even though they really want to be eating more healthfully.  so, in the spirit of getting people back in the kitchen, Blue Apron was kind enough to give the first 25 readers 2 free meals on their first order, just click here.  happy healthy! xo

*this post is in partnership with Blue Apron, all opinions are my own.

stuffed za'atar roasted acorn squash w/ pepper-lemon tahini sauce /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

with thanksgiving approaching later this month (holy s#!@, is it really november already!?), i've been getting asked about what kinds of dishes i prepare for the holiday.  i have to admit that thanksgiving has probably been my least favorite holiday meal.  turkey was always meh.  in the past, i could get down with mashed potatoes, along with biscuits and cornbread.  but cranberry sauce, what-surprises-are-hiding-in-it stuffing, various casseroles, baby food looking sweet potatoes - perhaps it was all a sensory/food phobia of mine, but on thanksgiving i strictly hung out with all the carbs.

the past few thanksgivings i've been changing that situation, and have made some seriously tasty meals that could easily replace, or sit beside a thanksgiving classic.  i've been working on the ultimate gluten/dairy free cornbread, which is so super major, and i've also been playing around with a stuffing salad - kind of like a stuffing panzanella (?) if such a thing exists.  but today i'm sharing this super hearty za'atar squash dish, stuffed with lots of all-star ingredients: a spiced kale, shallot, and chickpea saute with quinoa, all topped off with a zesty tahini sauce with a bit of a peppery kick!  i love these acorn squash for a lot of reasons, but mostly because it's a quick meal that allows you to prepare everything while the squash are baking in the oven - yes, friends, these are the things that make me happy :)  

 have a good one, folks! xo

*also, i'm picking a winner for the giveaway of Amy Chaplin's cookbook today! so check your internet mail to see if you're the lucky winner! 

stuffed za'atar roasted acorn squash w/ pepper-lemon tahini sauce 

za'atar is an herby spice blend that can be found in most supermarkerts in the herb + spice aisle.  if you can't find a store that carries it, you can easily make your own.  i have a recipe here for za'atar -  i love making a big batch of this to have when i want to throw it into a meal.  

| 6 servings |

ingredients

  • 3 acorn squash, washed and cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons za'atar
  • 2 cups chickpeas, cooked (or a 15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed) 
  • 1 medium shallot, diced
  • 3 large kale leaves, destemmed and shredded
  • 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
  • salt + pepper
  • sesame seeds, for garnish

pepper-lemon tahini sauce

  • 1/4 cup tahini paste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • sea salt
  • 1/4-1/3 water

instructions

  • preheat oven to 400° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.  place squash cut side up, and brush with olive oil; season with a pinch of salt for each, and evenly sprinkle the za'atar spice.  place in oven and bake until fork-tender; roughly 40-50 minutes.  remove from oven and set aside
  • while squash are cooking, heat a 8-10 inch skillet on medium, once hot, add the olive oil and shallot; saute shallot for a few minutes, until translucent and soft.  add the chickpeas, cumin, and cayenne pepper, and a couple pinches of salt; cook for 1 to 2 minutes.  add the kale and cook until a bit wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.  remove from heat and set aside
  • in a large mixing bowl, combine the sauteed chickpeas and kale, with the quinoa.  taste for seasoning and adjust if needed
  • stuff each squash half with roughly a 1/2 cup quinoa mix (more or less depending on the size of your acorn squash).  serve warm with a few drizzles of the tahini sauce, and sesame seeds

enjoy!

for the tahini sauce

  • in a small mixing bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, pepper, garlic, a few pinches of salt, and 1/4 cup water.  if consistency is too thick, add more water.  taste and adjust.  store in a lidded jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.  (if the tahini sauce has thickened while refrigerated, add more water, a few teaspoons at a time, to thin it out.)

a warm salad of roasted turmeric-chili chickpeas + pear /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

after being in europe for 10 days it feels so good to be home.  i have to admit i'm not the best traveller, and by day 8 or 9 i was ready to be back in our little apartment.  i was also super antsy to get back to my equally little kitchen and make some home cooked meals.   the food in europe was delicious and wonderful!  but i'm person who prepares lunch each day to take to work, so after 10 days of relying on others to nourish my bod i was pretty close to cooked - like, stick a fork in me.  the past few days i've been consumed with eating all the veggies i can get my hands on.  i was all over laura's recent raw salad, as well as a variation of this salad, only i seasoned and roasted the veggies and cut out the dressing.   i loved that both salads/meals were large enough that i was able to enjoy them for a few days.  veggies for the win!  i also can't wait to make molly's spatzle, and this beautiful harvest salad!

whenever i think of fall and winter rarely do i dream up of salad or get excited by them, more often than not i am dreaming of hot, hearty soups.  in my stubborn mind salads are reserved for spring and summer when certain vegetables are at their height, and a cool, refreshing salad is what is needed to replenish a hungry soul.  i guess this salad seeks to bridge the gap between warm weather salad and cold weather soup.  the warm, spiced chickpeas lend a cozy feeling to the salad, one that reminds me of a hot cozy soup; just what i needed after a long day of travel accompanied by some major jet lag!  i've made this salad with canned beans and with dried, both work well, but the dried, soaked, and cooked method always does the beans more justice.  here's to cozy salads on a chilled day :)

a warm salad of roasted turmeric-chili chickpeas + pear | gluten free + vegan

ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained (or 1 can organic chickpeas drained)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • about 2 cups lettuce of choice, i used some pretty mesclun that i picked up at the farmers' market
  • 1 cup kale, de-ribbed and torn into pieces
  • 2 ripe pears, sliced thin
  • 1 ripe avocado, sliced thin
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, sunflower seeds etc.

shallot dressing - adapted from 101 Cookbooks

| makes 2/3 cup | 

  • 1/4 cup finely minced shallots
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

instructions

  • preheat oven to 400°. line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper
  • in a medium sized bowl, combine the soaked chickpeas with the oil, turmeric, chili powder and salt; stir to combine.  place chickpeas in oven and roast for 30-40 minutes - until they're crisp and slightly browned.  remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes

make the dressing

  • on a cutting board, sprinkle the minced shallots with the salt and smash through the pile until you have a shallot-y paste.  transfer to a bowl and add cider vinegar and honey.  mix and set aside for about 10 minutes.  slowly add the olive oil to mixture, whisking into an emulsion.  taste and adjust to your liking.  refrigerate until using (the longer you let the dressing sit, the better the flavor will become.)

assemble the salad

  • *assemble the salad while the chickpeas are roasting so you can toss them into the salad while they're still hot!  
  • in a large serving bowl, combine the lettuce and kale; add about 2-3 tablespoons of the shallot dressing (or more depending on what you prefer).  toss to coat
  • serve lettuce/kale mixture in individual bowl, and top with sliced pear, avocado, roasted chickpeas and seeds.  drizzle with more dressing and serve.  (i like to serve it individually because when tossed in a large bowl most everything falls to the bottom) 

enjoy!