garlic

GARLIC LOVER'S MASHED CAULIFLOWER / November 17, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i feel like we’ve hit somewhat of a stride with our day-to-day. i just cracked the code on getting dinner on the table for all of us at the same time, which has been a job in it of itself since amesy eats a different dinner than us (small steps!). and while there’s more meltdowns and overly emotional outbursts, amesy is becoming such a little person and it’s just been the biggest joy to witness. he’s recently been talking and chatting, and describing his little world with such enthusiasm (and intensity at times). i couldn’t be more thankful, especially this time of year that i get to call him mine.

part of why i’ve been trying to get us all to eat together is to get amesy more interested in different food since he can be apprehensive in trying new things. that’s where this recipe comes in. it’s easy, a cinch to make, and is so delicious. your toddler will likely love it, and yes, it’s perfect for your holiday table, too! basically, it checks all the boxes.

it’s really just a basic cauliflower whip made a bit more vegan/special diet-friendly, and whipped up with roasted garlic and garlic salt for a garlic lover’s dream of creamy goodness. it’s a riff off of the mashed potatoes my mom used to make with the biggest difference there being that.she used onion salt. but she would whip them so creamy, with little-to-no lumps, so that’s what i was going for here. with all the carb-loading this holiday season this dish is quite the welcome.

biggest holiday hugs going out to you! forever thankful for this community!

xo’s!

garlic lovers mashed cauliflower | v & gf

not all vegan butter is created equal. i tend to use miyoko’s, but earth balance is pretty good too. just keep an eye out for how much salt the butter contains (if any) this will be an indicator of how much salt you use in the recipe.
i call for garlic salt, if you don’t have it, see below for the recipe*

print the recipe!

| serves 4 |

1 head garlic
avocado oil
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, at room temp
3 tablespoons vegan butter
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped herbs (i used a mix of sage, thyme, and rosemary)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
extra virgin olive oil (optional)

*garlic salt

mix together 1 tablespoon fine sea salt, with 1 teaspoon garlic powder. store in a lidded container at room temperature for up to 3 months.

method

preheat oven to 400°F. slice the top of the garlic to expose the garlic cloves. place the garlic head on foil, and spray or drizzle with the oil to coat. fold it loosely to make a packet. cook until the garlic cloves are tender, roughly 30-40 minutes. remove from the oven and let cool.
place cauliflower florets into the basket of a steamer. bring about 1-inch of water to a boil and set the steamer inside, cover and cook until very tender, about 12-15 minutes.
while the cauliflower is steaming, get your other ingredients ready. place 2 roasted garlic cloves, milk, butter, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, and pepper into the container of a food processor fitted with a metal “s” blade.
carefully transfer the cauliflower to the food processor and blend until creamy and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed, about 45 seconds. taste the mashed cauli, add more roasted garlic, garlic salt as needed, and pulse once more to combine.
place the mashed cauliflower in a serving bowl and sprinkle with the herbs and a few drizzles of olive oil (if using). serve hot.

similar recipes:

roasted fingerlings w/ garlicky-turmeric sauce

Bean-Less, Sunflower Seed & Black Garlic Hummus / May 31, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Bean-Less Hummus! Sunflower Seed & Black Garlic Hummus | Dolly and Oatmeal

i already know the question exists out there that if chickpeas aren't involved in a hummus recipe, does it even qualify as hummus? my personal answer is yes, yes it does in fact qualify. there are many iterations of certain recipes where i draw the line, but when you can modify a beloved food with an ingredient to slightly alter it, then i wholeheartedly think that it has a place at the table.

i first had a sunflower hummus at one of my favorite brooklyn restaurants, vinegar hill house. frank and i went for our birthdays one warm september night and ordered it for our appetizer. theirs was a combination of chickpeas and sunflowers seeds, and they topped it with anise oil and roasted summer squash, but i still remember the hummus' flavor and silky smooth texture. it's been almost 3 years since that meal, and i've thought about making a sunflower seed hummus, sans chickpeas, in that time. a few weeks ago i pulled the trigger, and i'm so excited i did :)

first, there are few things to make this hummus the very best it can possibly be:

a high-speed-blender is key to making it super smooth.
good quality tahini is also pretty crucial (i highlight a few of my favorite brands below).
if you have the time, make hummus ahead of time. i try to plan a couple days out when i i'm going to make it, having it sit in the fridge to let the flavors meld make all the difference (in this hummus, but all other hummus recipes as well). i prefer to eat homemade hummus 2-3 days after it was prepared, it's just that much tastier.

i will say, you do have to be a fan of sunflowers seed's flavor in order to enjoy this hummus. i personally love it; it's nutty and full-bodied, and totally luscious. a bit thicker than its chickpea hummus counterpart, but still fluffy and smooth like a good hummus should be. i like sprinkling the top with za'atar, adding a glug of good quality extra virgin olive oil, as well a pinch of flaky sea salt. you could definitely add your own toppings, or add a specific spice into the blending process that you prefer, but i try to refrain from taking too much flavor away from the lovely combination of flavors here.

favorite tahini brands: (most of these i was able to find in certain neighborhoods in brooklyn or nyc, but fortunately they're also available online as well :) . i also should note that i use tahini almost everyday, and therefore i store it at room temperature, which i prefer. but if you use it less frequently, then i would suggest storing in the fridge.)

beirut - my brooklyn go-to (but you apparently you can purchase it online, too)
soom
seed + mill
365 - an everyday grocery store go-to
al wadi
roland

big hummus-y hugs!! xo

sunflower seed & black garlic hummus

black garlic can be hard to come by. if you can't find it, and you don't mind another step, roast a head of garlic and use 2-3 cloves. but if you don't want another step, simply use regular garlic.

