side dish

June 7, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Salty Smashed Potatoes w/ Harissa Yogurt Sauce | Dolly and Oatmeal

i think we can unequivocally say: potatoes are life. especially this time of year. around mid-june, back on the east coast, would be the beginning of new potato season. my favorite farm stand, fishkill farms at our tiny brooklyn farmers market had the best little taters, second only to the csa potatoes my mom would get from stone barns farm. every week we looked forward to roasting them plain with a bit of salt & pep, grilling them kebab-style with red onions, or making a potato salad. but in all that time, i never tried a smashed version. a couple weeks ago, frank and i had a very casual memorial day celebration at our place, and i made smashed potatoes for the first time! and now i'm kind of obsessed with them. so much so, i have a few notes/technique tips for you to making these potatoes the very best.

let's get started:

to start, choose your potatoes wisely. I would advise to use fresh, market potatoes, simply because they taste the best. you also want to keep them whole when you boil them, so the little to medium ones work best.

next, i tried 3 different techniques in smashing them: using the bottom of a glass - this worked, but didn't make the potatoes craggy enough. getting as many craggy surfaces allows for a lot of crunchy bits - which is key. using the bottom of a baking sheet - while this is a great way to smash them if you're low on time, it still doesn't' produce a craggy enough surface (for me). using a fork - i used a couple different forks, and what i found best was a large serving fork. the potatoes are quite tender at the point when you're smashing them, so i found that a large fork, with a good amount of space between each prong worked the best. and, drum roll, they produced the very best craggy, crunchy tops! take away: use a serving fork!

another find. this might be controversial, but we're gonna roll with it. i know there's all sorts of scientific studies/research that you should really use high heat oil when cooking above 350°F, and i usually do, but i really couldn't get down with the flavor of avocado oil on these babes. so! i used extra virgin olive oil for that perfect flavor.

serve them immediately. they're best when served straight out of the oven. i wouldn't recommend this as a make-ahead dish. you can reheat them, but they're kinda not the same (similar to reheating french fries, ya know?). and that it on my notes!

one more thing, i served these with a simple harissa yogurt sauce, which adds creamy, spicy, cool elements to the mix that just give you just about everything you need. but could definitely eat them plain, with vegan sour cream, maybe some kite hill cream cheese, yogurt-tahini sauce, etc., etc.!

happy june, lovelies!! xo

salty smashed potatoes w/ harissa yogurt | v & gf

to note, the harissa paste i used had preserved lemon in it. so, if you're using a homemade or store-bought harissa, with no lemon juice, i would suggest adding a squeeze into the sauce.
all other recipe notes can be found above! :)

PRINT THE RECIPE!

| serves 4 |

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
flaky sea salt
fresh ground pepper

harissa yogurt (makes extra)

5 ounces dairy-free (plain, unsweetened) greek-style yogurt (preferably this brand)
2 tablespoons harissa paste (this is my favorite brand)
1-2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 garlic clove, grated
fine sea salt
fresh ground pepper
chopped parsley and dill, for garnish (optional)

method

place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. turn the heat down to a simmer. cook the potatoes until just tender (use a sharp knife to pierce a potato, if it sticks a bit but can easily slide off the knife they're ready), checking at the 10 minute mark, if they're not tender, continue to cook, checking after a couple of minutes under tender.
while the potatoes are cooking, mix together the yogurt, harissa, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. taste and add more maple syrup if needed. cover, and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
drain the potatoes, then let them dry a clean dish towel.
preheat the oven to 450°F. line 2 baking sheets with parchments paper, and grease with a good drizzle of olive oil; use your hands to distribute it evenly. place the potatoes on the oiled pans, about 1-2 inches apart. use a large fork (notes above) to gently smash the potatoes down.
pour the remaining oil into a dish, use a pastry brush to brush the tops and sides. sprinkle with chopped parsley, flaky sea salt, and a few cracks of pepper.
bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until browned and crisp. remove from the oven and sprinkle with more parsley, and some dill sprigs.
serve immediately with the harissa yogurt sauce.

more potato recipes:

roasted fingerling w/ romesco & herby black quinoa

creamy horseradish potato salad w/ pickled shallots & dill

warm fingerling potatoes w/ garlic-turmeric sauce

Pan-Fried Artichoke Hearts With Parsley From "A Table In Venice" / April 26, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Pan-Fried Artichoke Hearts w/ Parsley | Dolly and Oatmeal

hi guys! sorry, it's a been a minute since meeting you here last. i had every intention of sharing this recipe last week, but we all got hit last week with some strange form of a springtime flu (although amesy had an abbreviated version of it thanks to the flu shot)! and as if that wasn't enough, we moved to a new home last weekend as well! it was one of the quickest moves we ever had, which is why i didn't even get to share the news here first with you all. our lease was up, we saw this sweet bungalow apartment in silver lake, and so, here we are! it's such a sweet little home, and among many of its perks, it has a dishwasher, which i am so grateful for; and a quaint little garden space out front and back. i can't wait to share more here soon!

but let's switch gears a bit and talk spring, and artichokes. while artichokes are not generally my favorite, they do have a place at my kitchen table. and while i don't prepare them often, artichokes are a beautiful spring time vegetable that speak to the visual senses - they're just so dang beautiful to look at. as someone who is very visual, i look at food and i'm either into it or not. give me a big mess of food on my plate, and i'm liable not to eat much of it (maybe that's why i don't care for thanksgiving that much?). which is why this artichoke dish totally spoke to me. and i think it will to you too.

