potatoes

(VEGAN) HASSELBACK POTATO & SHALLOT GRATIN / November 9, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

(VEGAN) HASSELBACK POTATO & SHALLOT GRATIN | Dolly and Oatmeal

i’m going to keep this short since i think we can all agree that potatoes - especially creamy potatoes - speak for themselves. essentially, this dish is a combination of the thin slices of hasselback potatoes, combined with the creaminess that is a potato au gratin. there’s a sauce that includes almond milk simmered with garlic, and mixed with soaked cashews, some nutritional yeast, and a couple other pantry goods. it smothers said potato slices, and then is topped with vegan cheese shreds. it’s a pretty easy dish to compile, and quite inexpensive as well, if i may add. the most labor intensive part comes when you arrange the potatoes and shallots vertically in your pan, other than that, it’s a pretty smooth ride for something so delicious :)

this pot of potatoes could possibly feed a small army, or some very hungry guests at your thanksgiving or holiday table. i’ve included some recipe notes below that may answer some questions. i truly hope you get the chance to make this one, it’s so good :)

happy days, friends. xo!

HASSELBACK POTATO & SHALLOT GRATIN | v/gf

notes -

using a mandolin is your best bet here. it streamlines the process, and gives you even slices and guarantees even cooking.
vegan cheese tip - if there’s a preferred shredded vegan cheese brand you like, go for it. however, i prefer using miyoko’s vegan mozzarella. the flavor is on point, and it melt, bubbles, and browns like dairy-based cheese. the only down side is that it’s super soft. while you could definitely crumble the cheese, i like throwing it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, then using the large holes on box grater.
this dish is best made the day of. unfortunately it tends to dry out if you make it ahead and try to reheat (i haven’t tried to reheat leftovers in the microwave, however. let me know if you try!).

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cream

3/4 cup cashews, soaked for at least 3 hours or overnight, drained and rinsed
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
5 cloves garlic
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
a few cracks fresh pepper
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

potatoes & shallots

extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
4-5 lbs (about 6-8) russet potatoes, peeled
5 shallots
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
4 ounces shredded vegan cheese

method

preheat oven to 325°F.
make the cream. combine the almond milk, garlic, salt and pepper in a small saucepan. bring to a simmer, and whisk frequently, until the garlic cloves are tender, about 12-15 minutes. let cool for about 10 minutes.
pour the almond milk mixture into the container of an upright blender. add the cashews, nutritional yeast, dijon, and vinegar. blend on high until everything is creamy and smooth, about 45 seconds. taste and adjust any seasonings (keep in mind: the sauce will be quite salty, that’s ok since we don’t season the potatoes). set aside.
oil the bottom and sides of a 3 - 3 1/2 quart baking dish, braiser, cast iron pan, etc. sprinkle the bottom with coarse sea salt, a couple cracks of fresh pepper, and a few thyme sprigs.
using a mandolin (or if you have really great knife skills, a sharp knife), carefully slice the potatoes and shallots very thin, about 1/8-inch thick. fan the potatoes out vertically, making your way from the edge of the pan into the interior as you go. wedge the shallot slices between the potatoes. you want everything to cook evenly, so pack them, but not too tightly. sprinkle over the remaining thyme, then evenly spread the cheese over top as well.
cover tightly with parchment paper, and then with foil. carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 60-80 minutes, until potatoes are tender. remove the parchment and foil and increase the heat to broil. broil until the cheese is lightly browned in spots and bubbling, about 5-10 minutes.
remove from the oven and garnish with more thyme. let the potatoes cool for 20-30 minutes before serving.

more thanksgiving recipes:

vegan twice baked potatoes w/ pumpkin seed dukkah

Salty Smashed Potatoes w/ Harissa Yogurt / 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! :)

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| 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

