January 27, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

mole black bean tacos w/ cabbage + cilantro slaw | dolly and oatmeal #vegan #glutenfree

our backyard is currently under about 5 feet of snow in some places. the blizzard this past weekend tossed around a fare bit of snow, not to mention our little 9-pound pup, quint. while this winter hasn't been much of a winter so far, it seems as though it's just lingering; the thought that there are basically 2 more months of these winter-ish days are enough for me crawl under the covers until spring. but then i remind myself of warm spring and summer days and try to summon some of those vibes in ways that i eat. over the summer me and frank made sara's grilled halibut sandwiches with jalepeno slaw, and it was somewhat of a transformative experience, as far as slaw goes. the slaw was cool, and crunchy, fresh, and spicy; and tossed with a good amount of a slightly creamy dressing. i had been discouraged by previous slaw experiences where there was a big globby mess of mayo with some hint of veg hiding in it.

aside from this slaw, mole sauce is another thing that makes heart pitter-patter. me and frank both have a deep love for it and its slow, intentional method. after making mole for new year's eve 2 years in row, it's become our tradition of sorts. this year, we made alex stupak's mole poblano from his new book, tacos, and it was super! it had a really interesting spice blend of anise seeds, coriander, cloves, peppercorns, and more; it also had a thick, chile base, without being too spicy, and a mix of nuts adding to its deep flavor. i tweaked the recipe a bit, omitting the lard, and replacing it with vegetable oil (which no doubt changes the flavor a bit), subbing in gluten-free bread, as well as vegetable stock. so if you have a hankering for loooong, slow cookin' this is a must-try sauce. there are some really good ones, like this one that we tried last year, if you're looking for a good online version. if not, my go-to brand (for all things non-homemade sauce) is sky valley.

wishing you all the cozies! xo

mole black bean tacos w/ cabbage + cilantro slaw | v + gf

for a slaw with less spice, substitute the jalapeño with half of a poblano pepper. also, this makes more slaw then you will likely use for the serving size below; leftover slaw can be stored in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

slaw adapted slightly from sara's jalapeño slaw

| serves 2-3 as a meal |

1/2 head red cabbage, thinly shredded (on a mandolin or with a knife)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro,, plus more for serving
1 small red onion, sliced paper thin
1 jalapeño pepper, some seeds removed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dairy-free cultured coconut yogurt (i use this one)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons maple syrup
salt + fresh pepper
1 15 oz. can black beans (preferably with a BPA free lined can and no salt added), drained and rinsed
1/4 - 1/3 cup mole sauce (homemade or this one)
6 small corn tortillas, toasted
toasted sesame seeds, for serving
lime wedges, for serving

method

to make the slaw. place the cabbage, cilantro, red onion, and jalapeño in a large bowl and give it a good toss. to the bowl, add the vinegar, yogurt, oil, syrup, and salt and pepper to taste. toss again to dress, and set aside for at least 15 minutes. (slaw can be made up to 1 day in advance.)
in a medium pot over medium-low heat, combine the beans and 1/4 - 1/3 cup of mole sauce, depending on how much sauce you want. stir until heated through and steaming. turn heat to low, and toast your tortillas.
portion the mole beans among the tortillas and top with a good amount of slaw, toasted sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, and a few squeezes of lime juice.

enjoy!

similar recipes:

beet tacos w/ beet green salsa verde + spicy pickled onions

warm fingerling potatoes w/ garlic-turmeric sauce

garlic + spice market carrots w/ tahini yogurt / January 21, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

garlic-spiced market carrots w/ yogurt sauce | dolly and oatmeal

garlic-spiced roasted market w/ yogurt sauce | dolly and oatmeal

weather this year has been straight up strange - thanks, el nino! we've had weeks of warm temps, freezing ones, and now snow. the markets have been reflecting this shift as well. there have been vibrant green leafy lettuces, rainbow swiss chard, pea tendrils (!), and beautiful herbs one week, and then ubiquitous hearty roots another. but one of my favorite vendors at the market, Rogowski, who runs a farm north of manhattan, explained that because of the weeks of mild weather they've been having bumper crops of vegetables that we would normally only see in the spring or fall, such as these beautiful baby carrots!

local and seasonal produce is a large part of this blog and my day-to-day life, so collaborating on this post with the Nation Restaurant Association, where locally sourced produce is number 3 out of their 192 food trends to watch in 2016 is such a promising news! not only is locally grown produce a "hot trend" but it's something i am continually seeing highlighted on menus in and around many cities across the country which is super encouraging that it's not just a few folks trekking to the market each week, but that this "trend" is perhaps more than a trend, and turning into a national movement.

these baby carrots were so crisp and sweet that i thought paring them with a good spice blend as well as some fresh garlic would season them but not overpower their own delicious flavor. me and my husband made mole again this year on new year's eve (it's the 2nd year in a row, so it's becoming somewhat of a tradition), one of the gazzilion steps is making a spice blend with a variety of chile seeds and spice seeds. since then i've been a teensy obsessed with making my own spice blends. so the spice blend i use here is toasted, crushed into a powder, and then smashed with lightly charred garlic, some salt, and good olive oil. then it's smothered over the carrots, cooked in the oven, and served with a tart and creamy yogurt tahini sauce.

this post was in partnership with the N ational Restaurant Association, all opinions are, as always, my own. thank you for supporting dolly and oatmeal's sponsors!

