December 4, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges w/ Green Yogurt Sauce | dolly and oatmeal

the holidays are taking on such a different vibe in our lives this year. there's a different feeling in everything frank and i are doing and planning as we're wanting to share in it all with amesy. at 2 months old he certainly won't remember any of it, but celebrating his first holiday season has been becoming a big deal around here. we've been playing christmas tunes for him since the end of november, and we got his first christmas tree last week! decorating, cooking - it's all bringing out a joy and excitement that i knew we would feel, but didn't anticipate how intense it would be. even though he doesn't really "watch" the tv, having holiday classics play on the television have touched on that bond of sharing in these small cozy moments as a family, and have even gotten us excited beyond the holiday classics with the idea of sharing movies and music with him that have been special to us. hopefully these will be some traditions we can establish that amesy will be able to reflect on one day and only have good memories.

so it only seemed natural to team up with Disney for this recipe, and to highlight the release of "The BFG" on Blu-ray, Digital HD & Disney Movies Anywhere (get it here). The BFG is one of those stories that i look forward to sharing with amesy one day, and i know lots of parents would love to share with their kids as well. the special relationship between sophie and the bfg i feel says a lot about the power of sometimes unlikely relationships between dissimilar people and what can come from those. i also can't help but feel that their relationship is similar to the experience of having a baby, in that (at least for me) i didn't know i could feel this kind of bond until he came into my life. and now that amesy is here i couldn't imagine my life without that unbreakable connection.

talking about connections, i've also got a loyal bond with carbs. in this potato wedge situation, these sweet potatoes take on a slightly more wholesome version of the typical fried wedge. in this recipe they're roasted in a bit of olive oil and italian spices in the oven and served with a dairy-free yogurt dip that's been broken down with some bright herbs, tahini, and lemon juice. it's the perfect snack to sit and watch a movie with, as a holiday snack, or appetizer :)

holiday cheers, babes! xoxo

*this post was created in produced in association with disney. all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own. thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that help to keep dolly and oatmeal going!

roasted sweet potato wedges w/ green yogurt sauce | v

| serves 4 |

2 large sweet potatoes, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wedges
1 tablespoon cornstarch, or arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sea salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste

green yogurt sauce

1 cup unsweetened cultured coconut yogurt (or greek yogurt if you don't need to be dairy-free)
2 tablespoons tahini paste
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1/2 cup basil leaves
2 tablespoons parsley leaves
1 tablespoon cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
fresh pepper, to taste

method

preheat oven to 425°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
place wedges and cornstarch (or arrowroot) in a large plastic bag and toss to coat evenly. transfer the wedges to a large bowl and add the olive oil, italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. spread the wedges into a single layer on your prepared baking sheet. bake for 30-35 minutes, stopping halfway through to flip them over, until the edges are browned.
while the potatoes are baking, make the sauce. combine all the sauce ingredients in an upright blender or food processor until well chopped and sauce is green in color.
serve the potatoes warm with the sauce on the side.

Double Coffee Pumpkin Cake (& A Giveaway) / November 22, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Double Coffee Pumpkin Cake | dolly and oatmeal

we just took our first road trip the other week for a long weekend up on martha's vineyard. it was amesy's first long car ride and for the most part it went really well. he loves his carseat as long as the car is moving, so aside from hitting traffic on our way back he was quite happy! but travel by airplane is a whole different story. frank and i typically fly down to my in-laws in north carolina for thanksgiving, but we haven't built up the courage to fly with amesy yet since he's just 2 months old; plus, i can't imagine his little immune system ready to hold up on a plane ride yet. after a few years of traveling for the holiday i haven't really given a thanksgiving menu much thought! so thinking about what kinds of food we'll prepare this time has been a little overwhelming. and on top of that, i've put added stress on myself with the thought that i want amesy to have the best first thanksgiving ever - even though he won't remember a thing, nor will be be able to eat any of the food! (oh how i love you, self-induced pressure!) but the one thing i can always settle on is dessert. aside from the carby side dishes, i regularly look forward to a good pumpkin cake - something substantial and sweet, but light enough that it doesn't send you over the edge.

i haven't been back on my regular coffee intake since before i was pregnant, and now that i'm breastfeeding i haven't been drinking that much caffeine. but for the holidays i wanted a way to have my pumpkin cake and coffee too! a coffee cake naturally came to mind, but when i started researching recipes i couldn't find one with actual coffee. (i suppose traditional coffee cake is just meant to be eaten with coffee..?) so this coffee cake here has a decent amount of caffeine that also lends the pumpkin cake some really awesome flavor! most cakes with coffee generally instruct you to use strongly brewed coffee, but i lly just came out with this extra dark roast that i love baking with, it offers a good dose of caramel notes and a hint of dark chocolate flavor. since it's an extra dark roast, i don't have to worry about how i'm brewing the coffee, or granules to water ratio. and like any traditional coffee cake, this one comes with a good crumbly topping with a few walnuts in there for crunch and nuttiness, and some cinnamon spice ;) i hope you enjoy it as much as i do!