PRINT THE RECIPE!

| makes just over 2 cups hummus |

1 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked overnight (or at least 4 hours), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup tahini
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 large lemon, or 2 small lemons)
4 cloves black garlic cloves (or 2-3 cloves roasted garlic cloves, or 1-2 cloves regular garlic, roughly chopped) *see notes above
fine sea salt
fresh ground pepper
filtered water, to thin

optional garnishes:

za'atar
extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of flaky sea salt
herb flowers

method

combine the seeds, tahini, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, garlic, salt (i start with about 1 teaspoon, and add more later if needed), a couple grinds of pepper, and 1/2 cup water in the container of a high-speed blender (if you don't have a blender, a food processor will do, but the hummus will not have a silky smooth texture). whiz everything together on high, scraping down the sides of the blender as you go. add more water as needed to get everything blended and smooth.
once it's blended to your desired consistency (i tend to like it a bit on the thinner, silkier side), taste and adjust the salt, and lemon juice, if needed.
scrape the hummus into an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
serve with a sprinkle of za'atar, a swirl of olive oil, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and herb flowers to garnish. grilled or toasted bread is optional, but very much preferred ;)

similar recipes:

black beluga lentil hummus w/ roasted garlic & fennel

Sweet Pea Oven Risotto w/ Garlicky Pea Shoots / June 8, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

apparently there's something called june gloom here in southern california. the mornings and early afternoons are cloudy and chilly, and the late afternoons open up to bright blue skies and warm sunshine. but i'm not really finding anything super gloomy about it (for now). back in new york there would be super cold spring days, and the kind of spring days that are muggy and in the 80's. essentially, real spring days are numbered in new york, which is why i'm loving the LA weather lately. and to be honest, i'm not quite in shorts or bathing suit shape yet, so i'm selfishly excited i still get to rock yoga pants and sweatshirts for a little bit longer.

the desert nights are another thing i absolutely love here. no matter how hot it gets during the day there are always enough cool breezes to go around and sufficiently cool everything down. which is why i love this spring risotto dish. the recipe hits that seasonal in between perfectly, in that it has all those great spring vegetables, but it's cozy enough for a cool night. the risotto comes from sarah waldman's new book, Feeding A Family. i had been anxiously awaiting sarah's book since she began teasing posts about it on instagram a ways back, and she was kind enough to send me a copy. i'm a big fan of her site and love that she lived on my favorite island in the world, martha's vineyard.

the book is organized by season. in each season are dinner recipes accompanied by a side dish, and in most cases, a dessert. the book provides great structure for making family-based meals, which i love. in this (still) new world of having a baby, and still trying to prepare meals for my family, this book is a wonderful guide. sarah's recipe are approachable yet delicate, and are inclusive of lots of diets. but what i love most is her notes on how to make each recipe baby-friendly, or how to involve your older children in the process of making a meal. her notes also include how to turn "tonight's dinner" into tomorrow's dinner. so clever!

this risotto was super simple to put together. for someone who never knew you could make risotto in an oven, this was a revelation. it's so awesome to know there's a baby/family-friendly risotto recipe out there that doesn't require you to stand over a pot stirring for 40 minutes. and the rice comes out just as creamy and delicious as if you stood over that pot. i made some substitutions that are more friendly to my diet which i highlight in the notes below ;)

june hugs! xo

sweet pea oven risotto w/ garlicky pea shoots

recipe from Feeding A Family by Sarah Waldman

i substituted the 4 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of ghee. you could add more, just make sure to taste as you go since ghee has a distinct flavor. i also substituted roughly 3/4 cup of nutritional yeast for the grated parmesan, but you could add more/less depending on your preference. since i didn't use parmesan there's a lack of salt. i added salt, to taste, in the step where you add the peas.

| serves 6 |

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 cups aborio rice
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups sweet peas (thawed if frozen, blanched in boiling water if fresh)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 handfuls of freshly grated parmesan cheese
garlicky pea shoots, for serving

garlicky pea shoots

| serves 4 |

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced or grated on a microplane
3 loosely packed cups pea shoots, torn into peices
kosher salt

method

preheat oven to 400°F.
place an oven-safe pot over medium heat. add the olive oil and the chopped shallots and saute until soft but not browned. add in the rice and cook it for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the grains glisten.
meanwhile, pour the broth into a separate saucepan, bring it to a boil, and immediately remove it from the heat. add 4 cups of the hot broth to the rice mixture. stir to combine and bring the rice pot to a boil, the cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. cook for 20 minutes or until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the rice is tender. remove the pot from the oven and add the peas, butter, the remaining 1/2 cup of broth, and handfuls of parmesean cheese. stir everything to combine and served topped with garlicky pea shoots.

garlicky pea shoots

heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. add the minced garlic and pea shoots. continuously toss the pea shoots with garlic until they are just wilted. sprinkle with salt and serve on top of the risotto.

sarah's notes:

for baby: the sweetness and soft texture of this risotto are perfect for baby. if you'd like, stir in finely chopped pea shoots for added nutrition.

tomorrow's dinner: risotto cakes - make a second pot of oven risotto and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. the rice will get firm and sticky. form the rice into small patties and fry them in a large skillet coated with olive oil until crispy and browned on both sides.