chickpeas

stuffed za'atar roasted acorn squash w/ pepper-lemon tahini sauce /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

with thanksgiving approaching later this month (holy s#!@, is it really november already!?), i've been getting asked about what kinds of dishes i prepare for the holiday.  i have to admit that thanksgiving has probably been my least favorite holiday meal.  turkey was always meh.  in the past, i could get down with mashed potatoes, along with biscuits and cornbread.  but cranberry sauce, what-surprises-are-hiding-in-it stuffing, various casseroles, baby food looking sweet potatoes - perhaps it was all a sensory/food phobia of mine, but on thanksgiving i strictly hung out with all the carbs.

the past few thanksgivings i've been changing that situation, and have made some seriously tasty meals that could easily replace, or sit beside a thanksgiving classic.  i've been working on the ultimate gluten/dairy free cornbread, which is so super major, and i've also been playing around with a stuffing salad - kind of like a stuffing panzanella (?) if such a thing exists.  but today i'm sharing this super hearty za'atar squash dish, stuffed with lots of all-star ingredients: a spiced kale, shallot, and chickpea saute with quinoa, all topped off with a zesty tahini sauce with a bit of a peppery kick!  i love these acorn squash for a lot of reasons, but mostly because it's a quick meal that allows you to prepare everything while the squash are baking in the oven - yes, friends, these are the things that make me happy :)  

 have a good one, folks! xo

*also, i'm picking a winner for the giveaway of Amy Chaplin's cookbook today! so check your internet mail to see if you're the lucky winner! 

stuffed za'atar roasted acorn squash w/ pepper-lemon tahini sauce 

za'atar is an herby spice blend that can be found in most supermarkerts in the herb + spice aisle.  if you can't find a store that carries it, you can easily make your own.  i have a recipe here for za'atar -  i love making a big batch of this to have when i want to throw it into a meal.  

| 6 servings |

ingredients

  • 3 acorn squash, washed and cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons za'atar
  • 2 cups chickpeas, cooked (or a 15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed) 
  • 1 medium shallot, diced
  • 3 large kale leaves, destemmed and shredded
  • 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
  • salt + pepper
  • sesame seeds, for garnish

pepper-lemon tahini sauce

  • 1/4 cup tahini paste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • sea salt
  • 1/4-1/3 water

instructions

  • preheat oven to 400° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.  place squash cut side up, and brush with olive oil; season with a pinch of salt for each, and evenly sprinkle the za'atar spice.  place in oven and bake until fork-tender; roughly 40-50 minutes.  remove from oven and set aside
  • while squash are cooking, heat a 8-10 inch skillet on medium, once hot, add the olive oil and shallot; saute shallot for a few minutes, until translucent and soft.  add the chickpeas, cumin, and cayenne pepper, and a couple pinches of salt; cook for 1 to 2 minutes.  add the kale and cook until a bit wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.  remove from heat and set aside
  • in a large mixing bowl, combine the sauteed chickpeas and kale, with the quinoa.  taste for seasoning and adjust if needed
  • stuff each squash half with roughly a 1/2 cup quinoa mix (more or less depending on the size of your acorn squash).  serve warm with a few drizzles of the tahini sauce, and sesame seeds

enjoy!

for the tahini sauce

  • in a small mixing bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, pepper, garlic, a few pinches of salt, and 1/4 cup water.  if consistency is too thick, add more water.  taste and adjust.  store in a lidded jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.  (if the tahini sauce has thickened while refrigerated, add more water, a few teaspoons at a time, to thin it out.)

spicy chickpea stew w/ quinoa pilaf + a giveaway! /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

back a few years ago, when my gluten and dairy intolerances came to a head, i remember feeling that there was such a lack of information about food, its importance, how big of a role it plays in just about everything imaginable, and what a person with gluten and dairy intolerance eat?!  like any student who was working a full-time job as well, i turned to the internet, because even though i was on a campus with a library, i had zero time to be in it.  i began following heidi's blog, and then sara's blogs for cooking inspiration, and from there i found laura's gorgeous space and was immediately aware that there was a whole world of amazing people sharing their food journeys through writing and photos.  i then stumbled onto amy's blog, coconut & quinoa (which is now titled amy chaplin), furthering my appreciation for wholesome food, and educating me on what nourishment, in its basic form, is.  

