ZA'ATAR PESTO / July 7, 2019 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

hey! i’m popping in real quick to share yet another sunday meal prep sauce. this one’s for a wonderful twist on traditional pesto where we essentially replace the basil with parsley and za’atar spice. if you’re not familiar with za’atar it’s a spice blend traditionally made from dried marjoram, thyme and/or oregano, toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, and sometimes salt. it’s generally used as a rub on meats, sprinkled on fish or poultry, added to roasted veggies, mixed with oil to top bread, etc.!

today we’re mixing za’atar spice/seasoning into a herby/nutty/garlicky base of parsley, toasted pine nuts, fresh garlic, and olive oil. it’s one of my favorite ways to utilize za’atar and it makes for such a bright and light summer sauce. i first had a similar pesto at a restaurant in the west village. it was one of mine and frank’s last meals out before we became parents to amesy. but the restaurant has since closed, and we’ve moved almost 3,000 miles away, so the need to make my own version of what i remember that pest to taste like has been somewhat essential. and i thought i ought to share this recipe here with you because it’s that good!

before i leave with the recipe, here are a few ways to use this sauce to spice up your food/life throughout the week:

forever and always on this leaf-less salad. the pesto acts just like a salad dressing here, and all you may need is a bit more salt and you’re good to go!
swirled into this flatbread (literally one of the most delicious things to use it for. just replace the first 5 ingredients with a few dollops of the za’atar pesto).
use as a marinade for veggie, chicken, or even fish (i love salmon here) kebabs.
mixed into roasted veggies.
mixed into potato salad or roasted potatoes
on flatbread, pizza, or pasta!

happy sunday, friends! xo

za’atar pesto | v

| makes just under 1 cup |

print the recipe

method

in the cup of a food processor fitted with a metal “s” blade, combine the parsley, pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, a few pinches salt, and a couple cracks of pepper. while the food processor is running, drizzle in the 1/2 cup of olive oil and blend until everything is broken down and sufficiently mixed together, stopping a couple times to scrape down the sides of the container. taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice, if needed.
scrape the parsley and olive oil mixture into a bowl. stir in the za’atar spice until combined. taste and adjust any seasonings, if necessary. scrape the za’atar pesto into a lidded jar. pour over the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil to prevent the pesto from browning in the fridge.
za’atar pesto can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. let pesto stand at room temp roughly 30 minutes before using.

ingredients

1 cup fresh parsley
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
juice from 1/2 small lemon
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
salt & freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup, plus 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil to top
1/4 cup za’atar spice

TOMATO CREAM SAUCE (VEGAN) / June 30, 2019 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

TOMATO CREAM SAUCE (VEGAN) | dolly and oatmeal

happy sunday! i hope you’re having a good weekend so far. it’s a relaxing but busy one here. we’re getting ready for baby (6 more weeks, until my due date!), but also trying to get in solo time with amesy on the weekends. and since it’s finally starting to feel like summer, we hit the beach yesterday, and today we are heading to a splash pad at a local park - all the water activities for this boy! it’s hard to believe we’ll soon be a family of 4, and that amesy will be a big brother. trying to not get too anxious, and let it be what it will be. but that’s very much easier said than done!

anywho! let’s talk about this sunday sauce! if you’ve been a reader here for a while then you might remember a similar recipe for a similar creamy tomato sauce a couple of years ago. while i whip out the other one when i have time to make the tomato sauce from scratch, the recipe today takes half the time, and zero “cooking” is involved. it is truly a busy person’s meal prep sauce! what we do is make a batch of garlicky cashew cream - yum! then we take a jar of your favorite tomato sauce, and add about 1/2 cup of the cream. from there, a little salt and pepper to punch up the flavor a bit, and some fresh thyme. of course we love this for an easy pasta night. but it can easily be used in place of tomato sauce for any dish you like. here are some of my favorite ways to use it throughout the week:

over zoodles, add your protein of choice, but turkey meatballs are great here, or your favorite plant-based protein.
take your pasta up a notch, and make a pasta bake (just replace the alfredo sauce for creamy tomato sauce, and go from there).
lasagna is one of my go=to’s as well. you could use it here in place of the pesto, or forget the noodles all together and use summer zucchini for a grain-free version (i personally love this recipe, i swap out the cheese for vegan mozzarella, and the yogurt for vegan ricotta).
of course pizza is another favorite. the creamy sauce takes it up a notch for sure.
and if you’re almost in the thick of winter where you are, over spaghetti squash, or as a creamy base for a minestrone soup would be my winter go-to’s!

