Banana, Coconut & Cardamom Ice Cream / May 10, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Banana, Coconut & Cardamom Ice Cream | dolly and oatmeal

sorry for the silence here last week. i had every intention of posting this ice cream recipe, and i naively thought that i would have time to write something up to share with you all. clearly that didn't happen. i won't bore you with any details, but perhaps a little speed-date version of what's been happening over here since so much seemingly happened all at once.

frank got a new job in los angeles just over a month ago. he didn't start until the beginning of this month, but was back and forth a bit for training, etc. and i was back home in brooklyn, alone with amesy for the first time ever, while also packing up some of our last few items! looking back on it, the idea of being partner-less and solo parenting was much more scary than it actually was. it definitely wasn't the easiest, but i felt like amesy and i were a little team getting through the good and rough times together. then frank came back from LA a few days later and amesy and i left (that same day) to go upstate with my parents while frank and quint drove our stuff across the country! finally, amesy, my mom and me flew out the following last week to meet frank at our new apartment :) and we're here. together. and all breathing a bit easier.

this recipe is a quick, dairy-free, banana-based ice cream that's from chitra agrawal's new book, Vibrant India. i love a banana-based ice cream for so many reasons, but mostly because it's easy-breezy. there's some pleasure that comes to mind when i think that a frozen banana can be made into an ice cream-like treat. here, chitra flavors the ice cream with cardamom and cocnonut. two ingredients i might not have thought to pair together, but now i feel belong together. my tastebuds usually go the route of chocolate chip cookie dough, or peanut butter something, so the refined flavors of this ice cream were a welcomed change!

hoping spring has sprung where you are! xo

banana, coconut, and cardamom ice cream | v & gf

reprinted with permission from Vibrant India, by Chitra Agrawal

i doubled this recipe making for 4 servings, but kept the amount of cardamom at 1/4 teaspoon which was plenty for my tastebuds. you can freeze the leftover ice cream in ice cube trays and then blend it up in a Vitamix or blender for a "soft-serve" consistency. a quick note,i replaced the jaggery with coconut sugar and chopped up some vegan chocolate for the "chocolate chips".

| serves 2 |

2 ripe bananas
2 tablespoons dried unsweetened shredded coconut, plus more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom powder
1 tablespoon bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
granulated jaggery or brown sugar, for garnish
sliced almonds, for garnish

method

peel the bananas and cut them into 1/2-inch disks. place in a glass bowl or freezer bag. freeze the bananas for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
using a food processor, pulse the frozen banana pieces. they will first get crumbly, then gooey, then look like oatmeal pieces, and then start to bunch on one side of the bowl. scrape down the sides and keep pulsing through these stages. eventually, the banana will become smooth and creamy resembling soft-serve ice cream. pulse the processor until the mixture aerates and becomes somewhat fluffy, then mix in the coconut, cardamom powder, and chocolate chips.
you can the ice cream immediately; it will be like soft-serve ice cream, or transfer it to an airtight container and freeze until solid, like traditional ice cream.
serve with a healthy sprinkling of jaggery, sliced almonds, and more grated coconut on top.

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Sunshine Mung Bean Spread w/ Gluten Free Za'atar Flatbread / April 26, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Sunshine Mung Bean Spread w/ Gluten Free Za'tar Flatbread

meals in general have taken on a life of their own. when amesy was a teeny babe he slept quite often, and so in between those times i was able to get things done. while his naps are more routine these days, they're much less frequent, and shorter, so the need to get creative and make every moment count is essential in order to get anything done. if you follow me over on instagram then you might be aware of my new found love for meal prepping. before having a baby i always strived to dedicate a day during the week for preparing meal components but it was never an essential thing to get frank and i through the week. but now, especially with amesy starting to eat solids, a dedicated meal prep day is super crucial. having plenty of dips and spreads is another thing that is kind of vital around here. i use them to dress up a lunch/dinner bowl, or for a nourishing snack with cut veg and/or crackers or bread.

