buckwheat soba noodles with dandelion greens pesto / March 25, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

over the past few weeks i've been experimenting more with buckwheat flour, baking with it alone, and also combining it with other flours. i've come to appreciate its curious taste and its grainy texture. therefore, when i went to pick out soba noodles i naturally went with the buckwheat ones. i debated whether to prepare them in a more traditional way and pair them ingredients i usually see: tofu, scallions, sesame seeds and oil, tamari, or in a yummy broth. i had my menu all planned out with a lot of the ingredients noted above. but i also wanted to see how the noodles would hold up in a traditionally italian dish, using a pesto sauce. i had been making note of the greens at my local farmer's market and had been seeing a lot dandelion greens. as we all know, there is an abundance of dandelion flowers in the spring (at least here in new york), so i thought it only natural to use what was in season and make dandelion greens pesto.

*i left cheese out of my pesto. however, pecorino-romano, or reggiano will work with the dandelion greens.

// dandelion greens pesto

1 package buchwheat soba noodles

1 bundle dandelion greens, stems removed and blanched

2 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1/3 cup unsalted raw pistachios, toasted (plus more for garnishing)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

sea salt + pepper

// for the salad

2-3 cups arugula

1 cup pea shoots

1/2 watercress (i had the pea shoots + watercress on hand, but you can use whatever greens you want, or just use more arugula)

1 tablespoon unsalted raw pistachios, toasted (likewise, you can also use roasted and salted pistachios)

2 tablespoons pesto vinaigrette

in a medium saucepan bring about 4 cups of water to a boil. while water is coming to a boil, prepare an ice bath. when water comes to a boil add the greens. blanch for 20 seconds. transfer the greens to the ice bath, let soak for a couple seconds. remove the greens while squeezing out water from them. let them dry on a kitchen towel

while the greens are drying, toast the pistachio nuts ( if you're using dry roasted pistachios, there is no need to toast them). let them cool

in a food processor or blender, combine the dandelion greens, chopped garlic, toasted pistachios, olive oil, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, and salt +pepper. blend, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. you may want to add more olive oil depending on how you prefer your pesto

transfer the pesto to a bowl. cover and let it sit in the refrigerator while you cook the soba noodles. cook the noodles according to the directions on the package, reserving about a 1/2 cup of the cooking water. drain the noodles. transfer to a large bowl. add about 1/2 the pesto and a 1/4 of the reserved water to the bowl and stir to combine. add more according to your preference. season with salt + pepper, and garnish with extra pistachios. you can leave the dish like this, or you can put it over greens

mix salad greens together in a separate bowl, toss with pistachios and pesto vinaigrette. add the soba noodles to the salad and enjoy

time for macaroons / March 21, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

march is quickly becoming a busy month. i've been trying to keep to up with the various holidays, celebrations, and observances. last week was st. patty's day, this week passover begins, and next weekend is easter. i feel the urge to make something for each event because in some capacity or another my family celebrates each one. so, for passover, i decided to make macaroons. i chose to make 3 different kinds of macaroons. why make something more difficult than it has to be? because that's what i'm good at.

this is the first time i've made macaroons. i never really liked them until a few years ago when i developed a liking for coconut. here, i provide 3 different recipes; the first two are egg white based, and the last one is egg and nut free. the first recipe, coconut macaroons, were a little plain. so, i decided to dunk them in chocolate sauce...soo (extra o for emphasis) much better. the almond-coconut macaroons were pretty good; next time i might add more almonds, and a bit more almond extract. lastly, the chocolate macaroons. these are by far my favorite. i decided to dunk 5 of the 9 macaroons in chocolate because i had some leftover, and because chocolate-chocolate macaroons are naturally better than chocolate macaroons.