garlic-spiced market carrots w/ tahini yogurt (v)

any root veg or winter squash variety would be great here with the garlic and spice paste, and the tahini yogurt drizzle. i ended up layering the leftover carrots over a bed of arugula which was awesome as a lunch-type deal.

| serves 4 |

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon anise seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, with skins on
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
2-3 bunches baby carrots, washed and trimmed
handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

yogurt tahini

1 cup unsweetened cultured coconut yogurt (or yogurt of choice)
2-3 teaspoons tahini paste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
salt + freshly ground pepper

Garlic + Spice Market Carrots w Tahini Yogurt | dolly and oatmeal

method

preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment, set aside.
to make the garlic + spice paste, heat a skillet over medium heat. add the seeds and toast for about a minute, until they're fragrant and toasted looking; transfer them to a plate and let cool. place the garlic cloves (with their paper still on) in the hot skillet, shake the pan every few minutes until the garlic is lightly charred and soft when you press on it. remove from the pan and let cool.
grind the cooled seeds in a spice grinder set to fine, set aside. peel the garlic and place it in a mortar and pestle along with 3 teaspoons of the spice mix 1 teaspoon oil, and a few pinches of salt; grind together to form a thick paste, once mixed thoroughly, add the remaining olive oil and grind together. taste and add more salt if needed.
mix together the carrots and garlic and spice paste, then transfer to the baking sheet and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender and edges are crisp and browned.
while the carrots are cooking, make the yogurt tahini sauce. whisk together the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, season with salt and pepper; set aside. (depending on what kind of yogurt you use, you may need to thin it a bit with some water.)
serve carrots warm, with a good drizzle of sauce, fresh cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds.

enjoy!

similar recipes:

winter buckwheat + shaved brussels sprout bowl

fennel-roasted carrot + shallot salad w/ shaved apple

roasted fingerlings w/ garlic-turmeric sauce

passion fruit + lemon-ginger fresca (and a giveaway, too!) / January 13, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

passion fruit + lemon-ginger fresca | dolly and oatmeal

around this time each year i dream up of some sort of tropical vacation that never seems to pan out. i fantasize about adventures through balmy rainforests, white sand beaches, tan lines - maybe an overly sweetened tropical drink with one of those paper umbrellas. it seems like forever ago when we honeymooned in costa rica. we visited during the wet season, and on top of that we stayed in a tree house in a rain forest canopy- which was super dope - but our host explained that the humidity was at about 110%. so wet it truly was! at least once a day we would try to get down to the beach to relieve ourselves of the oppressive humidity and moisture. down we laid our incessantly wet towels on the sand and ran down the shore to the cool, refreshing waves. once we were back on our towels a man with a humble juice cart fitted with a machete would ask if we wanted a fresh drink. frank would get fresh coconut water, while i would usually get mango batido (made from fresh fruit, water, and ice). it was the most heavenly and enlivening thing to touch my parched mouth that i can still taste it if i think about it hard enough :)

so, whenever the doldrums of winter hit, you can usually find me summoning tropical vibes in some sort of fancy beverage. this year with so many friends and family going dry for january, wanting to keep their diets clean, or giving their digestive system a bit of a break, i thought there was no better thing than to fuse 2 of my favorite things to drink: tropical batidos + kombucha! KeVita's kombucha is one of those super power beverages i love to slurp on its own, the thought of all those beneficial probiotics aiding my digestion and my wonky immune system leaves me feeling invigorated and comforted. while this is a loose interpretation of a batido, the fresh fruit juice mixed with KeVita's Sparkling Probiotic lemon-ginger drink (my flavor of choice) is a new favorite! the lemon and ginger whole plant extracts that KeVita uses, mixed with fresh passion fruit juice and a bit of passion fruit seeds make this my non-alcoholic go-to that is awesome for a late afternoon sipper or a more luxurious evening beverage.

and the best part is that KeVita was generous enough to give 1 lucky reader a 6 month supply of KeVita! to enter:

follow KeVita on instagram
visit Kevita'a facebook page and give them a like
visit the KeVita site and sign up for their newsletter

this post was created in partnership with KeVita, all opinions are my own, thank you for supporting dolly and oatmeal's sponsors! see the store locator here to see where you can purchase KeVita in your neck of the woods ;)

passion fruit + lemon-ginger fresca

i use passion fruit here because i love its flavor and the texture its seeds lend to the drink. however, passion fruit can be hard to locate in some places around the globe, so another tropical fruit juice like that from mango, dragonfruit, papaya, or pineapple would work beautifully here as well!

| serves 1 |

ice
1 tablespoon fresh passion fruit juice*
4 ounces KeVita lemon ginger Sparkling Probiotic Drink
1-2 tablespoons mineral water or sparkling water
fresh thyme springs, for serving
passion fruit pulp, for serving

*passion fruit juice

1 ripe passion fruit
2 tablespoons water

method

in a lowball glass or a glass equivalent in size, add a couple pieces of ice, the passion fruit juice, lemon ginger sparkling probiotic, and 1-2 tablespoons sparkling water (depending on the size of your glass). garnish with a sprig or two of fresh thyme and a good spoonful of passion fruit pulp and seeds.

enjoy!

*to make the passion fruit juice, cut the passion fruit in half. use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and seeds; add to a blender along with the 2 tablespoons of water. blend on high for 1 minute. strain the juice over a bowl with a fine mesh sieve. transfer juice to a lidded jar and refrigerate until ready to use.