Ice Cream & Almond Butter-Chocolate Cupcakes / August 31, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Ice Cream & Almond Butter-Chocolate Cupcakes | dolly and oatmeal

i'm popping in real quick to wish you all a happy end-of-summer! although, i have to say, it kind of seems bittersweet when there's so much heartbreak and devastation happening in texas. it's the large scale situations like these that have me feeling like anything i do isn't enough. that giving to a few foundations or food banks doesn't really make a difference in someone's life who's lost so much. my heart breaks for the families, and pets, and people there. if you're wanting to donate and you're not sure where to donate to, here's a link to Feed Texas, a non-profit that provides food during major disasters. also, the Houston Food Bank is another group working to help people affected by Harvey.

alas, i bring you these almond butter chocolate cupcakes with frozen frosting (ahem, ice cream)! frank loves an ice cream cake. or anything cookies and cream related. me? i could go without it. but since i'm not really consuming sweets as much, and there's nothing super sweet in the house for him to nosh on, AND because he's being such a great sport about it - i decided to make him something that would satisfy his craving.

these cupcakes are seriously my favorite. at first i was a bit afraid of how a grain-free cupcake would fare when mixed with almond butter. i didn't know if all that fat in a baked good would even work. i thought the result would be super dense, but the almond butter actually gave them a super lush texture, and the cassava flour (aka, my new baking buddy) gave them that delicate crumb that we're all used to having in a really good cupcake. if you've followed along on instagram stories, then you know i tinkered around quite a bit with this recipe until i got it just right. i hope you give them a try, and if you do, i hope you enjoy them as much as we do :)

wishing you all a bright holiday weekend, and the best end of summer! xoxo

ice cream almond butter-chocolate cupcakes | gluten/grain/dairy-free

i didn't make my own ice cream here, for lack of time (and sanity), but i have a few recipes here. i know the question is going to come up, so i'll just disclose here that i haven't tried making these vegan. but i'm hopeful that 2 flax "eggs" will do the trick (1 flax egg = 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water).

| makes 12 cupcakes |

1 1/4 cups almond flour
1/2 cup cassava flour
1 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 heaping teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup raw almond butter
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, at room temp
1/2 cup liquid coconut oil
2 pasture raised eggs, at room temp
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 pints dairy free ice cream of choice
sprinkles (optional)

method

preheat oven to 350°F and line your muffin/cupcake tin with 12 liners.
in a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, breaking up any clumps. in another large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. mix the wet ingredients into the dry and use a rubber spatula to fold the batter together.
fill each muffin/cupcake cavity just below the top. bake in the center of your oven for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
cool cupcakes on a rack for about 10 minutes. then remove the cupcakes from the tin and let them cool completely.
scoop ice cream onto the cupcake and serve immediately.
cupcakes (without ice cream) can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

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Lunch Hacks: Cauliflower, Kalamata Dip & A Quick Pulled Salmon Salad / August 23, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Lunch Hacks: Cauliflower, Kalamata Dip & A Quick Pulled Salmon Salad | dolly and oatmeal

i'm going to be super honest here. i'm not the greatest when it comes to preparing lunch. for some reason, even before anesy was in the picture, i couldn't be bothered to put much thought into it. please tell me i'm not the only one!?

a few days out of the work i basically eat 2 eggs, 1/2 avocado, maybe in a salad, but mostly on a piece of toasty bread. the weekdays are pretty scheduled, so i roughly know how much time i have between amesy's naps to get work done, and eat lunch. so preparing a lunch that requires more brain power than boiling eggs, toasting bread, and mashing an avocado can simply be too overwhelming. but since moving to LA, the amount of wholesome, prepared food that's available is kind of crazy. so, my lunch hack has been to pick up some prepared items a couple times a week to give myself a break. so i'll pick up a few pieces of wild salmon for amesy and i (he loves it mashed in avocado 👍🏼). i usually throw mine over greens, with some other veg, and whatever hummus or dip i have in my fridge, and always serve it with some crackers (because crunch is key!).

another thing that's key is dip! i've talked all about my fondness of it before, but it's really the thing that makes lunch feel fun for me. and since i have such a lack of love for lunch, it's the one thing i look forward to eating midday. i'm a little meticulous (or maybe just crazy) when it comes to actually eating this salad/dip, and have somewhat of a sequence in eating it. i usually add half of it to the salad to mix around with the salmon and veg, and the other half i save until the end just to enjoy with my crackers. i was loving simple mills sprouted crackers even before i started limiting the amount of grains i eat, but now that i am, they've been coming in clutch! their ingredients are as simple and straightforward as ingredients lists come, made with a sprouted seed mix, with some tapioca, and cassava flour, as well as a few other basic components. you can learn more about how simple mills is making our back-to-school/back-to-work lives easier here ;)

do you have any lunch hacks? i'm considering starting a monthly, lunch series to help push myself out of this lunch rut, anyone with me!? ;) let me know if you're into it in the comments, or shoot me an email. i'm all ears!

