lunch

Kasbah Burger from "Veggie Burger Atelier" / March 14, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Kasbah Burger from "Veggie Burger Atelier" | Dolly and Oatmeal

veggie burgers aren't something that i naturally gravitate to. at home, they can be somewhat labor intensive for our dinner-in-a-flash lifestyle at the moment. and on past occasions, they have proven hard for me to develop a texture and flavor that i really like. most times they fall apart on me (which, admittedly, can be fun salad toppers), and the idea of risking to flip them over on the stove gives me way too much anxiety. so i leave the veggie burgers to more seasoned professions.

case in point, this burger recipe, and many others, from nina olsson's ( nourish atelier) newest cookbook, Veggie Burger Atelier. if you don't already know nina, she is a master of combining vibrant flavors in her dishes, while making them plant-based gems. and her photography will make you want to eat the pages of both her books, and her blog. in her latest book, nina takes you on an absolutely clever tour of world, via veggie burgers!

the book's first chapter begins in northern europe. then the chapters weave through the middle east and north africa. next, it heads east to asia, then to the US, and ends in south america. each chapter/part of the world, contains burger patty recipes as well as recipes for homemade condiments such as: asian bbq sauce, hoisin sauce, harissa, vegan feta cream, etc.! there are also recipes for homemade buns, dressings, and burger accompaniments. nina take care of it all!

a couple weeks ago, i took on poll on instgram stories asking which burger i should make (they all sounded so good, i couldn't choose). it was between this kasbah burger, and the grill burger. the winner of the poll was the grill burger, BUT so many people dm'ed me asking what the kasbah was, so i decided to flip it and share the underdog here (if you voted, forgive me!). the kasbah burger (which, i can't not sing the clash song: rock the casbah, in my head when i say the title of this recipe) is a mix of eggplant, mushrooms, onion, and freekeh (which i subbed with rice as a gluten-free alternative) at its base. it's then pulsed with ingredients like: pistachios, raisins, nutritional yeast, harissa, smoked paprika, and cinnamon. all pantry staples that come together to make a mega tasty veggie patty. frank, who's a meat-loving guy, loved these burgers! so i know it will win the hearts and bellies of so many diets/lifestyles :)

xo, friends!

**and be sure to tag @dollyandoatmeal when you're making any recipes from the site or my book! i love regramming you all on instagram stories! xo!

kasbah burger | v

recipe by Nina Ollson from Veggie Burger Atelier

NOTES: nina notes to make these with muhammara sauce (a red pepper, walnut, and bread-based dip/sauce), shredded cabbage, fired or baked sweet potatoes, and sliced avocado. i took a couple of shortcuts, and topped my burgers with store-bought red pepper hummus and beet kraut, sliced avocado, and microgreens.

| makes 4 burgers |

for patties

2 3/4 cups (193 g) mushrooms
1 small eggplant, halved
1 medium-sized red onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup (228 g) cooked freekah or bulgar (*gluten-free option below)
1/2 cup (78 g) rolled oats
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoon (27 g) pistachios, ground
2 tablespoons (18 g) raisins, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (8 g) nutritional yeast or grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon (15 g) harissa**
1 teaspoon pimenton (smoked paprika)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
vegetable oil or ghee, for frying
4 buns, halved and warmed

toppings

muhammara
thinly shredded red cabbage
fried or baked sweet potato slices
avocado

*gluten-free option: substitute the 1 cup freekah or bulgar, with 1 cup brown rice.

**i didn't have harissa on-hand, nor did i have time to make it. in lieu, i added a pinch of ground cayenne pepper (which is not similar flavor wise) for some heat.

method

preheat the oven to 350°F (180C). place the mushrooms, eggplant, and red onion on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. bake for 30 minutes. let cool. transfer the cooked vegetables to a large bowl and the remaining ingredients (through cinnamon) and mix to combine. transfer to a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until the mixture is sticky. refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes, or up to 24 hours covered.
place a skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of vegetable oil or 1 tablespoon (14g) ghee. fry the patties for 3 to 4 minutes per side. lightly season again with salt and pepper. place the patties on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
serve the patties between the warm buns topped with muhammara.

