parsley

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges w/ Green Yogurt Sauce /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

the holidays are taking on such a different vibe in our lives this year.  there's a different feeling in everything frank and i are doing and planning as we're wanting to share in it all with amesy.  at 2 months old he certainly won't remember any of it, but celebrating his first holiday season has been becoming a big deal around here.  we've been playing christmas tunes for him since the end of november, and we got his first christmas tree last week!  decorating, cooking - it's all bringing out a joy and excitement that i knew we would feel, but didn't anticipate how intense it would be.  even though he doesn't really "watch" the tv, having holiday classics play on the television have touched on that bond of sharing in these small cozy moments as a family, and have even gotten us excited beyond the holiday classics with the idea of sharing movies and music with him that have been special to us.   hopefully these will be some traditions we can establish that amesy will be able to reflect on one day and only have good memories.

so it only seemed natural to team up with Disney for this recipe, and to highlight the release of "The BFG" on Blu-ray, Digital HD & Disney Movies Anywhere (get it here).  The BFG is one of those stories that i look forward to sharing with amesy one day, and i know lots of parents would love to share with their kids as well. the special relationship between sophie and the bfg i feel says a lot about the power of sometimes unlikely relationships between dissimilar people and what can come from those.  i also can't help but feel that their relationship is similar to the experience of having a baby, in that (at least for me) i didn't know i could feel this kind of bond until he came into my life. and now that amesy is here i couldn't imagine my life without that unbreakable connection.

talking about connections, i've also got a loyal bond with carbs.  in this potato wedge situation, these sweet potatoes take on a slightly more wholesome version of the typical fried wedge.  in this recipe they're roasted in a bit of olive oil and italian spices in the oven and served with a dairy-free yogurt dip that's been broken down with some bright herbs, tahini, and lemon juice.  it's the perfect snack to sit and watch a movie with, as a holiday snack, or appetizer :)

holiday cheers, babes! xoxo 

*this post was created in produced in association with disney.  all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own.  thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that help to keep dolly and oatmeal going!

roasted sweet potato wedges w/ green yogurt sauce | v

| serves 4 |

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wedges
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch, or arrowroot powder
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • fresh ground pepper, to taste

green yogurt sauce

  • 1 cup unsweetened cultured coconut yogurt (or greek yogurt if you don't need to be dairy-free)
  • 2 tablespoons tahini paste
  • 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoons parsley leaves
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • fresh pepper, to taste

method

  1. preheat oven to 425°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. place wedges and cornstarch (or arrowroot) in a large plastic bag and toss to coat evenly. transfer the wedges to a large bowl and add the olive oil, italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. spread the wedges into a single layer on your prepared baking sheet. bake for 30-35 minutes, stopping halfway through to flip them over, until the edges are browned.
  3. while the potatoes are baking, make the sauce. combine all the sauce ingredients in an upright blender or food processor until well chopped and sauce is green in color.
  4. serve the potatoes warm with the sauce on the side.

vibrant valentine's day: pink quinoa salad w/ beets, blood orange + chimichurri /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

it's funny, for two people who choose not to really celebrate valentine's day, the occasion is a significant date in me and frank's dating history.  we were friends for a few months before we began dating, and although he and i didn't speak to one another much, we kept in touch through facebook (i would often read and laugh at his rants about film vs digital projection, or how 3D movies aren't the wave of the future).  the following year, frank reached out to me on valentine's day to ask for a date.  while i wasn't sure if we would be more than just friends, we went out to a movie and a walk in central park a few nights later, and we've been together since then.  it was 2 years later when we celebrated our anniversary by going to the same movie theater and taking the same route through central park where frank asked me to marry him.  we're coming up on 5 years together in a few days and i can't help but feel super mushy and overcome with happy feelings about this life that he and i have together.  sometimes it feels like we were little babies then, and sometimes it feels like it was yesterday; we've grown, and changed, found new personal paths, and remain wholeheartedly committed to rooting for one another.  

speaking of rooting...this beet salad!  (<--- see what i did there?!)  these past couple of years i've shared chocolatey valentine's recipes, here and here.  this year i wanted to create something just as festive but in salad form - basically because i've been craving all the savories lately.  while i wasn't always a firm believer in beets, i've come to love them in almost any form (even tacos!), i also knew they would make my quinoa the most vibrant shade of pink/magenta.  because beets are so earthy in flavor i wanted to juice it all up by adding some acid in the form of some lovely blood orange segments, and a parsley chimichurri sauce.  it's all served up with some green sprouts, toasted hazelnuts and a few squeezes of orange juice; a simple meal or side to enjoy in the company of others, or on your own! :)

also, tiffany (from offbeat + inspired) and myself contributed some advice  on how to throw a gluten-free dinner party - it's over on the recently re-launched Epicurious.  i also have an interview of sorts over on Zeit Magazin, it's all in german, so google translate is a good tool to have here!  

have a lovely week! xo

vibrant valentine's day: pink quinoa salad w/ beets, blood orange + chimichurri (v + gf)

i love this salad, not just because it's super heart and tasty, but because most everything can be made ahead of time and assembled the day of.  or, assemble the salad (sans toppings) and refrigerate until ready to serve.  either way this dish is most forgiving.  

| serves 6 |

chimichurri ingredients

  • 1 bunch parsley, leaves and stems roughly chopped
  • 2 small garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salad ingredients