// coconut macaroons

adapted from elana's pantry

makes about 24

pre heat oven 350°

line a baking sheet with parchment

ingredients:

3 large egg whites

1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

directions:

with an electric mixer, beat egg whites with salt until the whites form a peak - about 5-6 minutes

fold in agave, vanilla, and coconut with a spatula

using a tablespoon, scoop macaroon balls onto parchment paper leaving about 1 inch between each cookie

bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned

can be stored in an air tight container for about 3 days, or they can be frozen for up to one month

// almond-coconut macaroons

adapted from martha stewart

makes 16

pre heat oven 350°

line a baking sheet with parchment

ingredients:

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 large egg white

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup whole almonds, chopped

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

pinch of salt

directions:

in a large bowl, whisk agave and white. stir in the remaining ingredients

using a tablespoon measurement, scoop macaroon balls onto parchment paper leaving about 1 inch between each cookie

bake until top and bottoms are lightly browned, 15 minutes

can be stored in an air tight container for about 3 days, or they can be frozen for up to one month

// chocolate macaroons

adapted from against all grain

makes 9

pre heat oven 350°

line a baking sheet with parchment

ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons agave nectar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon full fat coconut milk

in a medium sized bowl, combine coconut, cocoa powder, and salt

in a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. combine using a spatula, work the coconut oil into the mixture until smooth

add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. mix until combined

using a tablespoon, scoop macaroon balls onto parchment paper leaving about 1 inch between each cookie

bake for 10 minutes - allow to cool before removing from baking sheet

can be stored in an air tight container for about 3 days, or they can be frozen for up to one month

// chocolate sauce

1/2 cup dark chocolate (either chips or a bar)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

directions:

set a heat proof bowl over simmering water

add the chocolate and coconut oil

use a spoon or whisk to stir until melted

remove from heat and dunk the bottoms, tops, or sides of macaroons

with help from a spoon or spatula, lift the macaroon out of the chocolate sauce

place macaroons on a parchment lined baking sheet or platter. when all the macaroons are dipped, place in the refrigerator for an hour or so

serve at room temp and enjoy (*if you're freezing them, seal in an air tight container. set on counter and thaw a couple hours before serving.)

cashew ricotta cheese pizza / March 18, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

for all my vegans out there, or lactose intolerant people, this recipe is for you! of course, this is also for people who want to make homemade cheese deriving from nuts. all-in-all, the cheese was pretty good (still not as tasty and amazing as real homemade ricotta cheese). it stood up to dairy ricotta pretty well on pizza and i'm looking forward to using it in pasta, and with these little guys. the taste was a bit on the sweet side (much like a cashew nut). i've read that nutritional yeast adds more of a cheesy flavor, perhaps next time i'll try it out. as far as the pizza goes in this recipe here, you can obviously choose whatever toppings you like. the onion and zucchini were really tasty and married well with the cheese. likewise, the fresh chopped garlic tasted awesome with the tomatoes and cheese. i'm quite confident that whatever toppings you choose it will work well with the cashew ricotta.

*i don't tolerate bread that well. therefore, i use sprouted tortillas when i make pizzas. i get the ezekial brand at my local fairway supermarket. however, i've been told that they're not that easy to find. i assume that most whole foods markets carry them, as well as health food stores, or large supermarkets. but you can just as easily use regular tortillas, or pizza dough.

adapted from The Simple Veganista

makes about 2 cups of cheese

• ingredients:

1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon chopped oregano

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

sea salt and pepper to taste

• directions:

soak the cashews for at least 2 hours, make sure the water covers the cashews

drain cashews and place all the ingredients in a blender (you can also use a food processor), blend scraping down the sides. adjust seasoning

chill in the refrigerator. the cheese will stiffen up a bit and will take on the flavor a bit more

// pizza

makes 4 mini pizzas

pre heat oven to 375°

prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper

• for the zucchini pizza:

2 mini sprouted tortillas

4 tablespoons cashew ricotta cheese

1/4 of a red onion

1 small zucchini

drizzle of basil oil

• for the tomato + garlic pizza:

2 sprouted tortillas

4 tablespoons cashew ricotta cheese

2 vine tomatoes, sliced thinly

one clove (or 2) of garlic, chopped

• directions:

coat both sides of the tortillas with a thin layer of olive oil. place tortillas in oven for about 3 minutes (until the edges are slightly crispy). remove from oven and top your pizzas.

bake pizza for 6-8 minutes, until slightly browned

slice and enjoy