herbed wild rice patties / January 31, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

these patties are versatile, and can be made using brown rice, lotus rice, red rice, etc. however, i would stay away from white or sushi rice, i'm not sure they would add any flavor to the dish. additionally, you do not have to use oat flour. i simply prefer it. you can also substitute the grape seed oil for another "high heat" oil. just to note, if you are using dried herbs you can decrease the amount by 1/2.

inspired by sprouted kitchen

:: makes 7 patties ::

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice

1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 of a small onion, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 eggs

fine grain salt and pepper

grape seed oil for cooking

:: herb mixture ::

2 tablespoon parsley (if using dried herbs, reduce to 1 teaspoon)

2 teaspoons thyme

1 1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

:: directions ::

prepare your rice according to the directions that are given on the packaging.

while the rice is cooking - chop the onion, and mince the garlic. heat a small skillet on medium heat. once hot (your skillet is hot when a droplet of water sizzles), cover the bottom of the skillet with grape seed oil. sautè the onion for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic. let it cook stirring every few minutes - about 4-5 minutes. remove from heat and let cool.

next, prepare the herb mixture. chop the parsley, thyme, and oregano.

once the rice is cooked, let it cool. combine the cooled rice, the eggs, the onion and garlic, and the herb mixture. stir in the flour. mix until the ingredients are combined. toss in the crushed red pepper, the salt and pepper (i used about 3 pinches of salt). stir.

let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes. in the meantime, heat your pan. (i used an 8-inch cast iron skillet and cooked the patties in batches of 2.) once the skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil (more if you are using a larger pan). while the oil is heating, form the patties: using a small ramekin (mine was 2 inches), scoop a portion of the mixture in the bottom - pat it down to make it compact. then, turn it out onto your skillet, and let it cook 4-6 minutes on each side. ready a plate with a paper towel to sop up any unwanted oil. repeat with the remaining mixture.

:: enjoy ::

roasted garlic hummus / January 29, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

a few months ago a new cookbook came out called, jerusalem by yotam ottolenghi. i had been able to preview parts of the book through a website i follow, 101cookbooks, and the beautiful images are what initially caught my eye. each page illustrates the every day lives of jerusalem's inhabitants and how food perhaps is one thing that unites them. here is one part of the introduction that has stuck with me:

"although jerusalemites have so much in common, food, at the moment, seems to be the only unifying force in this highly fractured place...it is sad to note how little daily interaction there is between communities, with people sticking together in closed, homogeneous groups. food, however, seems to break down those boundaries on occasion. you can see people shop together in food markets, or eat at one another's restaurants...it takes a giant leap of faith, but we are happy to take it - what have we got to lose? - to imagine that hummus will eventually bring jerusalemites together, if nothing else will."

i used the recipe from jerusalem in combination with the smitten kitchen variation of it. seriously, best. hummus. ever! however, achieving this totally-worth-it-hummus was no easy task. in deb perelman's (smitten kitchen) hummus post, she gave up the trick to smooth, creamy hummus: skinless chickpeas! who knew!? whether you are using dried chickpeas or ones out of the can, deb insists that one has to "pop" each chickpea individually out of its shell/skin. tedious? yes! worth the aggravation and work? yes!

adapted from jerusalem and smitten kitchen

makes a little under 2 cups

1 3/4 cups cooked, drained chickpeas (from a 15-ounce can) or a little shy of 2/3 cup dried chickpeas 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (for dried chickpeas only) 1/2 cup tahini paste 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste 8 cloves roasted garlic 1/2 teaspoon table salt, or more to taste approximately 1/4 cup water

::for dried chickpeas::

in a bowl soak dried chickpeas with water that is twice their volume (just make sure the there's a few inches of water covering the chickpeas). leave them to soak overnight. the next day, drain the chickpeas. in a sautè pan over medium-high heat, combine the chickpeas with the baking soda (apparently this reduces the gassy effects of dried beans!). stir constantly for about 3 minutes. add 3 1/4 cups of water - bring to a boil. once it boils turn down to a slow simmer (i had my heat up too high, my beans got quite mushy and were hard to peel later on). use a slotted spoon to skim the foam from the surface. they will cook for 20-40 minutes. you will know that they're ready when they break easily between you thumb and finger.

drain the chickpeas. you can either let them cool on their own, or run them under cold water.

::for dried and canned chickpeas::

here is the important part: peel your peas! place the chickpeas between your thumb, forefinger and middle finger and pop them out one by one.

in a food processor or blender, blend the chickpeas until clumps form. next, add the tahini, lemon juice, salt, and roasted garlic, blend until pureed. add water by the tablespoon until you get desired consistency.

transfer the hummus to a bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. let it sit longer if possible to let the ingredients marinate.

::enjoy::