big hugs! xo

this post was created in partnership with simple mills. all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own. thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that help keep dolly and oatmeal running!

cauliflower, kalamata dip

you can mix your lunch items around depending on your diet. i usually aim to have a good portion of protein and healthy fats, some leafy greens, and always something a little crunchy, like crackers :)

| makes a little over 1 cup and about 5 servings |

1 cup cauliflower florets
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans (preferably non-bpa), drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for topping
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
herbs, for garnish

pulled salmon salad

1/4 cup cauli white bean dip
5-10 Simple Mills Sprouted Seed Everything crackers
bibb lettuce
1 piece prepared wild salmon
thinly sliced radish
cucumber spears
microgreens
juice from half of a small lemon
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & fresh ground pepper

method

bring a lidded pot with about 2 inches of water to a boil. place the florets into a steamer basket, and place into the pot. cover and turn heat to medium. steam for until the cauliflower is tender, about 10-12 minutes. remove it from the heat and let cool.
add the cauliflower, beans, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and garlic to a food processor fitted with a metal "s" blade, and blend until smooth. add the olives and pulse until the olives are broken down into small flecks. season with salt and pepper. place the dip in a lidded container and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it.
to prepare your lunch, tear the lettuce with your hands and place in a large bowl. pull the salmon from the skin into bite-size pieces an place in the bowl as well. to your salad add sliced radish, cucumber, and microgreens. finish it off with a generous squeeze of lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil. season with salt and pepper. give it all a toss and serve it with your dip and crackers.

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Summer Squash Vegan Mac 'N' Cheese w/ Herb Pesto / August 17, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Summer Squash Vegan Mac 'N' Cheese w/ Herb Pesto | dolly and oatmeal

we're coming off of a pretty hectic week. frank just returned from a trip upstate (do you californians call northern california upstate?), and i've been trying to keep it together working and taking care of amesy. admittedly, when time gets tight, and there aren't enough hours in the day, my diet suffers. no matter how many veggies are in my fridge, preparing myself high-vibe meals always falls short at the end of the day. i like having options, or go-to's, so that isn't the case all the time. because if i think about it enough, every day feels a bit chaotic in one way or another. stocking my fridge or pantry with easy-to-put-together ingredients and halfway prepared meals is just where i'm at in life, and i'm kind of just going with it at the moment. whether that's buying a pre-made protein and adding a salad to it, buying prepared vegetables and cooking up something on the side, or buying a box of mac 'n' cheese to have on hand.

there aren't many store-bought mac 'n' cheese brands that cater to my gluten-dairy-free diet, while also having good, wholesome ingredients. i'm so grateful to companies like Annie's that have options that appreciate different diets, and lifestyles, and that they're so readily available to all families at stores like Target. i've been eating their mac 'n' cheese since i was young, and it's nice to come back to an old favorite when they came out with their vegan and gluten free variation. it's a brand that has always been transparent, and i can trust it to feed my family in the right way.

it usually depends on how i'm feeling, or what the weather is like, but most times i prepare a big salad on the side, or add veggies to the the pasta itself. this time i blended up some herbs i had leftover in my fridge to make a quick pesto, and sliced a couple of summer squash to sauté with garlic. alone the mac 'n' cheese is tasty and super delicious, the cream sauce is made with pumpkin and sweet potato mixture that's ready to go when added to your plant-based milk of choice. it all makes for a quick, fresh, meal that basically feels homemade ;)

big hugs, all! xoxo

Summer Squash Vegan Mac 'N' Cheese w/ Herb Pesto | gf

| serves 4 as a main, 6 as a side |

herb pesto

1 packed cup mixed herbs (i used a combination of parsley, sage, thyme, and oregano)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove
2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

summer squash mac 'n' cheese

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large summer squash, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thin
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
fine sea salt & freshly ground pepper
2 boxes Annie's Organic Gluten Free Vegan Elbows & Creamy Sauce

method

for the pesto. combine the herbs, oil, garlic, and lemon juice in food processor or blender. season with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until you are ready to use it, or 1 week. alternatively, the pesto can be made 1 week before using it.
for the squash and mac 'n' cheese. heat a skillet over medium heat. once it's hot, add the olive oil and garlic, stir and cook for about 45 seconds. then add the squash and let it cook for about 4 minutes without disturbing it, letting it get a little brown. turn them over and let the squash cook for another 4 minutes, until lightly browned and tender. remove the squash from the heat.
make the mac 'n' cheese according to the instructions on the box.
in a large serving bowl toss the mac 'n' cheese together with the summer squash. dollop the top with pesto blobs, and give it all a stir. serve with more pesto on the side.