Roasted Garlic Basil Pesto Potatoes with Arugula / September 21, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Roasted Garlic Basil Pesto Potatoes with Arugula | dolly and oatmeal #vegan

if there's any month out of the year that i'm super predictable in terms of what i'm craving and end up preparing, it's september. while i love everything about this seasonal in-between, a month where the abundance of late summer produce bumps into, and overlaps with the beginning of autumn, it leaves me totally stumped. the copious amounts of fresh vegetables and fruit this time of year can often lead me to a boggled brain that can't focus on a specific dish to prepare. so i'm always selfishly thankful that the fall cookbook season falls around this time!

potatoes, fresh tender greens, and herbs like basil are still at my local market sitting right alongside first-of-the-season winter squash, sweet potatoes, and hearty greens like kale and collards. i'm still favoring a bit of summer mixed in with the coziness of a roasted dish. so when i was turning the pages of angela liddon's beautiful new cookbook, oh she glows every day, i knew that this roasted potato recipe culminated all the feelings i have about food this season into one simple, tasty dish.

there's so much goodness to choose from in this book. it starts with smoothie and smoothie bowls, then moves to breakfast recipes, and snacks. there's a slew of in-between meals including salads (including a sorghum-based gluten-free tabbouleh that i'm super excited about), side dishes and soups, and mains. but what caught my eye in the index initially was the homemade staples section! i love quick, easy, go-to staples that i can make in advance and have to make meals that much easier to compose. all-in-all it's a wonderfully comprehensive book, full of beautiful photos shot by my pal ashley mclaughlin, that will for sure be a kitchen companion for years and years!

xo's!

roasted garlic pesto potatoes with arugula | v

notes: angela notes that leftovers can be served straight from the fridge as a cold potato salad.

| serves 4 | prep time: 15 minutes cook time: 40 minutes

for the potatoes

2 pounds (900 g) yukon gold or red potatoes, unpeeled, chopped into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups/1.5 L)
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons (22 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the roasted garlic

1 large garlic head
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

for the pesto

1 cup (250 mL/3/4 ounce/20 g) lightly packed fresh basil leaves
3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 mL) hemp hearts
1/4 cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper

for the salad

3 cups (750 mL) baby arugula, chopped
fresh lemon juice, for serving (optional)
1 tablespoon (15 mL) hemp hearts, for garnish

method

preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). line an extra-large baking sheet (15x21-inches/38x 53 cm) with parchment paper.
make the potatoes. place the potatoes on the baking sheet and toss with the olive oil until thoroughly coated. spread the potatoes into an even layer. season with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
make the roasted garlic. slice the top off the garlic bulb so all the individual garlic cloves are trimmed. place garlic bulb on a square of aluminum foil (about 8 inches/20 cm square) and drizzle the top of the cloves with the olive oil. wrap the garlic bulb entirely in the foil and place it on the baking sheet with the potatoes.
roast the potatoes and garlic for 20 minutes, then remove pan from the oven and flip the potatoes with a spatula. return the potatoes and garlic to the oven and continue roasting for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the potatoes are golden and fork-tender.
make the pesto. in a food processor, combine the pesto ingredients and process until mostly smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary. keep the pesto in the processor because we will add the roasted garlic as the final step.
remove the potatoes and garlic from the oven. carefully unwrap the garlic bulb and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, until it's cool enough to handle.
turn off the oven and return the potatoes to the oven with the door ajar so they stay warm. (you can also put the potatoes into an oven-safe casserole dish so the dish stays warm when serving.) squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the bulb. you should have about 2 packed tablespoons (30 mL) of roasted garlic. add it into the food processor with the pesto. process until mostly smooth - you can add a touch more oil if necessary to get it going.
assemble the salad. this is the important part where you need to act fast (angela notes that she likes to assemble the salad quickly so that it stays warm when she serves it.) grab a large serving bowl and place the arugula in the bottom of the bowl. you can break it up into smaller pieces with your hands a bit. then, remove the potatoes from the oven and quickly place them into the serving bowl on top of the arugula. toss the potatoes and arugula with the pesto until thoroughly combined. taste and season with salt and pepper. add another drizzle of lemon juice if need be. sprinkle on the hemp hearts and serve immediately.