easy

HARISSA HUMMUS / August 28, 2020 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

closing out august with one of my very favorite things: hummus. this time around we’re adding a healthy dose of fiery harissa paste. harissa varies widely, but it’s a spicy-smoky aromatic chile paste. typically harissa is made from a blend of fresh or dried chiles, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice; and spices such as: caraway, cumin, and coriander. it’s bright and a bit fiery, and just a little adds so much to such an array of meals.

this harissa hummus was inspired by one of mine and frank’s favorite spots we would frequent often in brooklyn: sahadi’s. we would go there almost every weekend to pick up their spicy hummus, mujedara, and some grocery items. but that hummus, guys. it was the highlight to the weekend. we would bring it to our local park, louis valentino on a breezy summer night and watch the sun set behind the statue of liberty. so while i can’t replicate that park or the view we once had, but i can make a hummus that comes pretty close to sahadi’s spicy hummus.

we essentially start by making a batch of my sunflower seed hummus (you can use a typical chickpea-based hummus recipe if that’s what you prefer). from there, we simply add a few teaspoons of harissa paste (this is my favorite), and blend it all up. it gives the hummus a beautiful muted orange color that i like to jazz up with toppings. i usually go with chopped herbs, toasted sesame seeds, harissa oil, and a good couple pinches of flaky salt. serve it up with some gluten-free pita bread and you’ll be one happy camper. ❤️

big end-of-summer hugs!

harissa hummus | gf & v

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| makes roughly 1 1/2 cups |

this hummus recipe uses sunflower seeds. however, if you can tolerate beans/legumes you can use this classic recipe, or this mung bean recipe and add the amount of harissa pasta indicated below.
i like serving this with warm gluten-free pita bread, but cool crisp veggies are just as good, too :)
as for harissa paste, you can certainly make your own. but if you want to purchase it, i highly suggest ny shuk, it’s the best. you can also find a good one on the east side of LA at cookbook in echo park.

ingredients

1 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 3 hours, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup tahini
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-3 teaspoons harissa paste
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
freshly cracked pepper
1/3 -1/2 cup water, to thin

toppings (optional):

chopped dill
toasted sesame seeds
harissa oil*
flaky sea salt

method

add the sunflower seeds, tahini, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons harissa, garlic, salt, a few cracks of pepper, and 1/3 cup water to the container of a high-speed blender (preferably a vitamix). 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, making sure the hummus is uniform in color.
once it's blended to your desired consistency (i tend to like it a bit on the fluffy, silkier side), taste and adjust the lemon juice, harissa, and salt if needed.
spoon the hummus into a bowl. top with a few sprigs of dill, toasted sesame seeds, harissa oil, and flaky salt, if you’re not eating it right away, scrape the hummus into an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. take out of the refrigerator 1 hour before serving so it’s not too cold.

*harissa oil:

whisk together 1/2 - 1 teaspoon harissa paste with 2 tablespoons olive oil. taste and adjust, adding more oil or harissa paste as needed.

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SALTY SMASHED POTATOES W/ HARISSA YOGURT

CARDAMOM TAHINI ZUCCHINI BREAD (GF) / August 20, 2020 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

CARDAMOM TAHINI ZUCCHINI BREAD (GF) | dolly and oatmeal

it’s that time of year where zucchini is spilling out of my refrigerator crisper drawer, and i’m finding ways to slip it into every dish i’m making - cue: zucchini bread. while i love the spices what usually come along with a zucchini loaf, i wanted to switch it up a bit. while i love cardamom, there are only so many recipes that can handle its complexity (in my opinion). cardamom is a spice made from the seeds of 3 different plants, and its flavor is an interesting one. parts herbal, floral, and spicy all at the same time. and it’s the perfect punch of flavor here in this zucchini bread. i especially love it paired with tahini which lends this loaf a distinct nuttiness that hits in all the right places, giving warmth to each bite.