but more importantly, we're honoring two wonderful humans today, who are going to need all the feel-good snacks that people with a little one need to have. sonja and alex from a couple cooks, just welcomed their beautiful boy, larson ames to the world and i'm just overflowing with happiness for them. and if a new baby isn't sweet enough, sonja told me that larson's middle name, ames, was inspired by our little amesy which always brings tears of joy to my eyes every time i think about it. sonja is the first one to always organize and put together virtual baby showers for so many of us lucky ducks, she goes above and beyond, even when the days were trying. so i'm beyond delighted to share in this special occasion with her and alex, and so many other bloggers today. welcome, welcome, little larson! you are one lucky little guy! and thank you to melissa, sarah, and ashley for putting this baby shower together!

for this dip i used my favorite pulse: mung beans (also know as moong dal which is the split variety). essentially, pulses are the seeds of plants in the legume family, they include: chickpeas, lentils, beans and split peas. i love mung beans mostly because they're easy on the digestive system (especially when they're soaked or sprouted), but also because they're an all-star bean, packed with a great number of vitamins and minerals, plus they're a great source of protein. it varies week to week, but i usually prepare a few different pulses to eat throughout the week, but i'm upping my game even more so because this month but I’m doing my best this month to meet the nutritional guidelines for pulses, eating ½ cup serving of the nutritious ingredients 3 times per week. pulses are not only easy to make, and super versatile (i wrote an entire book on chickpea flour, so you know they can do a lot!), but they're a sustainable food that are drought tolerant, water efficient, and they enrich the soil where they grow making them a natural fertilizer.

this post was created in partnership with usa pulses & pulse canada. all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own. thank your for supporting the sponsors that help keep dolly and oatmeal going!

check out the other #ACoupleAdopts recipes:

Flourishing Foodie | Avocado and Asparagus Tartines with Basil Pesto
The Full Helping | Individual Strawberry Chocolate Crisps
Snixy Kitchen | Roasted Lemon Mint Pesto Tartines, Two Ways
This Mess Is Ours | Coriander & Lime Scented Cashews
Making Thyme for Health | Hemp Ranch Hummus
Two Red Bowls | Buttered Eggs on Toast, with Radish & Parsley
Cookie and Kate | World’s Greatest Guacamole
Edible Perspective | Tropical Oatmeal Snack Cookies
Eat This Poem | Red Pepper and Walnut Hummus
Brooklyn Supper | Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Cilantro-Avocado Sauce
Gather & Dine| Muffin Tin Granola Cups with Lemon Greek Yogurt and Berries
The Fauxmartha | Laura’s Sunshine Crackers
FoodieCrush | Baked Beet Chips

Gluten Free Za'tar Flatbread | dolly and oatmeal

sunshine mung bean spread w/ gluten free za'atar flatbread

you can use any pulse here really, but be aware that there might be differences in consistency, and therefore you may need to add more or less tahini or water.

sunshine spread (makes about 2 cups)

1 1/2 cups cooked mung beans (i like using this sprouted variety)
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup filtered water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
sea salt & fresh pepper, to taste
sumac, for garnish
fresh dill and microgreens or pea shoots, for garnish

gluten free za'atar flatbread (makes four 5-6-inch flatbreads)

1 1/4 cup filtered warm water (105°-115°F)
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 packet instant yeast (approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons psyllium husk powder
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1/4 cup za'atar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