  • 3 medium red beets, washed 
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 blood oranges, peeled and segmented
  • juice from half of an orange, or a few squeezes lemon juice
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • course sea salt

to finish

  • big handful sprouts/micro green
  • handful chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

instructions

chimichurri

  • place chopped parsley, garlic, salt, chili flakes, vinegar, and olive oil into a food processor or upright blender and blend, scraping down the sides until thoroughly combined.  taste and adjust seasoning if needed.  transfer to a lidded jar and refrigerate until ready to use

salad

  • preheat oven to 400° 
  • place beets inside a foil packet; prick beets all over with a fork, drizzle with olive oil to coat.  secure foil in a packet and place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake for 1 hour, or until fork tender.  remove from oven and let cool until ready to handle.  once cool, slip beet skins off, rinse beets and pat to dry.  cut beets in eighths and then slice into small chunks. set aside
  • place rinsed quinoa along with a big pinch of course salt into a saucepan; cook according to directions on package.  once cooked, remove from heat and set aside.   
  • in a large bowl, combine the beets and quinoa, add orange segments, chimichurri sauce, and orange juice (or a few squeezes of lemon juice); toss to combine.  taste and adjust
  • serve warm, topped with sprouts, chopped parsley, and chopped hazelnuts  

spicy chickpea stew w/ quinoa pilaf + a giveaway! /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

back a few years ago, when my gluten and dairy intolerances came to a head, i remember feeling that there was such a lack of information about food, its importance, how big of a role it plays in just about everything imaginable, and what a person with gluten and dairy intolerance eat?!  like any student who was working a full-time job as well, i turned to the internet, because even though i was on a campus with a library, i had zero time to be in it.  i began following heidi's blog, and then sara's blogs for cooking inspiration, and from there i found laura's gorgeous space and was immediately aware that there was a whole world of amazing people sharing their food journeys through writing and photos.  i then stumbled onto amy's blog, coconut & quinoa (which is now titled amy chaplin), furthering my appreciation for wholesome food, and educating me on what nourishment, in its basic form, is.  

back in my school days, i would make a big old pot of veggie chili on sunday nights, so that way i could have leftovers for lunch or dinner for the week.  it was a big pot of any kind of squash, onions, garlic, herbs + spices, carrots - whatever the season was offering at the time.  in it went into a large soup pot, mixed with crushed san marzano tomatoes, and usually topped off with some variety of rice.  so when i opened amy's stunningly gorgeous book, i knew i wanted to make her variation of a personal fave.  she, not surprisingly, introduced me to a few knew top-notch ideas (chopping up and using parsley stems! nothing goes to waste!), and new-to-me techniques (roll cutting the carrots to make beautiful shapes instead of my usual slice).  there were also so many lovely items to compliment the dish, including the addition of harrisa paste, a qunioa pilaf, and labneh (for all you dairy eaters out there!); making it a super stand-up meal.  each and every one of amy's recipes is beautifully amplified by a large array of seasonal produce, taking you from one season to the next, all with such ease.  

and this post wouldn't be complete without a bit of a shoutout to halloween!  

  • what i'd love to dress our dog as this year!
  • this extremely rad nod to halloween.  all i have to say is: batman pumpkin!
  • the past 3 years halloween has either been a crazy snow/ice storm, a superstorm sandy evacuation, and then last year we were in europe. so this year, we plan on sitting back watching one of our favorites to celebrate 
  • and perhaps to go along with said favorite movie, i'll make a variation of these homemade peanut butter cups!
  • and, my brother is a super talented illustrator, each october he participates in something called Inktober, where he (and other artists) ink an illustration a day, for the entire month.  just thought i would share, since i think they're pretty super!

*TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY* of Amy Chaplin's At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen: please leave a comment (with your name and email) about your favorite go-to meal that lasts for the week!  contest ends at 6pm on tuesday, november 4th.  (sorry, open to US residents only.)  have a great halloween!  :) xo

spicy chickpea stew and quinoa pilaf w/ golden raisins + almonds 

from At Home In The Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin

here, amy uses butternut squash and i indicate that below in the ingredient list, however, i chose to use delicata squash (just a personal preference),  if using delicata, proceed with the same preparation as the butternut squash, except for peeling the skin.  

| serves 6 |

ingredients

  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut in 3/4-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 2 medium onions
  • 8 large garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley stems
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted ground cumin (ground cumin if you don't have cumin seeds)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 3 medium carrots, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup chickpea cooking liquid, or filtered water
  • 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 3-4 teaspoons harissa, or to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley, plus more to garnish

quinoa pilaf

  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa, washed and soaked 12-24 hours in 4 cups filtered water (optional)
  • 1 3/4 cups filtered water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/3 cup unsulfered golden raisins ( i used dried currants because it's what i had on hand)
  • 1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped
spicy chickpea stew w/ quinoa pilaf | dolly and oatmeal

instructions

  • preheat oven to 400°.  line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and add squash.  add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pink of pepper, and toss well.  spread out over single layer and roast for 30 minutes.  stir, and continue roasting for another 10-15 minutes or until browning and cooked through.  remove from oven and set aside
  • warm remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  add onions, saute for 5 minutes or until golden. stir in garlic and cook for 3 minutes more.  add parsley stems, cumin, paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook for 1 to 2 minutes.  stir in carrots and 1 cup chickpea cooking water (or water), and bring to a boil over high heat.  cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10-12 minutes.  add chickpeas and crushed tomatoes, then stir in harissa paste, chopped parsley leaves, and roasted squash; simmer uncovered for another few minutes to allow flavors to meld
  • season to taste and serve warm

quinoa pilaf

  • rinse and drain quinoa.  Place in a 2-quart pot and add filtered water, salt, and raisins.  bring to a boil over high heat.  cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed.  remove from heat, and let sit for 5 to10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.  add almonds and mix gently to combine.  serve warm