Cold-Brewed Shiso & Hibiscus Tea Iced Latte /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

so i'm beginning to think that this nesting thing is real.  for most of this pregnancy i've kept baby stuff at a distance.  call me superstitious or whatever, but having baby things around, or calling our babe by his name has sufficiently freaked me out.  but all of a sudden it became real the other day.  not when frank put together his crib, or when he built his changing table, but a deep visceral, radiating energy flowed over me in a blanket of tears the other morning (yes, more tears. always tears!). 

among other things, we organized the crap out of our tiny home,  bought a super neat organization unit for our 1 closet (this thing has made the happiest ever!), purchased some baskets for the bookcase that will be our little guy's dresser, and went through more kitchen cabinets paring down the many bowls i've collected that took up the better part of our kitchen.  and! i'm beginning to think that this nesting thing hasn't only effected me.  frank took it upon himself to clean out the fridge AND pare down some of his collection of odds and ends: tools, random USB wires - all that fun stuff ;) he even gave up a cabinet to make more room, big things are happening at love residence, guys ;)

but tears and organization aside the past couple of days the weather has been nothing short of perfect!  we turned off the AC, open windows and the door to our backyard.  there are cool, dry breezes, and nothing could feel better right now.  it's the perfect weather to chill outside and #DRINKTHESUMMER!  

the beautiful sherrie from with food + love got a lot of us blog folk together to celebrate late summer by drinking it all up! the recipe i'm sharing today is twist on a regular hibiscus tea iced latte that frequents my kitchen, but with some shiso (or perilla) that's been growing in my garden all summer long.  i wanted to steep it in there for an herbal note, cutting some of the tang.  the tea is cold-brewed which means it takes a bit longer (8-12 hours overnight, to be exact), but is so worth it to me.  the flavors are a bit more smooth and full-flavored than when brewed with hot water and then refrigerated.  i love its creamy quality when the milk is added, it's almost like a tea version of a traditional creamsicle.  and speaking of creamsicles, i've also made these into ice cream floats!  just plop a scoop of vanilla ice cream over top and you're good to go! ;)

happy late summer, i hope you're all staying cool! xo

check out all the other #DRINKTHESUMMER recipes:

boozy:

non-boozy:

cold-brewed shiso & hibiscus tea iced latte

if shiso is not available to you, you can leave it out all together.  it's not the easiest herb to substitute, but if you're wanting to add an herbal note i would suggest using 1/2 cup thai basil and 1/2 cup mint in its place.  i steeped the tea with a cinnamon just because i love the taste of it with the hibiscus, but you can leave that out for a less spiced flavor.

| makes roughly 4 servings |

  • 3 hibiscus tea bags
  • 1 cup shiso leaves
  • 4 cups filtered water
  • 2 tablespoons agave, honey, or cane sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
  • ice
  • 2-4 ounces unsweetened almond milk 

method

  1. place the tea bags, shiso, and cinnamon stick (if using) in a large lidded jar.  pour in the water and place the lid on securely.  let the tea brew overnight for at least 8 hours, or up to 12 hours.
  2. strain the tea of the bags, shiso, and cinnamon stick. add 3 tablespoons of the sweetener of choice, taste and add more sweetener if desired.  
  3. serve in an 8-ounce glass over ice with milk. 

enjoy!

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Spicy Hummus (Oven) Fries /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

since i got pregnant i haven't really craved anything that's too bad in terms of food.  i heard that i would have these crazy, impulsive cravings, but so far there hasn't been anything too out of the norm for what i usually tend to favor.  there's the occasional bag of these vegan nacho chips that i could probably eat a whole bag of, sometimes too many of these cookies, and dark chocolate dipped in peanut butter. these tend to be my go-to's. but a few months back frank and i spotted a new falafel restaurant in a nearby neighborhood.  so we got takeout one night and were pleasantly surprised that any single order came with a cabbage salad, an israeli chopped salad, and basmati rice with sautéed onions!  i added on a beet salad to my order, frank added a side of spiced fries.  to my delight the meal also came with a small container of hummus.  as we dug in to our meal i snacked on a few of frank's fries, and because i didn't really have anything else to dip into the hummus, in the fries went!  

needless to say, you're seeing this recipe here today because dipping those fries was one of the best food-related decisions i've ever made. i knew i wanted to make an at-home version because they were just too good, but i also wanted to make a less greasy version (because all that frying makes a pregnant lady's feet and hands swell like whoa!).  the fries i made here are coated with olive oil, dusted with smoked paprika and cayenne, and baked up until golden and crisp.  and my ever-loving french fry husband didn't miss the fried version at all!  the hummus recipe is an iteration of a long-time favorite recipe from heidi.  it's a mung bean-based hummus which is super easy to whip up, is really flavorful, and also very kind on the digestion front!  i suspect that once you give this recipe a try you might be as obsessed as i am ;)

happy summer frie-day, friends! ;) ;) xo

spicy hummus fries | gf & v

the hummus recipe i provide below is a sprouted mung bean-based dip.  i like using mung beans because they are easier to digest, quicker to cook, and provide a really great earthy flavor.  and when i use sprouted mung beans their digestibility only improves (you can sprout your own mung beans, or i usually purchase them from here ).  and i probably sound like a broken record, but a good tahini paste goes a long way - you can find my favorite brands in the recipe notes here.  