method

in a blender or food processor, blend the mung beans, tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, spices, and salt and pepper to taste. continue blending the mixture scraping down the sides of blender or bowl until the spread is smooth and creamy. add more water if needed to get your desired consistency. transfer the spread to a bowl, cover with cling wrap, and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
make the dough. in a bowl, whisk together the water and sugar until it is dissolved. sprinkle in the yeast and let it proof until the surface it foamy, about 10 minutes.
in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients except the oil. use a wooden spoon to make a well in the center of the flour, then add the yeast mixture and olive oil. stir until dough is mixed. cover the bowl loosely with cling wrap and allow to dough to rise in a warm place (i preheat my oven to warm - about 150°F - and shut it off about 10 minutes before placing the dough inside) until the dough doubles in size, about 30-45 minutes.
preheat oven to 500°F and place a baking stone inside (or a cookie sheet). line a cookie sheet with parchment and set aside. divide the dough in half and wrap one half in cling wrap, place in the freezer for another time. place the other half of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet and dust with more brown rice flour. divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and use your fingers to press it out, using more flour if needed to prevent sticking, until you have four 5-6-inch rounds. cut any parchment hanging over (to prevent any extra paper from burning.) cover the dough with a clean dishcloth to puff up slightly, about 15-20 minutes.
whisk together the za'atar and oil, and spoon it over the dough rounds, using about 3-4 spoonfuls to sufficiently cover the tops. use the cookie sheet to carefully shuffle the parchment and doughs onto the baking stone. bake until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. et the za'atar bread cool slightly.
serve 1 piece of za'atar bread with 1/2 cup mung bean spread, some sliced veggies, and olives.

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Almond-Cashew & Chia Balance Balls / March 22, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Almond-Cashew & Chia Balance Balls | dolly and oatmeal

happy spring, friends! i've been looking forward to saying that since basically november, and it's finally here (even though the temperature outside and sloooowly melting snow may tell a different story)! spring has a way of having seemingly endless boundaries. the days seem a bit more easy-breezy and free, since there aren't the confines of it getting dark at 5pm. and the notion of a revived sense of being. we have had little suggestions of green buds appearing on the raspberry and elderflower bushes that i planted last year which i'm sure are thoroughly confused since we had an 8-inch dump of snow last week. i have little garlic and chive shoots popping up as well and it's giving me all the hope that the warmth is coming!

i'm not sure if this winter hit me as hard as it did because we had a baby and i essentially felt stuck inside most days. and even though i made it a mission to take walks when it was freezing, those feelings felt quite suffocating at times. so the impending spring weather is feeling like a release more than anything at this point, which i'm so grateful for.

it seems as though spring growth has cast its spell on our amesy as well. at times he seems like is a completely different baby from just 2 months ago. his curious streak is continuing with trying to grab our breakfast, put his hands in my lunch bowls, and swing, swat, and snatch anything that comes into his purview. he's a totally wild soul and i cannot get enough of him exploring his environment and taking in his little world.

a couple weeks ago when i was still mid-cleanse, i needed something chocolatey, also something cookie-like. while these balls are completely "grain-free" and made from primarily nuts and seeds, they taste like cookie dough! they're slightly sweetened with a few dates and vanilla, but they have that little bite of salt at the end like a good cookie. i love that there's no sugar high or low, nor is there any nonsense, just straight up nourishing, good-for-your-body/soul healthy fats! there are some powdery potions in the mix as well if you're wanting that extra self-love care, if not, no worries, they'll be just as yummy :)

cheers to spring!!! xo

almond-cashew & chia balance balls | v & gf

| makes about 16 balls |

1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 1/2 teaspoons chia seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons maca powder
1/2 teaspoon ashwagandha (optional)
1/2 teaspoon reishi (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 soft pitted dates
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
cacao powder, for dusting
crushed dried flowers, for garnish

chocolate shell

1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup cacao powder
1 tablespoon coconut nectar (or maple syrup)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

method

in a food processor fitted with a metal "s" blade, pulse the almonds, cashews, chia seeds, maca, ashwagandha (if using), reishi (if using), and salt until the nuts are finely ground into what looks sand-like. then add the dates and pulse until they are broken down and incorporated. next, add the vanilla and coconut oil and pulse until the mixture comes together in a loose ball. transfer the mix to shallow bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture is stiff, about 20-30 minutes.
line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. use a 1/2 tablespoon measure to form about 16 balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. freeze for 15 minutes.
while the balls are freezing, make the chocolate shell. in a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients together until smooth and set aside.
dip the tops of the balls into the chocolate then place them back onto the baking sheet and freeze for another 30 minutes, until balls are frozen through.
store the balance balls in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.