getting to the artichoke heart is science, a talent perhaps, that i don't possess. but! it challenges you in just the right way. there are thorny parts, and ways to pluck the leaves - it's an intentional process that urges you to take a closer look at the beauty of nature, it's kind of incredible. i don't see this as one of those easy, back-pocket recipes that you can throw together on a whim. but, if you love cooking, getting to know a lesser used vegetable, and want a deliciously simple little dish to share with your people, this is it.

skye mcalpine's new book, a table in venice, is a collection of recipes hailing from one of the most mystical, magical, and romantic cities in the world - venice, italy. aside from not even imagining what it must feel like to live on/in the water like its residents do, the history, and charm is kind of surreal. each and every recipe and photo in skye's book transports you to any and every lovely notion you have of venice. and while she uses dairy and gluten in many of her recipes, i can see pulling this book out to make special treats for my family. there are homemade fresh pastries like brioche from scratch. homemade pasta, a handful of risotto recipes, and an entire section dedicated to little venetian bites to nibble on with an afternoon aperitif. romantic, but realistic. it's a "treat yourself" kind of cookbook ☺️

happiest springtime, loves! xo!

Pan-Fried Artichoke Hearts With Parsley | Dolly and Oatmeal

pan-fried artichoke hearts with parsley | gf

recipe from A Table In Venice by Skye McAlpine

| serves 6 as a starter |

6 globe artichokes
1 lemon
1 tablespoon salted butter*
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
small bunch of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (150ml) vegetable broth

*i replaced the butter with ghee.

method

to prepare the artichokes, snap off the outer, tougher leaves. work your way around the artichoke until the leaves begin to feel soft to the touch and become paler in color. now, use a sharp paring knife to trim away the green skin around the base of the artichoke and the stem, then cut across the artichoke just below the point where the leaves meet the heart. then cut across the bottom of the artichoke so you are left with a thick, flat disk. discard all the leaves and scoop out the remaining choke. as you work, toss the cleaned hearts into a large bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon. (you can do this ahead of time, if you like, and leave them in cold acidulated water for up to 1 day).
spoon the butter and olive oil into a large frying pan and add the garlic. set over medium heat for a minute or so, until the butter has melted. now add the artichoke hearts, face down, and gently cook for 3 to 5 minutes until browned, turning them so they color lightly on both side. add the parsley, and season with a little salt and pepper. pour in the broth, cover the pan, and let cook for about 20 minutes, until the artichokes become tender; if you pierce them with a paring knife, you should feel very little resistance.
lift the lid, turn the artichokes over and pan-fry until all the stock has evaporated, about 10 minutes. serve hot or at room temperature. (the cooked artichokes will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days.)

similar recipes:

herbed black beluga lentils w/ garlic scapes & yogurt sauce

chickpea bean bowl w/ toasted breadcrumbs and dill tahini

Everyday Roasted Veggies / March 1, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Everyday Roasted Veggies | Dolly and Oatmeal

happy march! i'm not sure about you, but i'm glad to see february go, and that we're starting fresh with a new month! back in new york i would count excitedly for the weeks of march to pass so we could finally get to the spring equinox. then, in just a couple of short weeks the buds on the crab apple tree in our backyard would begin to bud, and the chives in my planter would start to sprout. those are glorious memories, and ones i hold dear because here in LA it seems as though most plant life is alive and grooving, no matter time of year it is. (which is awesome, just also totally strange to me!) i knew i would miss the ebb and flow of what i knew seasons to be, but spring being my favorite is making me super nostalgic for those days.

i always find that my meals mimic my mood which still honors winter, but is so very ready for the shift that the new season always brings with it. so around this time of year i find myself eating somewhere between heavy winter meals, sprinkled with some lighter spring fare. think: this creamy pasta situation, with this hearty seasonal salad. but once a week, no matter what season it is (expect the height of summer, maybe) i roast a huge tray of veggies for frank and i. in the fall months it's root veg with all the squash, and in the spring it's usually a lighter medley where i throw asparagus in in the last 10 minutes of roasting. but in the winter i roast this tray of veggies here.

it's a simple combination of brussels sprouts, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. they're doused in my forever favorite spice mixture: garlic powder, onion, powder, and smoked paprika. it coats the vegetables perfectly making them so, so tasty. but the mushrooms are my favorite, and hold all the flavor, in my opinion. the shiitakes absorb a lot of liquid, so naturally you use a bit more oil here. and when they're roasted with the spices they take on a beautiful umami flavor, with an almost meaty (but not in a gross way, i promise!) texture. so while i'm calling these everyday roasted veggies, they're actually: everyday veggies taken up a notch.

wishing you a wonderful start to a new month, loves! xo!

everyday roasted veggies

you could swap out a veggie here or there with the same results. you could use sweet potato, cubed winter squash, parsnips, white potatoes, etc. i would urge you not to swap out the mushrooms though, they're really the tastemaker here ;)

print the recipe!

| serves 4 |

| prep time: 10 minutes | | cook time: 35-40 minutes|

1 pound brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and outer leaves removed, and sliced in half
1 bunch carrots, washed, peeled, and sliced into 1-inch pieces on a diagonal
12 large shiitake mushroom caps (roughly 8 ounces), sliced into 1/2-inch thickness
2-3 tablespoons avocado oil
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & fresh pepper, to taste
chopped parsley, for garnish

method

preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
in a large bowl, toss together the brussels sprouts, carrots, and mushrooms with the oil. add the spices, and salt & pepper to taste, and toss everything together until the veggies are evenly coated. spread the veggies evenly onto your baking sheet. roast for 35-40 minutes, stirring them halfway through, until the veggies are cooked through, and lightly browned and crisp.
transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped parsley and a couple more pinches of salt. serve immediately :)