| serves 2-4 |

hummus - recipe adapted from 101 cookbooks

  • 1/2 cup sprouted mung beans
  • 1/4 cup tahini paste 
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
  • fine sea salt & fresh black pepper
  • 1/2 cup water (or more), to thin
  • chopped parsley, to garnish
  • olive oil, to garnish
  • ground sumac, to garnish

fries

  • 3 russet potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch matchsticks
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 
  • chopped parsley and flaky sea salt, to garnish

method

  • make the hummus.  cook the mung beans according to the directions on the package.  drain and rinse them with cold water until they have stopped cooking.  place them in the container of a blender or a food processor fitted with a metal "s" blade.  add the tahini, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, the garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.  with the motor running, drizzle in 1/2 cup water, stopping and scraping down the sides until the hummus is smooth.  (you may need to add more water for a thinner consistency.  if so, drizzle in a tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency is achieved.) taste and adjust the lemon juice and/or salt if needed.  place into a bowl and cover with cling wrap.  refrigerate until ready to use.
  • make the fries. preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.  rinse the cut potatoes to remove any unwanted starch, place them on a dishtowel and allow them to dry thoroughly.  once they are dry, toss them together with the oil, garlic powder, salt, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.  spread the fries on the baking sheet into a single layer.  bake the fries for 25-35 minutes, flipping them over halfway through, until edges are crisped and browned.  
  • remove the hummus from the fridge and garnish.  serve the fries warm and top with chopped parsley and flaky sea salt.  

dip, and enjoy!

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roasted golden beet & shallot dip

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Cooling Summer Salad w/ Za'atar Pesto /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

we've been stuck in one of the worst heatwaves i can remember here in nyc.  the heat index has been over 100 degrees for the past few days, and while our apartment is staying pretty cool as long as we don't turn the oven on, there were times where me and my 8 1/2 month pregnant body shut down.  there was one particular night where i dramatically cried myself to sleep and frank placed ice packs around my extremities to sooth my overly emotional reaction to a warm bedroom.  if you haven't already noticed, he's a trooper, guys.  but aside from tears and ice packs, the heat has brought us back to the basics. and by that i mean a ton of cool, fresh summery salads!

we've been making this PACT salad (get it? peach, avocado, cucumber & tomato salad!?) at least 2 nights a week.  depending on what we're eating with it, there's 2 variations i keep in constant rotation.  there's a spicy version where there's minced cilantro, a good bit of lime juice, california olive ranch olive oil (always!), some flaky sea salt, and a couple dashes of ground cayenne pepper. it's the perfect hot weather salad, especially when the veg has been chilling in the fridge for a bit.

the other variation is the recipe i'm sharing today.  it has the same salad components, but a totally different flavor profile thanks to some good old za'atar.  if you're not familiar with za'atar it's typically made up of thyme and marjoram, mixed with toasted sesame seeds, and ground sumac which gives it a tangy kick.  frank and i had a similar salad the other week at a restaurant.  it was a tomato and peach salad served with toasted pine nuts and a za'atar pesto, and it was amazing!  i knew immediately that i needed to recreate the it for a homemade version, one we could enjoy whenever we wanted.  the pesto is super simple and aside from the prepared za'atar, it doesn't require any other herbs.  it's blended up with toasted pine nuts, some added lemon juice, a clove of garlic, and my favorite of california olive ranch's olive oil, their rich and robust flavor, offering the pesto, and the salad, just the right flavor which has already become the staple in our kitchen.  so whether you use the za'atar pesto on this particular salad as a marinade, or schmeared on a piece of crusty bread, it's a must-try!   

this post was created in partnership with california olive ranch.  all thoughts and opinions are my own.  thank you for supporting the sponsors that help keep dolly and oatmeal running! 

cooling summer salad w/ za'atar pesto | v

the za'atar pesto makes just enough for the salad, so if you're wanting leftovers, i suggest doubling or even tripling the recipe.  

| serves 4-6 |

za'atar pesto

salad

  • 2 pounds mixed tomatoes, cored and sliced into wedges
  • 2 ripe peaches, sliced into small wedges
  • 1 ripe avocado, cut into chunks
  • 1 medium cucumber, sliced thin
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • flaky sea salt
  • extra za'atar, for garnish

method

  1. make the za'atar.  in a food processor, pulse the za'atar, nuts, lemon juice, and garlic until roughly ground.  with the motor running, drizzle in the oil until everything is combined.  season with salt.
  2. in a large bowl, gently toss together the tomatoes, peaches, avocado, cucumber, and nuts.  add the za'atar pesto and give it all another good toss.  taste and add more salt if needed.  serve and sprinkle with za'atar.   

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