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

print the recipe

| 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.

similar recipes:

SALTY SMASHED POTATOES W/ HARISSA YOGURT

WHIPPED TAHINI SAUCE / July 14, 2019 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

WHIPPED TAHINI SAUCE | dolly and oatmeal

i’ve been waiting quite a while to post this recipe. i was most familiar with tahini as an ingredient in hummus. my mom would buy it at the health food store a few times a year when she would whip up hummus. but aside from that, we never used tahini in our house. until i went dairy free years ago. since then, it’s been an all-time favorite ingredient of mine (if you do a quick search on my site, a plethora of recipes will pop up!). it’s that kind of pantry staple that lends depth, flavor, and creaminess in just about any and every dish you could imagine. be it salad dressings, soups, drizzled on your favorite mains and salads, tahini is a rich and satisfying partner to whatever it is you’re preparing regardless of whether you’re whipping it or not.

add that tahini with a few other basic ingredients to a food processor, and you’ve got yourself the smoothest and frothiest sauce to spread, drizzle, and add to all the things. you can serve this dip/sauce immediately after you make it, which will be a bit on the warm side from the motor of your food processor. or, you could store it in your fridge and serve it within 5-7 days. this obviously will result with a colder sauce/dip, and will have seized a bit and have a thicker consistency. this is completely normal and great to serve as a dip. but, if you would like it to be thinner and more on the drizzling side of spectrum, just whisk a bit of water in a little at a time to get your desired consistency - don’t forget to taste it after and season the tahini if need be, the water can dilute it, especially if you add enough.

this is the kind of sauce that elevates any dish really - it turns bland grilled chicken is completely different meal. it magically makes roasted veggies more appealing, or a salad more creamy and exciting. whatever random (or non random) meals or ingredients you have in your fridge, whipped tahini will 100% make them more satisfying - promise!

also! we’ve started a hashtag! if you make any of the sauces from this sunday series, you can hashtag them on instagram with: #prepsaucesunday so we can all share in the fun, and hopefully get even more ideas on how we’re using these sauces throughout the week!

xo!!

whipped tahini sauce

| makes roughly 2 cups |

print the recipe

method

place the tahini, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and salt into the container of a food processor fitted with a metal “s” blade. with the engine running, drizzle in the cold water 1/3 cup at a time until you have reached your desired consistency. for me, this usually takes about 1 cup of water to achieve a frothy, light sauce. if you want it on the thicker side, do not add as much water.
taste and adjust seasonings, adding more garlic, lemon juice, and/or salt. store whipped tahini sauce in an airtight jar or container in your refrigerator for up to 7-10 days.

ingredients

1 cup tahini paste
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup - 1 cup cold water

GARLIC LOVER'S MASHED CAULIFLOWER / November 17, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

GARLIC LOVER'S MASHED CAULIFLOWER | Dolly and Oatmeal

i feel like we’ve hit somewhat of a stride with our day-to-day. i just cracked the code on getting dinner on the table for all of us at the same time, which has been a job in it of itself since amesy eats a different dinner than us (small steps!). and while there’s more meltdowns and overly emotional outbursts, amesy is becoming such a little person and it’s just been the biggest joy to witness. he’s recently been talking and chatting, and describing his little world with such enthusiasm (and intensity at times). i couldn’t be more thankful, especially this time of year that i get to call him mine.

part of why i’ve been trying to get us all to eat together is to get amesy more interested in different food since he can be apprehensive in trying new things. that’s where this recipe comes in. it’s easy, a cinch to make, and is so delicious. your toddler will likely love it, and yes, it’s perfect for your holiday table, too! basically, it checks all the boxes.

it’s really just a basic cauliflower whip made a bit more vegan/special diet-friendly, and whipped up with roasted garlic and garlic salt for a garlic lover’s dream of creamy goodness. it’s a riff off of the mashed potatoes my mom used to make with the biggest difference there being that.she used onion salt. but she would whip them so creamy, with little-to-no lumps, so that’s what i was going for here. with all the carb-loading this holiday season this dish is quite the welcome.

biggest holiday hugs going out to you! forever thankful for this community!

xo’s!

garlic lovers mashed cauliflower | v & gf

not all vegan butter is created equal. i tend to use miyoko’s, but earth balance is pretty good too. just keep an eye out for how much salt the butter contains (if any) this will be an indicator of how much salt you use in the recipe.
i call for garlic salt, if you don’t have it, see below for the recipe*

print the recipe!

| serves 4 |

1 head garlic
avocado oil
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, at room temp
3 tablespoons vegan butter
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped herbs (i used a mix of sage, thyme, and rosemary)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
extra virgin olive oil (optional)

*garlic salt

mix together 1 tablespoon fine sea salt, with 1 teaspoon garlic powder. store in a lidded container at room temperature for up to 3 months.

method

preheat oven to 400°F. slice the top of the garlic to expose the garlic cloves. place the garlic head on foil, and spray or drizzle with the oil to coat. fold it loosely to make a packet. cook until the garlic cloves are tender, roughly 30-40 minutes. remove from the oven and let cool.
place cauliflower florets into the basket of a steamer. bring about 1-inch of water to a boil and set the steamer inside, cover and cook until very tender, about 12-15 minutes.
while the cauliflower is steaming, get your other ingredients ready. place 2 roasted garlic cloves, milk, butter, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, and pepper into the container of a food processor fitted with a metal “s” blade.
carefully transfer the cauliflower to the food processor and blend until creamy and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed, about 45 seconds. taste the mashed cauli, add more roasted garlic, garlic salt as needed, and pulse once more to combine.
place the mashed cauliflower in a serving bowl and sprinkle with the herbs and a few drizzles of olive oil (if using). serve hot.