the ingredient list is a bit long, but i think (fingers crossed) you’ll have all the ingredients if you’re pantry is gluten-free-friendly. i mix a few different flours for a nice tender crumb - not too dense, but not too light and airy either. i also call for 2 kinds of sugar: monkfruit sweetener (you could also use granulated sugar if that’s what you prefer/have on hand), and coconut sugar. we do this simply for flavor purposes. coconut sugar has a slight caramel flavor which i find to be overpowering, especially with all the other flavors going on here. you’ll also find i call for “runny” tahini. i go into more detail in this post about the importance of the quality of your tahini, but we’re looking for a drippy, yet coat-the-back-of-a-spoon consistency. and lastly, and most essential is two very simple ingredients that take the flavor of this zucchini loaf to the next level: granulated sugar and sesame seeds.

and here’s where things get even more delightful - after the batter is poured into the pan, we sprinkle sugar and sesame seeds over top. they get baked into the dome, and a bit toasted. but for the ultimate flavor bomb, we broil the top of the zucchini bread to caramelize the sugar and toast the sesame seeds, giving everything an even deeper flavor while also giving the top a sugary, nutty, crunchy surface that is the perfect compliment to an already delicious zucchini bread.

i hope you love it :)

cardamom tahini zucchini bread | gf & df

| makes one 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf |

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notes:

this recipe calls for an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan. however, a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan will work as well. the loaf will cook for slightly less time (i would test it around the 40/45-minute mark), and the loaf will be a bit more squatty in stature.
i love cardamom here, however if you don’t have it/don’t like it, simply swap it out for more cinnamon, or use ground nutmeg, or even ground ginger.
the tahini i always find to be perfectly runny enough to bake with includes: soom, seed + mill, and 365 brand tahini.

ingredients

1 large zucchini
1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup granulated monkfruit sweetener (or granulated sugar)
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 pasture raised eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup runny tahini
1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted and cooled, more for greasing the pan
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
dried rose petals (optional)

method

preheat oven to 350°F. grease a 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan with coconut oil, and line it with parchment paper, leaving enough to hang over each side.
grate the zucchini over the large holes on a box grater. grab a clean dish towel, put the shredded zucchini in, and wring out the liquid. use your fingers to fluff the zucchini, then measure out 1 cup and set aside.
in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices until combined.
in another large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs. add the zucchini, tahini, coconut oil, and vanilla. use a rubber spatula to mix everything together. 1/3 at a time, add the dry ingredients to the wet, until the batter is completely combined.
pour the batter into your pan, and use your spatula to smooth out the top. sprinkle the granulated sugar and sesame seeds over top.
bake in the center of your oven for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted in the middle comes out clean. remove the loaf from the oven, and position an oven rack in the upper third of your oven. turn your broiler to high. place the loaf on the rack, and broil until most of the seeds are golden, and the sugar is caramelized, about 1-2 minutes.
remove the zucchini bread, and place on a cooling rack. allow it to cool, then remove from the pan. slice thick and serve warm. the tahini zucchini bread is best served the day of, but will stay fresh on your counter covered with parchment for up to 2-3 days. if the loaf dries out a bit, toast it up in your toaster oven (or oven) and smear with vegan butter and flaky salt (you won’t regret it 😉). better yet, melt butter in a hot skillet, fry both sides until a bit toasty; sprinkle with salt.

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HOMEMADE GLUTEN-FREE PITA BREAD (VEGAN TOO!) / July 30, 2020 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

HOMEMADE GLUTEN-FREE PITA BREAD (VEGAN TOO!) | dolly and oatmeal

i can’t really contain my excitement, so we’re just going to jump right in to talking about this pita bread recipe!

when i was testing this recipe it was for just a basic, soft flatbread. i had tried a few different baking techniques and temperatures for the flatbread, and to my surprise one of them resulted in these beautifully puffy pitas 😍. i cut one open right away to find a steamy hollow pocket that was begging to be filled with all the things. and i could not think of a time that i was more excited.

pita bread and i go way back to my childhood. my favorite was a tuna salad pita sandwich, with pita pizza coming in a close second. and on occasion, when my mom would make hummus, she would buy pita bread to serve alongside chopped veggies. when i was older i frequented an old favorite, mamoun’s. my friends and i would always go there late night and get their “classic” sandwich: pita bread stuffed with falafel, hummus, tomatoes, lettuce, onions and tahini sauce. while it was the messiest, it was also the best sandwich i ever ate. i honestly never thought i could get this close to a traditional pita bread while still being gluten-free.. until now.

