March 3, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

miso tahini avocado toast w/ black sesame gomasio | dolly and oatmeal

do you ever have those weeks where you kind of want to crawl under a blanket and not come out until it's a warm sunny beach day? yeah, me too. after a long stressful week, i was stuck on an airplane for the better part of a morning this weekend. and while i'm usually the girl with all kinds of vibe-y airplane snacks and meals, i didn't bring anything with me except for a nut mix, and a boiled egg (which i had already eaten on the drive). big mistake! after i de-boarded said plane i was left to my own devices, because let's face it, most times airport food is just plain scary (at least for me), but i managed to get my hands on hot water to brew some tea i had stashed in my carry-on. i basically survived on adrenaline and tea for a good 7 hours until i was able to get back home.

like a lot of people i'm sure, i can't stand airports, absolutely loathe them. so when there are occurrences like the one i encountered, my nervous system gets totally whacked. and also like most people, when i get stressed, i crave all the cozies, including warm crunchy toast! this toast variation was born out of something i usually prepare which is a hummus, avo, and egg toast. but since i didn't have the patience to make hummus, i made a thicker tahini sauce fortified with a good amount of pungent miso paste which is super when paired with the subtleness of an avocado. and to top was a healthy dose of black sesame gomasio (basically a toasted sesame salt), mostly because it's what i had on hand, but also because i try to ingest a good amount of black sesames daily for their soothing medicinal properties. some sliced scallions for crunch and some leafy dill to bring some bright herby notes.

avo toast, y'all. it's limits are endless, amiright!? i just saw this version on mr. donny tsang's instagram account the other day and almost flipped my lid! what are some of your favorite combos?

also, also! it's that time of year again where you get to vote for your favorite food blogs in Saveuar's Blog Awards 2015! this is such a thrilling time of year to get the opportunity to acknowledge so many insanely awesome blogs! let your voice be heard! and if you feel so inclined, i wouldn't mind if you threw dolly and oatmeal a vote ;) xo!

miso-tahini avocado toast w/ black sesame gomasio (v + gf)

the gomasio makes more than you will need here, so store in a lidded jar at room temp for up to 5-6 months. i love sprinkling it on green salads, grain salads, roasted vegetables etc., etc. likewise, the miso-tahini makes approx. 1/3 cup and you will likely have leftovers which you can cover and refrigerate for 1-2 weeks.

| makes 4 slices |

black sesame gomasio ingredients

1/4 cup black sesame seeds
1/8 teaspoon large grain sea salt

toast ingredients

1/4 cup tahini paste
1 tablespoon mellow white miso
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3-4 tablespoons water
splash of tamari (optional)
1 ripe avocado, pitted and cut into 4 segments
4 slices of toast, toasted
1-2 tablespoons black sesame gomasio
2 scallions, trimmed and sliced thin
fresh chopped dill, to top (optional)

instructions

in a heavy skillet over a low flame, toast sesame seeds until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. set aside and let cool. place salt and cooled seeds in a mortar and pestle, grind until sandy. set aside until ready to use
in a small mixing bowl, whisk tahini, miso, lemon juice, and garlic; while whisking add water 1 tablespoon at a time until thick and creamy (slightly thicker than a traditional tahini sauce). cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use
take the avocado segments and slice each segment into thin slices. spread a generous amount of miso-tahini onto each piece of toast; top with sliced avocado and sprinkle with gomasio, sliced scallions, and chopped dill (if using)

enjoy!

more like this:

chickpea flour flatbread w/ new potatoes + fresh basil

raw veggie + ginger rice bowl w/ sriracha tahini / September 24, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

last week frank and i did a lot of birthday celebrating (as our birthdays are 3 days apart), so like any good pair we celebrated with dinners out and a good amount of birthday sweets. needless to say, my body was completely whacked out in reaction to my consumption of bits of gluten here and there, and sugary treats. frank and i both came to a quick conclusion that we needed to get back to our old routine of cooking at home, and not eating desserts almost every night. since the celebrations have ceased i have been consuming a fair amount of ginger to help calm and balance this body of mine.

with that in mind, i wanted to make a healthful and soothing dinner, and this rice bowl was just the thing to help do that. the rice was cooked with ginger to infuse some of that anti-inflammatory goodness, and loaded with raw veggies as to not let any of those good nutrients escape. the tahini sriracha was inspired by the flavors in this blog post, and by my friend who had us over the night and made a delicious and simple bok choy salad with toasted almonds and sesame oil dressing - yummo! i'm a big fan of veggie rice bowls, and this is similar to one i made awhile back, but here i used veggies that were a cinch to slice thin, making them easier to chew and digest. and i think by now you've learned that i love, love, love tahini! and spicy sriracha...with the tahini...mind. blown. if you're not so into the spicy factor, don't use the sriracha, the tahini will still be delicious.