similar recipes:

sprouted quinoa ramp sliders w/ garlicky cucumber slaw

avocado club sandwich w/ marinated portobello mushrooms

Chipotle Black Bean Tortilla Soup from Pretty Simple Cooking / February 22, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Chipotle Tortilla Soup from Pretty Simple Cooking | Dolly and Oatmeal

it's finally been chilly enough throughout the entire day that i can comfortably wear a couple of the sweaters i bought for "winter". most people i talk to say this warm, sunny winter isn't normal for this time of year, so consider me very grateful. but you know that feeling at the end of summer when you want the heat to dissipate, and all you want to do is hunker down, make a pot of soup, and wear your biggest comfiest sweater? well i feel i've been having one of those moments for months, and finally the cool weather has come! and i celebrated by choosing the coziest dish i could find among the beautiful pages of my friends sonja and alex's new book, pretty simple cooking! if you don't already know sonja and alex, they are the lovely duo behind the blog, a couple cooks; and their podcast, a couple cooks podcast. their blog focusses on whole food, vegetarian recipes. they're the kind of recipes we all want to reach for: delicious, fun, accessible, and not intimidating!

their book is a reflection of that philosophy, too! admittedly, i get into dinner ruts all the time, so i always flip to the mains section of the cookbooks i own for ideas and inspiration. and now with amesy, i really only choose recipes with accessible, easy-to-prep ingredients, and easy-to-execute recipes. and as soon as i opened the pages of pretty simple cooking i was met with a flurry of recipes that i cannot wait to make! on the list is: darn good vegan chili, their burrito bowl with lime crema(!), falafel burgers, and their rainbow soba noodle bowls. i've already made this delightful tortilla soup which has been so satisfying to eat on these chilly nights, along with their bliss bites (basically an inside out peanut butter cup, but with good-for-you ingredients!) which are the easiest to make, and hit the spot every time i'm craving something chocolatey.

this soup though! it's super satisfying and so, so tasty. i'm not the biggest chipotle person, i usually use chipotle powder (because i'm a wuss and usually add a teeny pinch), but i love the flavor here. it brings a depth to this soup it wouldn't have had without it. i ended up having to skip the corn because i was shopping with amesy and forgot to get it at the store. but i could see adding some cooked sweet potato or carrots could be great here too if you're like me and forget ingredients all the time! but the best part are the tortilla strips - they're the perfect little nod to a traditional tortilla soup and make everything taste 100 times more amazing, plus they're baked, and taste just as good as the fried version!

wishing you all a cozy week ❤️

chipotle black bean tortilla soup | gf & v

Reprinted from Pretty Simple Cooking by Sonja and Alex Overhiser with permission from the publisher.

print the recipe!

| serves 4 to 6 |

6 6-inch corn tortillas
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
4 medium garlic cloves
2 15-ounce cans black beans
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups frozen corn (fire roasted, if possible)
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)*
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 radishes, for garnigh
1 lime, for garnish
1 handful cilantro, for garnish
hot sauce (optional)

method

preheat the oven to 375°F.
make the tortilla strips: brush the tortillas lightly with olive oil on each side. using a pizza cutter, slice them in half, then into thin strips. place the strips on a baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt. bake for 10 to 12 minutes until crispy and lightly browned.
make the soup: peel and dice the onion. dice the green pepper. peel and mince the garlic. drain and rinse the beans.
in a large pot of dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. add the green pepper and the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. stir in the oregano and the cumin for 1 minute. add the tomatoes, beans, corn, adobo sauce, broth, and kosher salt. bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. taste and add additional adobo sauce or kosher salt if desired.
prepare the garnishes: slice the radishes. slice the lime into wedges.
to serve, ladle the soup into bowls and allow to cool to warm. garnish with tortilla strips, radishes, torn cilantro leaves, hot sauce, and plenty of lime juice.

alex and sonja's notes:

*use 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can, the peppers and remaining sauce can be reserved (or frozen) for future use.

GF* for gluten-free, use gluten-free adobo sauce (check packaging prior to purchase).

similar recipes:

*BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHILI W/ CILANTRO YOGURT*

Athena's Creamy Cauliflower Soup W/ Dukkah & Watercress Pesto / October 19, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Athena's Creamy Cauliflower Soup W/ Dukkah & Watercress Pesto | dolly and oatmeal

i wasn't always very keen on cooking. the truth is, that until i met frank, and he and i started dating, i didn't really enjoy the process of cooking that much. but as our relationship progressed, the notion of cooking for someone else and pleasing their tummy and tastebuds really appealed to me. so much so, that while frank and i grew a relationship and fell in love with each other, i simultaneously cultivated a little love affair with cooking as well.