with about 5 basic ingredients, this dough is super simple to put together. we start by whisking the flours and salt. from there, we bloom the yeast, and then add in the psyllium husk powder to help in binding the dough and to give it a springy texture. we let it rise, and then divide the dough. from there, we make little flat dough balls, and let them puff up a bit. we place a baking stone in the oven (or baking sheet turned upside down) and crank the heat. once the pitas are in the oven, they take about 6-8 minutes to puff up and cook through. here are a few things to keep in mind while making these:

rolling the pita bread out - 1/3-inch was the perfect thickness. i found that anything less than 1/3-inch resulted in pitas that didn’t puff up as well.
we want a hot oven! - the high heat is what makes them fluffy and puffy! so i cranked mine up as high as it would go - 550°F! if yours doesn’t go up that high, bake the bread for longer increments until it’s puffy and cooked through.
baking the pita bread - we don’t want to overcrowd the baking stone (or baking sheet), otherwise the pitas won’t cook evenly. i found baking them 2 at a time was best.
toasting the pita - i threw mine over my gas stove for a few seconds on each side just to them a wood-fired vibe, but this is completely optional.
reheating the pita bread - the bread is best eaten on the day it’s baked, but it can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days and reheated in the oven (the bread does dry out a bit, so try to eat the first few days).

happy baking, friends. i hope you love this one ❤️

homemade gluten-free pita bread | v

| makes 8 pitas |

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ingredients

2 cups superfine brown rice flour, plus more for dusting (i use this one)
1 cup arrowroot flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 2/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon filtered water, warmed to 110°-115°F
1 teaspoon cane sugar
1 packet instant yeast (roughly 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder
extra virgin olive oil

method

mix ingredients. in a large bowl, whisk together the flours and salt, set aside.
in another large bowl, whisk together the warmed water and sugar. mix until sugar is dissolved. whisk in the yeast and let it sit until it has bloomed, roughly 10 minutes. whisk in the psyllium husk powder. let sit, whisking every so often until mixture has thickened and is a bit gel-like, about 5 minutes.
make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture. use a rubber spatula to bring everything together. dough will be a bit shaggy and hard to stir, at this point set the rubber spatula aside, and use your hands to knead the dough together until you have a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
let the dough rest. lightly oil another large bowl and place the dough inside. pat some oil on the top and sides of the dough. cover with a clean dish towel and place in warm spot until the dough has puffed up and nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour. (if not using on the day of making the dough, wrap the dough in cling wrap and place in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)
prepare the dough. line a cookie sheet or baking sheet with parchment, then dust it with brown rice flour. turn dough out onto it, and cut the dough in half. then cut each half into 4 equal sized pieces, giving you 8 pieces of dough. shape the dough into balls, dusting them with flour as needed. place a clean dish towel over top and let them rest for 30 minutes.
preheat the oven. while dough is resting, place a baking stone in the center of your oven (alternatively, flip a sheet pan upside down for baking). preheat oven to 550°F.
shape the pita. dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough into a circle that’s about 7-8 inches wide and about 1/3-inch thick (the dough tends to be a little sticky, therefore i prefer rolling it out on top of a large piece of parchment paper). repeat with remaining dough. *i like to roll and bake no more than 2 at a time. while the pitas are baking i am rolling out another 2.
bake the pita. once the pita is rolled out, use a pizza peel dusted with flour (or cutting or bread board) to shuffle the pita dough onto your baking stone. bake for 4-5 minutes, until puffed up. carefully, use tongs to gently flip the pita over, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. repeat with remaining dough.
eat as is, or toast over a flame. if you have a gas range, quickly toast the pita by quickly turning it over an open flame, until the edges and tops are slightly charred (this is totally optional, but it gives the pita a slightly more wood-fired, smoky flavor).
store the pita. pita is best eaten the day of, but you can store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months if need be.