banana + peanut butter ice cream sandwiches /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

where to begin.  this past weekend was a whirlwind in the best way.    i had brought these ice cream sandwiches to my parents house to celebrate my dad's birthday.  when we got there, there was a large crowd of family and friends gathered on my parents' back deck.  while i was in a state of shock i remember glancing around and seeing so many faces of those who traveled from near and very far to come and celebrate.  it was the most overwhelming, wonderful, and joyful surprise.  and to know that everyone had known about the shower and to have kept it a secret from me was icing on the cake.  

i had planned to dedicate this post to father for his birthday.  and i still will.  i feel so lucky to have a dad that will give up his special day to celebrate my impending marriage.  as i was writing his card that sunday morning i was planning on writing a such sappier card than i did, one that explained just what a selfless, and giving man he is.  i sometimes don't feel deserving of everything he gives me, but he is a giver by nature, and someone that adores and loves his family.  enough cannot be said about the parents i have, and the lengths they go for others, especially for me and my brother.  i could never thank them enough, nor show them how much everything they do means to me.     

ok, ice cream, ice cream! this is one of the most creative and interesting recipes i have ever seen.  Caitlin, from the lovely blog, Roost, posted a dairy free ice cream recipe not too long ago.  The recipe called for bananas, nut butter, agave, and coconut oil.  i think i literally scratched my head when i read the ingredients, "how will  this ever become ice cream?"  i thought.  by roasting the very ripe bananas (ripe enough that they're brown, and smelling of that very ripe banana smell), and then roasting them, and then blending them (in a high speed blender), they become ethereally smooth and creamy.  then i froze the ice cream, took it out of the freezer, dug my spoon in, and ate a bite.  holy s***! this is really ice cream!  i sandwiched the ice cream between two gluten free chocolate cookies and it was perfection.  if you want to skip the step of making cookies, by all means buy your favorite brand and sandwich away!  next time i will definitely be trying almond butter or cashew butter, and perhaps adding some toasted almonds to the ice cream.  oh, and what's better, no ice cream machine needed!  easiest ice cream recipe ever.

banana + peanut butter ice cream sandwiches

ice cream slightly adapted from Roost 

cookies adapted from Comfy Belly 

| makes 6 sandwiches  

ice cream

 

4 very ripe organic bananas

3 tablespoons raw agave nectar

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons organic, salted, smooth peanut butter

cookies

2 cups almond flour

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup cocoa powder  

1/2 cup raw agave nectar (the original recipe called for 1 cup, in my opinion 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup is plenty sweetener) 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 organic, free range eggs

instructions

make the ice cream

  • pre heat the oven to 375° and line an edged baking sheet with parchment paper
  • in a bowl, toss sliced bananas with the agave nectar and coconut oil.  Spread into a single layer on the baking sheet
  • roast for 30 minutes
  • remove from oven and pour bananas and caramelized liquid into a high speed blender
  • add the peanut butter and blend until very smooth - about 5 minutes.  scrape the sides of the blender every few minutes
  • pour into freezer safe container and freeze over night or at least 2 hours

make the cookies

  • pre heat oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
  • in a large bowl, use a whisk to mix the almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder
  • in a medium bowl, combine the eggs, agave nectar, and vanilla.  pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine using a spatula
  • using a tablespoon measure, scoop the batter and place onto baking sheet allowing at least 2 inches between each cookie (these cookies will spread quite a bit, so be careful not to miss this) 
  • bake for 15 minutes (rotating halfway through) or until a cake tester comes out clean
  • cool the cookies completely before removing from the parchment paper

assembling the sandwiches

  • i stuck my cookies in the freezer for about 20 minutes to allow them to really stiffen up (unless you're using store bought cookies i highly recommend doing this)   
  • using about a 9-inch by 9-inch piece of saran wrap, scoop about a 2 tablespoons worth of ice cream into the wrap.  wrap the ice cream, roll with the palm of your hands and shape into a flattened disk
  • place the ice cream disk onto a cookie, and top with another cookie
  • repeat with remaining ice cream and cookies
  • eat right away, or store for at least a week in a freezer safe container

enjoy! 

 

 

 

swiss chard + beet tacos with spicy vegan crema /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

tacos were never really my thing.  to this day i almost always eat out of the tortilla.  when i was a kid and it was taco night, my plate would often look like a deconstructed taco: a hard El Paso shell cracked in half with shredded cheese on either side, chopped lettuce, tomato, and shredded carrot in a pile to make a salad of sorts, and - when i wasn't being a vegetarian - a scoop of chopped meat on the side, without one piece of food touching another.  i never ate the sour cream until i was probably in my 20s, and i barely dipped my tortilla chip in guacamole.  yes, i was quite picky.  i guess my pickiness hasn't changed, only my way of making food i eat a lot better.   i now have broader knowledge of how to make my diet not just tasty, but really good. 