before we moved in together, we would take turns cooking at our respective apartments. he would generally "cook" sandwiches, which were seriously good. and i would plan some sort of intricate dinner like a ricotta gnocchi recipe that i had ripped from the pages of the new york times. but saturday and sunday mornings were reserved for getting up a bit early to make a batch of scones or muffins that i had bookmarked and printed out weeks before. i would scotch tape the recipes to the my kitchen cabinets where they would become one with my little kitchen - splatters, drips, and all! maybe you would have guessed, but as mine and frank's connection grew stronger so did my love for preparing our meals.

cooking and developing recipes for a living has its considerable perks, but the past year that drive has waned a bit with having a baby. and i have often felt that love and connection to food disipate. i've talked to some other moms about this, and i know it's not just me. but that continual tug in two completely different directions of wanting to the best, most present mama, while also striving to be the best at your career has taken its toll. which is why every time a new cookbook shows up on my doorstep i am eternally grateful for the wonderful authors who share their stories, hearts, and kitchens with us every time fall and spring roll around.

so, today i'm cooking from a new book, cook beautiful, by athena colderone of the blog, eyeswoon. the recipes are organized by the seasons of the year, so i flipped right to the fall chapter and gathered a load of east coast autumn inspiration. i chose to make this creamy cauliflower soup to really welcome fall into my kitchen (although, it's literally 90 degrees in LA as i'm writing this), and give you all some chilly-weather meal inspiration as well. this cauliflower soup is a wonderfully delicious blank canvas - and you could certainly serve and eat this as is. but athena paired it beautifully with a pistachio dukkah (a middle eastern spice and nut/seed blend), and a zesty watercress-pistachio pesto. the dukkah added a flavorful crunch, while the pesto added a perfect bit of brightness to make an unassuming soup really shine. just like the title, states this book is beautiful in every way. i could see my younger self being too intimidated to cook from it just from its shear beauty, but i think it really beckons you to cook your most beautiful, push your boundaries a bit by introducing you to new ideas, and different ways of preparing a typical meal.

big cozy hugs! xo

creamy cauliflower soup w/ dukkah & watercress pesto

recipe from Cook Beautiful by Athena Calderone

*my notes: athena's recipe calls for heavy cream. if you don't handle dairy well, like me, then you can replace it with 1/4 cup tahini which i added to the blender during step 5.

| serves 4 |

1 large head of cauliflower (about 2 pounds/910 g), cored and cut into bite-size florets
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
kosher salt
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in half lengthwise and rinsed clean
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces (225 g) yukon gold potatoes (about 3), peeled and quartered
3 cups (720 ml) chicken stock
2/3 cup (185 ml) heavy cream
2 lemons, zested and juiced
freshly cracked pepper
watercress pistachio pesto, for serving
dukkah, for serving

watercress pistachio pesto | makes 2 cups

1/3 cup (45 g) unslated pistachios, toasted, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 cups (60 g) packed watercress
3/4 cup (45 g) packed fresh parsely
2/3 cup (165 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup (75 ml) lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
zest of 1 lemon
kosher salt

dukkah | makes 3/4 cup

3/4 cup (95 g) unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup (40 g) sesame seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon kosher salt

method

soup

preheat oven to 425°F (220°C)
spread the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet. drizzle the generously with oil, season with salt, and toss to coat. roast for 15 minutes, tossing the cauliflower halfway through. continue to roast until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
while the cauliflower is roasting, chop the leeks crosswise into roughly 1/4-inch (6-mm) slices. in a medium saucepan, heat the oil and thyme over medium heat and saute the leeks until they are slightly softened, about 2 minutes. add the garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes more.
add the potatoes, stock, cream, 2 cups (480 ml) water, and the roasted cauliflower to the pot. bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and cover, cooking until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. once the potatoes are tender, remove the thyme stems from the mixture (the leaves should have fallen off during cooking).
transfer the mixture to a blender and cover the hole of the blender top with a towel. blend until the mixture is very smooth. stir in the lemon juice and season with 2 teaspoons salt and some pepper. divide the soup among four bowls and top it with lemon zest, a swirl of the watercress pesto, and a sprinkle of dukkah.

pesto

in a food processor, pulse the pistachios, watercress, and parsley until coarsely chopped, about 10 pulses. add the oil and lemon juice and process until a smooth, loose paste forms, about three 10-second pulses. transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir in the melon zest, and season with salt. covered in the refrigerator, with a layer of olive oil on top, the pesto will last 3 to 4 days.

dukkah

in a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast the pistachios for minutes, until warm. add the sesame seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds. continue to toast for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the seeds are fragrant. transfer the mixture to a mini food processor, along with the peppercorns and salt. pulse until the pistachios are coarsely chopped the dukkah can be used immediately or stored in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 week.