whatever you make with it though, you won’t be disappointed. that bit of creaminess makes everything a bit more extra, but in the best way possible! i hope you get the chance to make it :)

xo!

tomato cream sauce | v

print the recipe

| makes roughly 3 1/2 cups sauce |

method

make the cashew cream. place the cashews in a bowl and cover them with filtered water. let the cashews soak 10-12 hours, or overnight until soft.
drain and rinse the cashews. place them in the container of high-speed upright blender. add the water, vinegar, garlic, a few big pinches of salt, and a few cracks of pepper. blend everything on high for a couple of minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container, as needed. blend until graininess has disappeared, and cashew sauce is silky smooth. taste and adjust any seasonings as needed. store in a lidded container for up to 1 week.
make the tomato cream sauce. add the tomato sauce to a large bowl, add 1/2 cup cashew cream and stir until combined. use as desired. leftovers can be stored in a lidded jar for up to 1 week.

ingredients

1 1/2 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup filtered water
2 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic
fine salt & fresh ground pepper
24 ounce jar tomato sauce

EVERYDAY VEGAN CAESAR DRESSING / June 9, 2019 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

EVERYDAY VEGAN CAESAR DRESSING | dolly and oatmeal

we’re back again this week with a favorite dressing that i’ve been wanting to share here for a long while. i’ve been making different variations of vegan caesar dressings for years now. it first began in my book when i discovered that when you mixed chickpea flour with water over a low flame you could achieve a gooey/creamy cheese-like texture that when blended with a few other ingredients could come very close to the flavor of a traditional caesar salad dressing. a few years later, i developed another iteration of a caesar dressing, but this time with a coconut yogurt and tahini base. over the past couple of years though, plant-based yogurt has come a long way, and the flavors and textures that were once harder to achieve have become much easier. so here is yet another variation using a newer-to-me almond milk yogurt that i love.

this recipe uses a plant-based yogurt i rely on for many creamy sauces. it’s a greek-style almond milk yogurt that (because of its thick texture) holds up much like that of a traditional greek yogurt. from there, we simply add a few pantry staples to get that rich and tangy, caesar dressing flavor we all know and love. we replace the parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast giving it that distinct cheesy vibe. and add a splash of coconut aminos (or tamari) for a little hit of umami flavor that otherwise would have been provided by anchovies. there’s some dijon, garlic, and lemon juice, and a few other ingredients that result in the best vegan caesar dressing i’ve had (and made) to date!

while you can totally use this as a traditional caesar dressing, i’ve come to love using it as a dip as well. and because it lasts in your fridge for well over a week, it’s perfect as part of your meal prep rotation (and not just for caesar salads!). it’s a great for a snack with some cut veg, drizzled over roasted asparagus, mixed into a chicken, chickpea or egg salad. tossed into a lentil bowl. drizzled over a lunch or dinner bowl. or even a dip for homemade baked fries (last night we used it to drizzle over our veggie kabobs and it was everything!). like i’ve noted before, i love an all-purpose dressing/dip, and this one for sure hits the mark. i hope you get the chance to make it!

happy sunday, loves. xo!

everyday vegan caesar dressing

print the recipe

method

in a high-speed blender (preferably a Vitamix), combine the yogurt, nutritional yeast, vinegar, lemon juice, dijon, capers, garlic, coconut aminos, and season with salt and pepper. pulse; with the blender running on low, drizzle in the olive oil until everything is combined and dressing is smooth and creamy.
remove the lid, taste. adjust any seasonings if necessary.
store dressing in a lidded jar in your refrigerator for up to 10 days.

ingredients