for the *giveaway* to say thank you to all of you here that come to this space and make it what it is, illy and i are giving one reader a holiday set of extra dark roast coffee, coffee mugs, and a french press! to enter: leave a comment below about what you're thankful for. the winner will chosen at random on tuesday, november 28th at 5pm. (open to US residents only, sorry international friends!) good luck & happy thanksgiving! xo

this post was created in collaboration with Illy. all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own. thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that keep dolly and oatmeal going!

double coffee pumpkin cake | gf & df

| makes 1 9x5-inch loaf |

crumble topping

1/4 cup fine brown rice flour
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons melted extra virgin coconut oil

cake

1 cup fine brown rice flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup brewed i lly extra dark roast coffee
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

method

preheat oven to 350°F. grease a 9x5-inch rectangular loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, allowing wings to hangover the edges on the long sides, set aside.
make the crumble topping. in a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt. a tablespoon at a time, drizzle in the oil mixing with a fork until the mixture is wet and sandy looking. cover with cling wrap and transfer to the refrigerator.
make the cake. in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. in another large bowl, whisk the coffee, sugar, and pumpkin puree until combined. then whisk in the eggs and vanilla until combined.
add half of the dry mix to the wet and whisk until combined. add the remaining dry ingredients and whisk once more until mixed. then fold in the walnuts with a rubber spatula.
remove the crumble topping from the fridge and break it up with a sturdy spoon or knife.
pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and sprinkle the crumble over the top.
bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for even baking, until a cake tester comes out clean and the topping is lightly browned. (check cake at 30 minutes, if topping is getting too brown, make a tent with a piece of tin foil and cover for the remaining bake time.)
let cake cool on a rack for 20 minutes. using the parchment wings, remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely before slicing.

similar recipes:

olive oil & dark chocolate chunk w/ pears

Julia's Shaved Carrot & Avocado Salad w/ Tahini / November 16, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Julia's Shaved Carrot & Avocado Salad w/ Tahini | dolly and oatmeal

the first cookbook i ever owned, that was truly all mine, was mark bittman's how to cook everything, it was a present my mom and dad had given to me for christmas one year. i sat down the next morning with my purple sticky notes tagging all the recipes i wanted to make: basic pizza dough, roasted garlic soup, classic chocolate chip cookies, etc. i came across words like miso, and compote; and read about things i knew nothing about: pickling techniques, and the basics of pasta-making. but out of it all, the one recipe i practiced most was his basic scone recipe. i made them over and over again, sometimes with blueberries, sometimes plain, but they were my baking go-to, something i felt super confident about. i worked up enough confidence in my scone skills that over time i replaced the buttermilk with sour cream, and then ricotta a time or two. i also researched the best way to cut the into the flour while still keeping it cold (turns out quickly grating butter on a cheese grater worked best for me!).

i'm sure we've all had (or have) that one recipe in our back pocket that makes us feel really accomplished or fancy, but the thought of veering away from what's comfortable into an unknown realm is packed with worry (maybe cooking is a metaphor for life?!). so when i read julia turshen's intro in her new, and totally beautiful cookbook, small victories, i knew i was at home. her thought behind each recipe is that if you only have 2 recipes in your repertoire, then guess what, in all actuality you know how to make about 200 things. every recipe in the book comes with ingenious spin-offs, giving us a few different takes on the recipe and turning 1 small victory into a few. it's an encouraging way to cook from a book that motivates rather than overwhelms. similar to bittman's book, small victories reassures you that it's ok to try new flavors, various techniques, and different flavors in a series of inspiring but relaxed recipes, that feels like julia is cheering and comforting you from the sidelines.

but more importantly, julia is teaming up with Friendsgiving for No Kid Hungry to raise awareness for childhood hunger and help to make healthy food more accessible to children across the country. to learn more about the campaign or to donate click here.

here's to small victories in and out of the kitchen! xo

shaved carrot & avocado salad w/ tahini

recipe from Small Victories by Julia Turshen. reprinted with permission.

| serves 4 |

1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
kosher salt
3/4 lb (340 g) carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal into coins
1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions, roots and dark green tops trimmed off, white and light green parts thinly sliced
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

method

in a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, boiling water, olive oil, and lemon juice. season to taste with salt. put the carrots in a large bowl, add half of the dressing, and toss to combine.
transfer the dressed carrots to a serving platter. use a spoon to artfully scoop the avocado from its shell into pieces and place them over the carrots. season the avocado pieces to taste with salt and then drizzle the salad with the remaining dressing. scatter the salad with the sesame seeds, scallions, and cilantro (if using). serve immediately.

note: if your sesame seeds aren't already toasted, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, until they're golden brown, about 4 minutes

spin offs:

toss shaved fennel, thinly sliced kumquats, and sliced scallions with kumquat and/or lemon juice and olive oil. garnish with fennel fronds, toasted marcona almonds, and lots of shaved parmesan.

dress shaved celery, toasted walnuts, and chopped italian parsley with lemon juice and olive oil.

dress shaved cabbage with sesame seeds, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil.

dress shaved green apples with fish sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar. stir in salty peanuts and thinly sliced fresh red chile.