Mostly Veggie Chocolate Smoothie / April 5, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Mostly Veggie Chocolate Smoothie | dolly and oatmeal

hey guys. sorry it's been a couple weeks since checking in here. life has been busy with my little 27-inch baby who just turned 6 months old, and has two. tiny. teeth!!! amesy/all of us went through a little rough patch back a couple weeks ago. he began waking up for the day around 3:30am, was wasn't taking his regular naps, and was just generally unhappy. poor bb. during one of his sweet crying fits i noticed a teeny tiny tooth bud! so, extreme sleep deprivation aside, we were happy to know what the cause of his discomfort was, and that hopefully it would pass quickly for him. i'm happy to report, that he's in much better spirits the past few days and we're all getting steady sleep. so here's hoping i can be a bit more present in this space.

on another note, let's talk smoothies. some people call it a trend, but replacing fruit in your smoothies with veggies is definitely worth the hype in my book. while on my cleanse a few weeks ago, i had to give up bananas as they maintain that they're high in sugar and starch. but pre-cleanse i would add a banana into my daily smoothie. and while i never felt terrible from them, i did notice during the cleanse process that my banana-less smoothies didn't give me that heavy, glut feeling which was super enlightening. i first experimented with replacing the bananas with concoctions of cauliflower, avocado, sometimes zucchini, sweet potatoes, and small portions of berries.

about a half week into cleansing i desperately needed something chocolatey. i experimented for a day or two and came up with this version of a (almost fruitless) chocolate smoothie. it completely sated that chocolate craving, while also being super nourishing, and i was completely hooked on it. i generally make this in the morning, as the carbs in the sweet potato and dates provide a great baseline to get your day started with the energy that your body demands. dates actually have more potassium than bananas and are known to be easier to digest. getting extra veggies in is something i am always striving for especially when you have zero time to prepare food. it's rounded out with some creamy, healthy fats making it the perfect velvety smoothie. this is a pretty loaded smoothie and therefore i would say it's definitely a meal. it has way too many calories and carbs to be a snack-y smoothie ;)

xo!

mostly veggie chocolate smoothie | v

i love this smoothie as is, but for more of a chocolate chocolate chip vibe, add up to 1/2 tablespoon of cacao nibs during the last 10 seconds of blending. for better digestion, i suggest steaming your cauliflower and sweet potato, then freezing it. but i have also just blended them up frozen (not steamed) as well. generally add 1/8 of an avocado to my smoothies for a creamy quality, but for an even creamier vibe you can add 1/4 of one. lastly, feel free to add whatever herbs or oils you choose. personally, i'm an ashwaghanda, reishi, mct oil kind of girl, but add what makes you feel good :)

| makes 1 serving |

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 heaping cup frozen cauliflower
1/2 heaping cup frozen sweet potato
1/8-1/4 avocado
1 scoop vanilla or chocolate protein powder
handful baby spinach
3 soft pitted dates
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons cashew butter

method

add all the ingredients to a high speed blender (preferably a vitamix) and blend starting on low and working your way up to high, using tamper as needed.
pour into a large glass or bowl and top with extra cacao powder and shredded coconut.

Dark Chocolate Kabocha Muffins / February 15, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Dark Chocolate Kabocha Muffins | dolly and oatmeal

every year around this time i feel so overly done with winter. whenever the new year begins it feels like such a long journey to the spring equinox, until there are longer days, more sunshine, increasingly warmer days, essentially. but this year is different. maybe because we have a babe now and all i want him to do is explore outside, breath fresh air, and be enveloped by sunshine..? it's no wonder that i reach for comfort in the form of food then, and chocolate in particular.

while i usually grab some dark chocolate, mid-winter usually beckons for something a bit more indulgent. i wish my metabolism were one that could tolerate eating baked goods on the regular, but alas, i could eat air and still gain a pound. so i reserve those types of cravings for these cold, bleak days, when a few shreds of chocolate baked inside a cake-y muffin just seems crucial, ya know?

