July 15, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Summer Fridays! Steel Cut Oats w/ Peaches & Cashew Cream | dolly and oatmeal

these breakfast oats are a reminder of my time spent in LA last summer with my brother, his fiancé, and my husband. we stayed in my brother's apartment in downtown near one of cafe gratitude's locations (aka my favorite restaurant on earth). every morning frank and i would head down there for some breakfast. i would either get the granola or their steel cut oats, and frank would try some funky thing that i would never go for (like this savory french toast with tempeh chorizo!). the oats became an instant favorite. they had a creamy yet al dente consistency, they were mixed with stewed peaches, and topped with a mildly sweet cashew cream. when i went back for another visit a couple months ago all i wanted was their oats and those stewed peaches! to my (somewhat) dismay, they were serving the oatmeal with seasonal pears instead of summer peaches. womp, womp.

so, i decided to make my own variation of peachy oats and share it here on this summer friday! i think i far surpassed any expectation i had with this recipe. i thought nothing would come close those LA oats. turns out i was wrong (or maybe it's been too long since i had the original). i've been eating bowls and bowls of this stuff each morning and cannot get enough! it's a really adaptable recipe if you want to include another fruit other than peaches - nectarines, apricots, cherries, etc.! and the cream is way delish. it's sweet, but not overly so, and has bit of a bite thanks to some lemon juice and vinegar.

wishing you a bright & beautiful weekend! xo.

steel cut oats w/ peaches & cashew cream | v & gf

| makes 3-4 servings |

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight, rinsed, and drained
1/2-3/4 filtered water, plus more for soaking
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
fine sea salt
1 cup steel cut oats
1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 ripe but firm peaches, cut into 1-inch chunks

method

make the cashew cream. place the cashews, 1/2 cup of water, maple syrup, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , vinegar, and a pinch of salt into a high-speed blender (preferably a vitamix). blend on high for about 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the container and adding more water as needed to get a smooth, fluid consistency. taste and adjust, adding more syrup or salt. place in a lidded jar and set aside.
make the oats. cook the oats according the instructions on the back of your package. (i like adding a pinch or two of salt to the water.)
while the oats are cooking, make the peaches. heat a sauté pan over medium-low heat. once the pan is hot, add the oil and maple syrup and give it a swirl. add the peaches and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, use a rubber spatula to gently toss everything together. let the peaches cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until they are soft but not falling apart; about 7-10 minutes.
serve with peaches and a good drizzle of cashew cream. leftovers can be stored in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

enjoy!

similar recipes:

breakfast quinoa flakes w/ stewed blackberries and basil flowers

banana buckwheat waffles w/ maple blue-barb syrup

Grilled Panzanella Salad w/ Peaches & Fennel / July 13, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Grilled Panzanella Salad w/ Peaches & Fennel | dolly and oatmeal

where do i even begin? peaches, guys. peaches are finally here!

when i think of peaches, i think of my husband; of summer, heat, of dirt roads, and farm stands. frank and i got married (almost 3 years ago!) on a fruit farm that was situated between a bay and a large inlet of water. we stayed on the property the week before our nuptials to prepare for the wedding, and each morning we would take a morning run through the peach orchard, past the bay in the gleaming sunshine. it was late july and it was glorious. as we ran the dirt paths through the orchard the air smelled like a mixture of sweet peaches and salt air, which i have yet to ever smell again. we would head down to their farm stand after our run to pick up fresh fruit for the day. if the peaches weren't ripe yet, the little old lady behind the register would put them in a brown paper bag and sternly instruct us to keep them in there, on the counter, for 1 day. and, if we could wait until the following day, we would have the juiciest stone fruits you could ever dream of.

along with strawberries, all i've been craving since finding out in january that i was pregnant was peaches. summery, fresh peaches. i bought a whole load at the market a little over a week ago and waited (not so patiently - they took longer than to ripen in my brown bag than i had anticipated) for the day they became ripe. i can't even describe how glorious that first fuzzy, sweet and juicy fruit was! from there they were inhaled in every variation i could think of: straight up eaten over the sink hand-to-mouth style, stewed and made as a topping for my morning oats (more on that soon!), chopped up into salads, etc., etc.

but for this salad i wanted a smoky, slightly charred peach flavor for a super flavorful panzanella salad! panzanella salads could be by far my favorite kind of salad. crusty bread, crunchy greens, maybe some fruit, maybe not; but mostly because it oozes summer. it begs for a warm evening full of friends or family, for chats and laughs, for meaningful conversation.

for this rendition i left out what some would consider the essential part of a panzanella salad: tomatoes. i really wanted the grilled bread and peach flavor to come through, and just give it another element of yumminess. there's a bit of peppery arugula (we have a ton in our garden right now) tossed with torn basil, and crunchy shaved fennel for a subtle anise flavor. before we grilled the bread and peaches, frank lined the mid-section of the grates with reynolds wrap, because i don't yet trust our grilling skills that the bread wouldn't fall through and be ruined by hot charcoal, or that our delicate peaches wouldn't stick to the grates. thankfully, because of this, neither happened! seriously, aluminum foil = both an anxiety reducer + life saver!