back in my school days, i would make a big old pot of veggie chili on sunday nights, so that way i could have leftovers for lunch or dinner for the week.  it was a big pot of any kind of squash, onions, garlic, herbs + spices, carrots - whatever the season was offering at the time.  in it went into a large soup pot, mixed with crushed san marzano tomatoes, and usually topped off with some variety of rice.  so when i opened amy's stunningly gorgeous book, i knew i wanted to make her variation of a personal fave.  she, not surprisingly, introduced me to a few knew top-notch ideas (chopping up and using parsley stems! nothing goes to waste!), and new-to-me techniques (roll cutting the carrots to make beautiful shapes instead of my usual slice).  there were also so many lovely items to compliment the dish, including the addition of harrisa paste, a qunioa pilaf, and labneh (for all you dairy eaters out there!); making it a super stand-up meal.  each and every one of amy's recipes is beautifully amplified by a large array of seasonal produce, taking you from one season to the next, all with such ease.  

and this post wouldn't be complete without a bit of a shoutout to halloween!  

  • what i'd love to dress our dog as this year!
  • this extremely rad nod to halloween.  all i have to say is: batman pumpkin!
  • the past 3 years halloween has either been a crazy snow/ice storm, a superstorm sandy evacuation, and then last year we were in europe. so this year, we plan on sitting back watching one of our favorites to celebrate 
  • and perhaps to go along with said favorite movie, i'll make a variation of these homemade peanut butter cups!
  • and, my brother is a super talented illustrator, each october he participates in something called Inktober, where he (and other artists) ink an illustration a day, for the entire month.  just thought i would share, since i think they're pretty super!

*TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY* of Amy Chaplin's At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen: please leave a comment (with your name and email) about your favorite go-to meal that lasts for the week!  contest ends at 6pm on tuesday, november 4th.  (sorry, open to US residents only.)  have a great halloween!  :) xo

spicy chickpea stew and quinoa pilaf w/ golden raisins + almonds 

from At Home In The Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin

here, amy uses butternut squash and i indicate that below in the ingredient list, however, i chose to use delicata squash (just a personal preference),  if using delicata, proceed with the same preparation as the butternut squash, except for peeling the skin.  

| serves 6 |

ingredients

  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut in 3/4-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 2 medium onions
  • 8 large garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley stems
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted ground cumin (ground cumin if you don't have cumin seeds)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 3 medium carrots, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup chickpea cooking liquid, or filtered water
  • 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 3-4 teaspoons harissa, or to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley, plus more to garnish

quinoa pilaf

  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa, washed and soaked 12-24 hours in 4 cups filtered water (optional)
  • 1 3/4 cups filtered water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/3 cup unsulfered golden raisins ( i used dried currants because it's what i had on hand)
  • 1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped
spicy chickpea stew w/ quinoa pilaf | dolly and oatmeal

instructions

  • preheat oven to 400°.  line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and add squash.  add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pink of pepper, and toss well.  spread out over single layer and roast for 30 minutes.  stir, and continue roasting for another 10-15 minutes or until browning and cooked through.  remove from oven and set aside
  • warm remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  add onions, saute for 5 minutes or until golden. stir in garlic and cook for 3 minutes more.  add parsley stems, cumin, paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook for 1 to 2 minutes.  stir in carrots and 1 cup chickpea cooking water (or water), and bring to a boil over high heat.  cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10-12 minutes.  add chickpeas and crushed tomatoes, then stir in harissa paste, chopped parsley leaves, and roasted squash; simmer uncovered for another few minutes to allow flavors to meld
  • season to taste and serve warm

quinoa pilaf

  • rinse and drain quinoa.  Place in a 2-quart pot and add filtered water, salt, and raisins.  bring to a boil over high heat.  cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed.  remove from heat, and let sit for 5 to10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.  add almonds and mix gently to combine.  serve warm  

roasted garlic hummus /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

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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

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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::