here is to being mindful of what we put in our bodies - to healthful meals, and veggie-love!

raw veggie + ginger rice bowl w/ sriracha tahini

| serves 4 |

ingredients

for the rice bowl

1 cup black forbidden rice
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 bunch bok choy, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 large zucchini or 2 small zucchinis (i used 1 small zucchini and 1 small summer squash), ribboned, cut into matchsticks, or julienned with a peeler
1 bunch scallions (about 6), sliced thin
1 ripe avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons thai basil, chopped small
1/3 cup raw almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

for the sriracha tahini

| makes about 2/3 cup |

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon tahini paste
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (or more depending on how spicy you want it)
water to thin consistency

instructions

combine rice with ginger in a medium sized saucepan, cover with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. once water boils, stir once, cover and turn down heat to low. cook for 25-30 minutes. set aside
while rice is cooking make the sriracha tahini. in a medium sized bowl, combine tahini, sesame oil, rice vinegar and sriracha. one teaspoon at a time, thin sauce to desired consistency. set aside
in a large bowl, combine ginger-rice with the bok choy, carrots, zucchini, and scallions. serve and top with sliced avocado, basil, almonds and scallions
dress the bowl with a couple dollops of sriracha tahini and enjoy!

charred corn salad with spicy cilantro vinaigrette / August 21, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

the thought of changing my last name was never a big deal for me. i think it's rather romantic to share a name with the one you love. but it was something i hadn't given much thought to. over the past couple weeks, as i slowly wrapped my head around this whole marriage thing, i have given a lot of thought to not having the same name i grew up using. it made me think about how much i love my name, and how special a name can be. it is something that really identifies us - how we identify ourselves, and how others identify us. to me, my name is not only is an identifier of myself, but my family, my extended family even. names can also be something that solidifies and bonds individuals together. not to say that names are the only things that bring us together, there are many other many other significant forces that drive relationships and bonds with one another. but, if given enough thought, the severity of a name is something pretty cool and powerful. i definitely see it as perhaps one thing i own; something that is inherently mine without the cost of anything monetary.

i'm not sure what category corn falls under. it is certainly a versatile vegetable. one that lends itself to both the sweet, and the savory. whatever category it belongs to is besides the point. freshly picked, sweet, crisp, crunchy, corn. i would say that fresh corn is perhaps one of my favorite summer veggies. i have fond memories of family bbqs, eating burgers, hot dogs, a big salad, and corn on the cob! as my dad would get the grill ready, my mom would take day old newspapers, lay them out on the table, and we would peel the ears of corn, layer by layer. my mom would boil the ears until they were just tender enough to be eaten. then, that first bite! when your teeth sink into the juicy kernels as they pop and crunch in your mouth. this was the first corn of the season for us two married folk, and it was pretty amazing. i chose to "grill" the corn on the stovetop for only a few minutes, keeping the crunchiness alive and well, and threw it together with a spicy cilantro vinaigrette. i chose to leave lettuce greens out this time around, but feel free to throw them in for some extra nourishment.

| serves 2 |

ingredients:

2 ears fresh corn, grilled
1 large heirloom tomato, chopped small
1/4 of a small red onion, sliced thin
1/2 of a ripe avocado, cut into small chunks
1 tablespoon cilantro, torn into pieces
1 handful pepitas, toasted

dressing:

1 small garlic clove (or 1/2 of a large clove)
1/4 cup packed cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ancho chili powder
a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

instructions

prepare the dressing

using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic with a pinch of salt until you have a paste. then add the 1/4 cup of cilantro; grind until the cilantro is crushed and fragrant. in a small mixing bowl, combine the lime juice, salt, chili powder, and cayenne (if using), whisk until combined. drizzle the olive oil while whisking. add the cilantro-garlic paste, and whisk again *if you do not have a mortar and pestle, use a knife and chop the cilantro and garlic together until minced. alternatively, you could blend all the ingredients in a small food processor

char the corn

because i don't have a grill (or an outside area) i grilled my corn on my gas top stove.
over a low flame, let the corn cook in 20-30 second intervals. using tongs, turn the ears of corn to cook and char evenly - you should hear a crackling sound (this is normal) and smell the corn cooking. cook until all sides are browned in spots
if using a grill, the same technique applies

assembly

once the corn has cooled, stand it upright. using a sharp knife, start from the top of the ear and cut straight down to dislodge the kernels from the cob. rotate and repeat on all sides of the ear
in a large bowl, combine the corn kernels, chopped tomato, sliced red onion, chunked avocado, toasted pepitas, and torn cilantro, mix until combined
using a spoon, dress the salad with the vinaigrette to your liking

enjoy!