cilantro

January 27, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

our backyard is currently under about 5 feet of snow in some places. the blizzard this past weekend tossed around a fare bit of snow, not to mention our little 9-pound pup, quint. while this winter hasn't been much of a winter so far, it seems as though it's just lingering; the thought that there are basically 2 more months of these winter-ish days are enough for me crawl under the covers until spring. but then i remind myself of warm spring and summer days and try to summon some of those vibes in ways that i eat. over the summer me and frank made sara's grilled halibut sandwiches with jalepeno slaw, and it was somewhat of a transformative experience, as far as slaw goes. the slaw was cool, and crunchy, fresh, and spicy; and tossed with a good amount of a slightly creamy dressing. i had been discouraged by previous slaw experiences where there was a big globby mess of mayo with some hint of veg hiding in it.

aside from this slaw, mole sauce is another thing that makes heart pitter-patter. me and frank both have a deep love for it and its slow, intentional method. after making mole for new year's eve 2 years in row, it's become our tradition of sorts. this year, we made alex stupak's mole poblano from his new book, tacos, and it was super! it had a really interesting spice blend of anise seeds, coriander, cloves, peppercorns, and more; it also had a thick, chile base, without being too spicy, and a mix of nuts adding to its deep flavor. i tweaked the recipe a bit, omitting the lard, and replacing it with vegetable oil (which no doubt changes the flavor a bit), subbing in gluten-free bread, as well as vegetable stock. so if you have a hankering for loooong, slow cookin' this is a must-try sauce. there are some really good ones, like this one that we tried last year, if you're looking for a good online version. if not, my go-to brand (for all things non-homemade sauce) is sky valley.

wishing you all the cozies! xo

mole black bean tacos w/ cabbage + cilantro slaw | v + gf

for a slaw with less spice, substitute the jalapeño with half of a poblano pepper. also, this makes more slaw then you will likely use for the serving size below; leftover slaw can be stored in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

slaw adapted slightly from sara's jalapeño slaw

| serves 2-3 as a meal |

1/2 head red cabbage, thinly shredded (on a mandolin or with a knife)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro,, plus more for serving
1 small red onion, sliced paper thin
1 jalapeño pepper, some seeds removed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dairy-free cultured coconut yogurt (i use this one)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons maple syrup
salt + fresh pepper
1 15 oz. can black beans (preferably with a BPA free lined can and no salt added), drained and rinsed
1/4 - 1/3 cup mole sauce (homemade or this one)
6 small corn tortillas, toasted
toasted sesame seeds, for serving
lime wedges, for serving

method

to make the slaw. place the cabbage, cilantro, red onion, and jalapeño in a large bowl and give it a good toss. to the bowl, add the vinegar, yogurt, oil, syrup, and salt and pepper to taste. toss again to dress, and set aside for at least 15 minutes. (slaw can be made up to 1 day in advance.)
in a medium pot over medium-low heat, combine the beans and 1/4 - 1/3 cup of mole sauce, depending on how much sauce you want. stir until heated through and steaming. turn heat to low, and toast your tortillas.
portion the mole beans among the tortillas and top with a good amount of slaw, toasted sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, and a few squeezes of lime juice.

enjoy!

similar recipes:

beet tacos w/ beet green salsa verde + spicy pickled onions

warm fingerling potatoes w/ garlic-turmeric sauce

garlic + spice market carrots w/ tahini yogurt / January 21, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

garlic-spiced market carrots w/ yogurt sauce | dolly and oatmeal

garlic-spiced roasted market w/ yogurt sauce | dolly and oatmeal

weather this year has been straight up strange - thanks, el nino! we've had weeks of warm temps, freezing ones, and now snow. the markets have been reflecting this shift as well. there have been vibrant green leafy lettuces, rainbow swiss chard, pea tendrils (!), and beautiful herbs one week, and then ubiquitous hearty roots another. but one of my favorite vendors at the market, Rogowski, who runs a farm north of manhattan, explained that because of the weeks of mild weather they've been having bumper crops of vegetables that we would normally only see in the spring or fall, such as these beautiful baby carrots!

local and seasonal produce is a large part of this blog and my day-to-day life, so collaborating on this post with the Nation Restaurant Association, where locally sourced produce is number 3 out of their 192 food trends to watch in 2016 is such a promising news! not only is locally grown produce a "hot trend" but it's something i am continually seeing highlighted on menus in and around many cities across the country which is super encouraging that it's not just a few folks trekking to the market each week, but that this "trend" is perhaps more than a trend, and turning into a national movement.

these baby carrots were so crisp and sweet that i thought paring them with a good spice blend as well as some fresh garlic would season them but not overpower their own delicious flavor. me and my husband made mole again this year on new year's eve (it's the 2nd year in a row, so it's becoming somewhat of a tradition), one of the gazzilion steps is making a spice blend with a variety of chile seeds and spice seeds. since then i've been a teensy obsessed with making my own spice blends. so the spice blend i use here is toasted, crushed into a powder, and then smashed with lightly charred garlic, some salt, and good olive oil. then it's smothered over the carrots, cooked in the oven, and served with a tart and creamy yogurt tahini sauce.

this post was in partnership with the N ational Restaurant Association, all opinions are, as always, my own. thank you for supporting dolly and oatmeal's sponsors!

garlic-spiced market carrots w/ tahini yogurt (v)

any root veg or winter squash variety would be great here with the garlic and spice paste, and the tahini yogurt drizzle. i ended up layering the leftover carrots over a bed of arugula which was awesome as a lunch-type deal.