love + summer grillin'! xo

*this post was created in partnership with reynolds kitchens in celebration of their endless summer table, you can also check out their super awesome endless table on instagram, too! all opinion, as always, are my own. thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that help keep dolly and oatmeal going!

grilled panzanella salad w/ peaches & fennel | gf & v

if you don't have access to a grill, you can just brush the bread with some olive oil and throw it in the oven or under the broiler for a couple of minutes. for the peaches, you could either leave them raw as is, or you could sauté them in a bit of olive oil or even roast them.

| serves 4 |

1 large shallot, sliced thin
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt & fresh pepper
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
4 slices hearty bread (i used this gluten-free foccacia)
2 peaches, sliced into wedges
2 cups baby arugula
1 cup torn basil
1 large fennel bulb, sliced thin on a mandolin
reynolds wrap non-stick foil

method

cut a large piece of reynolds wrap non-stick foil and firmly fit it over the grill grate. heat the grill to medium heat.
while the grill is heating, make the dressing. to a shallow bowl, add the shallot, vinegar, maple syrup, and a couple pinches of salt, and pepper to taste. let the mixture sit until the shallots are tender, about 10 minutes. add 4 tablespoons of the oil and whisk with a fork until the dressing is mixed and blended. set aside.
cut the garlic clove in half. using the cut side of the garlic, gently rub each side of bread. using 1 tablespoon of oil, lightly brush each side of bread.
place the bread on the hot grill and cook until toasted and firm, about 7-10 minutes. remove the bread and let cool.
brush the peached with the remaining tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt. place the peaches on the foil-covered grill and cook until lightly browned but firm, about 4-5 minutes. remove from heat and set aside.
in a large serving bowl, toss together the arugula and basil. tear the bread into large chunks and add to the bowl. add the peaches and fennel, mix in the dressing and everything a thorough toss.

enjoy!

similar recipes:

white peach & shiso crisp w/ ginger ice cream

zucchini-basil chickpea waffles w/ tomato & fennel salad

Summer Fridays! Raw "Nutella" Bars / July 8, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Summer Fridays! Raw "Nutella" Bars | dolly and oatmeal #vegan

i'm trying not to talk too much about pregnant life, but it's hard not to when every facet of my days has been significantly altered, and my thoughts about the future are shifting as well. i'm 30 weeks tomorrow and have acquired a subtle waddle, back aches like whoa, what feels like complete memory loss, and an affinity for naps (which i've never been a huge fan of). but i wanted to start this summer fridays series because among all those things i just listed, there are so many quick snacks and hacks i've been coming up with in a pinch that i wanted to share. if i thought the effects of my blood sugar dropping before pregnancy was bad, this new urgency to eat something before i feel like i'm going to pass out or strangle someone is soooo real. but i also thought that everyone could benefit from having some good-for-you food/beverage quickie recipes like this açaí bowl, these fizzy crushed raspberry drinks, or these here snack bars!

i've always tended to stay away from supermarket snack bars with weird ingredients, so i usually stick to my basics which include a variety of chocolate-y, nutty lara bars, but i'm constantly searching for a chocolate-hazelnut flavor with no such luck. then i thought: bars like these are easily made, so i can totally make an at-home version. i love these "nutella" bars for so many reasons, but mostly, mostly because they remind me exactly of a really good store-bought bar. they have a similar consistency and texture, and they're great on their own, but i decided to throw a little raw-ish chocolate shell over these babes, because, why not!? there's something so satisfying about making homemade snacks - i hope you feel the same and perhaps give them a try :)

xo!

raw "nutella" bars | gf & v

these bars can be made with whatever nut you like, or you could use a mixture of nuts. i think a maybe a peanut butter-pecan mix might be really good here, but the options are limitless.

| makes 8 bars |

1 1/2 cups raw hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups soft pitted dates (if dates are hard or tough, soak in warm water for 30 minutes)
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1-3 teaspoons filtered water
pinch of fine sea salt

toppings (optional):

raw-ish chocolate sauce
chopped hazelnuts

method

line an 8x8" square pan with parchment or foil and set aside.
add hazelnuts to a food processor fitted with a metal "s" blade and pulse until a course meal forms.
add the dates, cacao powder, 1 teaspoon water, and salt. pulse a few times, stop the motor and use your fingers to pinch the mixture. if the mixture is crumbly add more water 1 teaspoon at a time until you have a mixture that sticks together.
press the mixture evenly into your prepared pan and freeze for 25 minutes. using a sharp knife, slice into 8 bars. drizzle with chocolate sauce and chopped hazelnuts (optional), and store in an airtight container in the fridge. bars will stay good for up to 1 week.

enjoy!