back to the tacos.  they're more of a seasonal taco than anything.  whenever i make these i generally use what's at the farmers' market that week and throw the ingredients together.  the past few weeks i've seen a lot of swiss chard, and now beets!  i added a poblano pepper for a little bit of heat, fresh spring onions for flavor, and quinoa for some protein.  the spicy vegan crema is cashew-based.  if you tolerate dairy and don't want to make cashew crema, i would suggest using sour cream and adding the lemon, paprika, and cayenne.  if you're vegan and nut-free, then i would sugget the same only using soy sour cream.  the amounts added to either sour cream should be done in small increments.  store bought sour cream (both dairy and soy) have added ingredients that the cashew crema does not.  so, add a little bit at a time, and taste as you go.  personally, i was really impressed with the cashew crema; it was super easy to make and the taste exceeded my expectations.  i'm totally looking forward to using it in more dishes.    

swiss chard + beet tacos with spicy vegan crema

this recipe is good for 2 adults, with one taco leftover.  i would recommend doubling the taco filling recipe if you are planning on serving more people.  additionally, the crema makes about 1 1/2 cups, so if you are doubling the recipe you should have plenty of crema to go along with the tacos without having to make more. 

| makes 5 small tacos

taco filling: 

  • 5 small beets (3 large), julienned
  • 1 bunch swiss chard, de-stemmed and chopped
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 1 poblano pepper, de-stemmed and seeds removed
  • 5 small tortillas  
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

spicy vegan crema: 

adapted from Akasha Richmond, Food & Wine - March 2012

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

instructions

make the crema

  • in a medium heat proof bowl, cover the cashews with hot water and let stand for 2 hours.  drain and transfer the cashews to a food processor.  add the lemon juice, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, salt, and 1/2 cup of water.  puree until smooth and creamy - about 6 minutes.  (i added more water to make the consistency a little thinner)

make the tacos

  • pre heat oven to warm and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the package.  cook, and let sit 
  • in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  add the poblano pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.  add the onion, cook for another 5-6 minutes - until the onion is soft.  add the beets, sprinkle half of the chili powder and salt, stir and cook for about 7 minutes.  lastly, add the swiss chard, cook for about 1 minute - until the leaves are wilted. 
  • in a large bowl, mix the vegetable mixture and quinoa.  add the remaining chili powder and salt - mix to combine  
  • heat a small skillet on medium, one by one toast the tortillas on each side.  once toasted, place a dollop of crema in the center of the tortilla.  add a heap of the swiss chard and beet mix.  place in the warm oven and repeat with remaining tortillas
  • remove from oven and garnish with cilantro.  enjoy these as is or with extra crema! 

garlic scape basil soup /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

the past few days new york city has seen and felt temperatures in the 90s.  and while making soup probably wasn't the smartest idea, it was totally worth it.  the sweltering temperatures were more reflective of summer than spring, but i still continued my pursuit of a spring soup.  it started a couple weeks ago when frank picked up a vegan zucchini basil soup from a local market.  was probably one of the most delicious soups i have ever had, and since then i had been researching and making notes of various zucchini basil soups (i honestly didn't know it was as popular as it was), and thought that i would give it a shot.  but i decided to put the idea on hold for another few weeks until zucchini season.

the story continues at the farmers' market the other week when i picked up garlic scapes.  i thought maybe i would saute them and use them in a rice or quinoa dish, perhaps i would slice them and fry them up for a salad.  maybe a garlic scape pesto..?  ding!  a lightbulb went off when i started thinking about the traditional flavors in pesto and also thinking about the basil in the zucchini basil soup that i had loved so much.  so, i thought of making a variation of the zucchini basil soup by replacing the zucchini with a heap of garlic scapes and voila, garlic scape basil soup was born.

the great thing about garlic scapes is that you get a great flavor and aroma, without the punchiness of regular garlic.  the first time i attempted the soup i only used 10 or so scapes.  i didn't really get the flavor i wanted.  the second time i used almost the entire bunch and achieved an outcome that was closer to what i had imagined.  the basil adds a lot of flavor as well, and in my opinion makes the soup even more tasty.    

garlic scape basil soup

 

| makes 4 servings

1 bunch garlic scapes (about 20 or so), chopped

1/3 cup basil leaves, packed

1 large shallot or 2 small shallots, chopped

1 small white yam (or potato), peeled, halved, and quartered

3 cups vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 tablespoons pepitas, toasted

 

| directions

n a large pot, saute the shallot over medium-low heat - cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  add the chopped garlic scapes and saute for another 7 minutes or so - until soft.  add the yams and 2 1/2 cups of the stock.  raise the heat, and bring to a boil.  reduce the heat so that the soup cooks at a simmer.  simmer for 15 minutes.  remove from heat and let cool

while the soup is cooling toast the pepitas in the oven on 350° for 3 minutes.  let cool

in a food processor (or blender), pour the soup mixture in, add the basil leaves.  cover the basil with the soup (this helps to soften the basil leaves).  let the basil sit for about 5 minutes.  blend the soup.  depending on your preferred thickness, add the other 1/2 cup of vegetable stock.  taste, and season with more salt and pepper.  blend until desired consistency.  if serving immediately, heat the soup back up and top with a sprinkle of toasted pepitas. enjoy