| serves 4 |

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon anise seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, with skins on
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
2-3 bunches baby carrots, washed and trimmed
handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

yogurt tahini

1 cup unsweetened cultured coconut yogurt (or yogurt of choice)
2-3 teaspoons tahini paste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
salt + freshly ground pepper

Garlic + Spice Market Carrots w Tahini Yogurt | dolly and oatmeal

method

preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment, set aside.
to make the garlic + spice paste, heat a skillet over medium heat. add the seeds and toast for about a minute, until they're fragrant and toasted looking; transfer them to a plate and let cool. place the garlic cloves (with their paper still on) in the hot skillet, shake the pan every few minutes until the garlic is lightly charred and soft when you press on it. remove from the pan and let cool.
grind the cooled seeds in a spice grinder set to fine, set aside. peel the garlic and place it in a mortar and pestle along with 3 teaspoons of the spice mix 1 teaspoon oil, and a few pinches of salt; grind together to form a thick paste, once mixed thoroughly, add the remaining olive oil and grind together. taste and add more salt if needed.
mix together the carrots and garlic and spice paste, then transfer to the baking sheet and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender and edges are crisp and browned.
while the carrots are cooking, make the yogurt tahini sauce. whisk together the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, season with salt and pepper; set aside. (depending on what kind of yogurt you use, you may need to thin it a bit with some water.)
serve carrots warm, with a good drizzle of sauce, fresh cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds.

enjoy!

similar recipes:

winter buckwheat + shaved brussels sprout bowl

fennel-roasted carrot + shallot salad w/ shaved apple

roasted fingerlings w/ garlic-turmeric sauce

mung bean + cilantro falafel tacos / March 17, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

mung bean falafel tacos | dolly and oatmeal

spring is right here, it's close enough you can literally taste it in the air. the bits of dirty snow have but all melted away leaving behind pieces of litter from months prior. we're all happy for longer days, and grateful once again our favorite star is here to give us more light. my senses are alive once again it seems, breathing in fresh cool air, seeing tiny buds outside on the forsythia bush, and the scent of salty sea air has returned since its thaw.

things around here are a bit in flux at the moment; new exciting projects on the horizon, a move to a new apartment that's been in the works, and the new 'do i gave to my blog :)

i've been working on the redesign sporadically for a few months now, with frank's help of course. it seems that each year i'm redefining this space - what it is to me, but also how others come to it and why. in the spirit of trying to make things easier for people, i redesigned the recipe index in a way that's easy to navigate both alphabetically, and also categorically. there's a nifty side bar too that i'm excited about, hopefully you find it interactive and fun; i know i love clicking around on other blogs, so i thought i'd bring a little bit of that here! the search bar is pretty sweet, as well as the blog archives that is categorized by months of the year. so here's to hoping you all like the new look!

okay, these falafels! falafels are the kind of thing i love to eat, love to make, love to freeze and then reheat. lately i've been experiencing pretty bad digestive thangs (we won't go into that though...), i've been following a steady diet full of things that are easy on the digestive system. among them are split mung beans, or moong dal. i've been making my fair share of soups and such that incorporate these mighty beans, but thought they would be super in a baked falafel situation. they, along with the quinoa add a subtle flavor, that when mixed with tons of warming spices comes out to one of the best tasting falafels i've had. i tend to go without the tortilla, but frank insists they're the best when rolled all up in a taco; hence, this falafel taco! i added a very humble avocado and radish salad, plus tonnnns of cilantro, all with a healthy dose of tahini sauce!

sending warm springy vibes to you all! xo

mung bean + cilantro falafel tacos (v + gf)

soaking the beans and quinoa as directed below is to make them easier to digest. if you skip the soaking step, i recommend rinsing and draining both the beans and quinoa before cooking.

| makes 32 falafels |

1 cup moong dal (aka split mung beans), soaked overnight and drained
1 cup quinoa, soaked overnight and drained
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, more for serving
2 leeks, trimmed and sliced
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
juice from 1 lemon
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons sea salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon mild paprika
olive oil, for brushing
course sea salt, for topping
brown rice tortillas/corn tortillas/etc., toasted

tahini drizzle

1/4 cup tahini paste
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons sumac
1/4 cup cold water

radish + avo salad

1 ripe avocado, pitted and sliced into chunks
4 radishes, thinly sliced or shaved on a mandolin
splash of oil and vinegar
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

instructions

make the falafels

place the mung beans in a saucepan and cover with at least 3-inches of water. bring to boil, stir, and turn heat down to a simmer. cook for 7-9 minutes, until tender. drain beans if need be and set aside.
cook quinoa according to instructions on package. set aside.
warm a skillet over medium heat and add chickpea flour, toast for 1-2 minutes, swirling around to prevent burning, until golden and fragrant. remove from heat and place in a bowl, set aside.
place drained mung beans and quinoa in a food processor fitted with a metal S blade; add cilantro, leeks, garlic, lemon juice, salt and spices. blend mixture until combined; taste and adjust salt and/or lemon juice, or other spices. add toasted chickpea flour and blend once more until combined. transfer falafel mix to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
preheat oven to 400° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. scoop out golf ball sized pieces of mixture and shape into balls with the palm of your hands. place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining mixture. using a pastry brush, brush tops and bottoms of falafel patties and sprinkle both sides with course sea salt. bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through until golden brown.
place 4-5 falafel patties in each tortilla, top with avocado and radish salad. drizzle with tahini sauce, cilantro, and extra sumac (optional), and serve warm.

sauce

in a medium bowl, whisk together tahini sauce ingredients. taste and adjust salt and lemon juice if need be. cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

salad