these are by far my favorite muffin i've made. i have to say that every time i use fresh as opposed to canned puree, i find the resulting texture one that can't be beat. it's rich and velvety (something a canned variety has yet to ever yield), yet still light and airy. i would say these are more on the cake-y side as opposed to a more hearty muffin. either way, they've become quite the staple around here. and if you're wanting to make a slightly healthier/less sugar version of them, eliminate the chopped chocolate, as to cut out some of the sugar. but let's face it, no baked goods are ever going to be healthy, so why not go full tilt and keep those chocolate bits ;)

xo's friends

dark chocolate kabocha muffins | gf & df

the kabocha puree can be substituted with any winter squash puree (butternut, acorn, pumpkin). i would nudge you to try making these with fresh puree, but if you're in a pinch canned puree will do.

| makes 12 large muffins |

1 1/4 cups fine brown rice flour
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup almond flour, plus more for topping
5 tablespoons raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup kabocha squash puree*
2 large free range eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup chopped dark chocolate
cacao nibs for topping

*kabocha squash puree: preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. cut the squash in quarters, remove the seeds. rub the flesh side with a bit of coconut oil and place face down. cook until fork tender, about 35-40 minutes. let the squash cool until it is ready to handle. scoop flesh out and allow to cool completely before using or storing it.

method

preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-cavity muffin tin with liners.
in a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. in another large mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until mixed. add the dry ingredients to the wet a little at a time until combined. then fold in the chocolate.
evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin, filling each cavity 3/4 of the way. top with a sprinkle of almond flour and a small sprinkle of cacao nibs.
bake in the center of your oven until a cake tester comes out clean, about 28-34 minutes. cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove muffins and let them cool completely before eating. leftover muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

similar recipes:

Maca Cacao Puff Cereal / September 14, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Maca Cacao Puff Cereal | dolly and oatmeal #vegan

we're in a bit of a transition over here. frank and i are all ready for the babe, as he can come any day now, but still living a our normal day-to-day life. and it's felt very strange to me, as i'm very much a structured person. i function best when i have a schedule and routine. so all the in-between, not-knowing limbo has been messing with me a little. just the other day i finished up all the work i had taken on before my "leave", which i thought would feel great and give me some much needed rest. but i still find myself craving some sense of normalcy, because thinking about how our sweet baby is going to forever alter our reality just seems way too big to imagine without it actually happening. so, naturally, working is what has kept mind mind in-check.

so basically this recipe was born out my restless brain! i planned on sharing it later in october when i knew there would be a lull here, but i was too excited not to share it sooner, so here it is! it's a riff off a cocoa granola that i frequently buy at the grocery store. but i wanted an everyday breakfast cereal that didn't have brown rice syrup in the mix, included nuts in some fashion, had a bit more of a lick of salt, and increased crunchiness. i also didn't want to post another granola recipe because i think there are two already on the site, and i wanted to get away from oats for a second.

this cereal's base is made from puffed brown rice and puffed millet, mixed with a good amount of raw mixed nuts, and a couple servings of maca powder. since frank's started a more rigorous work out in the mornings, he's been trying to work more amino acids into his diet post-workout. so aside from maca being an all-star superfood, it also holds an awesome flavor that pairs perfectly with cacao. the wet mix is made up of almond butter, maple syrup and some coconut oil to help bind the cereal making it a bit clumpy :) this has been a favorite morning meal or mid-afternoon snack eaten either as cereal, dry out of the jar, or to top some ice cream! i hope you all enjoy as much as we do!

xo's!

*and if you haven't entered last week's giveaway of my book, there's still time to do so here! :)

maca cacao puff cereal | v & gf

| makes about 4 cups |

2 cups puffed brown rice
1 cup puffed millet
1 cup raw chopped nuts (i used a mix of almonds, walnuts, and pecans)
2 tablespoons maca powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup creamy unsalted almond butter
1/4 cup grade b maple syrup
1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup cacao powder

options to serve with:

almond milk
sliced bananas
toasted pepitas, or seeds of choice

method

preheat oven to 250°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
in a large bowl, mix together the brown rice puffs, millet, puffs, chopped nuts, maca powder, and salt. set aside.
in a small saucepan, whisk together the almond butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil over medium-low heat until almond butter and coconut oil are melted. remove from heat and whisk in the cacao powder until combined.
pour the wet cacao mix over the dry mix and use a rubber spatula to combine thoroughly, about 2 minutes, until everything is coated evenly.
transfer the cereal mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. bake for 20-25, rotating the baking sheet halfway through for even cooking.
remove and cool the cereal completely before storing in a large lidded jar.
serve with your favorite milk, toasted pepitas, and sliced banana.

enjoy!