pesto

PESTO CASHEW CREAM SAUCE | V / July 5, 2020 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

today’s prep sauce is a good one. a bit indulgent, insanely tasty, and like all our prep sauce sunday sauces, it’s easily used for multiple meals. it’s what i like to call a do-it-all sauce. this creamy pesto is put together by essentially making 2 separate sauces, and combining them to make one phenomenal sauce. we start by blending a simple savory cashew cream - raw cashews, water, vinegar, garlic, salt & pepper. it’s luscious and creamy, and lends the perfect velvety texture to this pesto. next, we blend up our pesto. you can use whatever combination of greens and herbs you like, but i went with a basil/arugula combo just because i love these 2 flavors together. then we add the usual suspects: toasted pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, s & p , and evoo. then, then best part, we stir in a good bit of cashew cream. we generally eat in pasta, but you could drizzle it over grilled poultry, fish, or vegetable kebabs. it could definitely be used for dipping - cut up veg, or even grilled (or toasted) bread would be a dream. and this creamy pesto could easily be thinned out a bit and used as dressing for salads, roasted vegetables, a leaf-less salad like this one, or even used for potato salad.

and before i sign off, i wanted to link to a recipe on my instagram feed that you won’t find here on the blog. it’s for yet another indulgent recipe for chocolate chip peanut butter blondies. they are chewy and dense, just like a good blondie is. plus, there’s peanut butter and chocolate - can’t really go wrong with either one!

lastly, i wanted to share the Always Pan, by Our Place. full disclosure, it was gifted to me. but it’s an 8-in-one ceramic skillet that i absolutely love cooking with. if you’re on the market for a new fry pan/steamer/saucier head over to my post here for a code for $10 off.

sunday hugs ❤️

pesto cashew cream sauce | v

| makes 1 heaping cup |

print the recipe!

notes: the cashew cream makes plenty extra for other uses. some of my favorite include: use leftover cashew sauce as sour cream, blend it with 1/2 chipotle pepper to make vegan chipotle crema, add it to tomato sauce to make an even more delicious creamy tomato sauce, add it to dressings for a creamier consistency, add to soups, or blend in some herbs and make a dip!

method

in a container of a food processor fitted with a metal “s” blade, add the basil, arugula, pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, a few pinches salt, and a few grinds of pepper. with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor and blend. taste and adjust, adding more salt, or lemon juice if need be.
transfer the pesto to a mixing bowl. stir in 3 tablespoons of cashew cream until fully combined. add another tablespoon if you want it creamier. use right away, or store in a tightly fitted jar in your refrigerator for up to 1 week.

make cashew cream

place the cashews in the container of high-speed upright blender. add the water, vinegar, garlic, salt, and a few cracks of pepper. blend everything on high for a couple of minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container, as needed. blend until the cashew sauce is silky smooth. store in a lidded container for up to 1 week.

ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 cup baby arugula
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
salt & cracked pepper, to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons - 1/4 cup cashew cream (recipe below)

cashew cream (makes extra)

1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight (or at least 4 hours), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup filtered water
2 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
cracked pepper, to taste

PUMPKIN SEED PESTO SPAGHETTI SQUASH BOWLS / October 23, 2019 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

PUMPKIN SEED PESTO SPAGHETTI SQUASH BOWLS | dolly and oatmeal

we’re heavy into pumpkins at the moment here at our house. amesy is in full-on halloween mode - listening to a halloween album non-stop, asking to watch “it’s the great pumpkin, charlie brown” again and again, and spotting each and every pumpkin on doorstops and grocery stores like it’s his job! which is all to say that the halloween/spooky vibe has never felt so spirited than before, and i’m going with it full throttle. i remember counting down the days until halloween, planning what my costume would be, and i can imagine that’s what amesy is feeling to a certain degree (as much as 3-year old can, of course). for a while there he wasn’t understanding what a costume was, and didn’t want to dress up. then, all of a sudden a couple of weeks ago, all amesy could talk about was wanting to “skooky punkin” (aka, spooky pumpkin). when i asked him what his baby brother should be, he said: a pumpkin. when asked what me and my husband should be, he said: pumpkins! suffice to say, ames is all about the pumpkins, so we’re rolling with that this year (even though i have a sneaking suspicion he’s really going to want to wear his dinosaur costume from last year…we shall see). in any event, i can’t wait to see how halloween unfolds for him - being witness to his enthusiasm for holidays, and life in general, is the greatest gift.

i’m trying (very slowly it seems) to keep up my end of the bargain and cook all things pumpkin, pumpkin spice, etc., etc. but with all the pumpkin everything recipes out there, i thought i would share an equally festive, but savory use of pumpkin, that is: the pumpkin seeds. today we’re making a vegan pumpkin seed-based pesto. we add a bit more seeds than a traditional pesto calls for as that’s where a lot of the full-bodied, nutty flavor comes from. the pumpkin seeds provide a lovely toasted essence and really creamy texture. we also add a mixture of basil and arugula (a combination i love), your typical garlic, lemon juice, and salt, too. i use here Thrive Algae Oil too. since olive oil is what’s typically used in pesto, and because it offers a distinct flavor, i wanted to see if algae oil would be just as good. turns out it is!! not only does the oil let the other flavors shine (algae oil is flavorless!), but it offers the pesto a kind of luscious texture that almost felt buttery, and i don’t have to sacrifice nutrition for better taste and consistency. thrive algae oil actually has more good fats and less bad fats than olive or any other oil, with 90% heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. needless to say, i will be reaching for it anytime i make pesto going forward, and i nudge you to as well! algae oil is widely available at grocery stores nationwide, and online as well.

*this post was created in partnership with Thrive Algae Oil. all thoughts and opinions are, as always, my own. thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep dolly and oatmeal going!

PUMPKIN SEED PESTO SPAGHETTI SQUASH BOWLS | V & GF

feel free to serve this pesto over spaghetti or any pasta of choice. alternatively, if you’re in a warmer climate, zucchini noodles would be wonderful as well. we generally like to add some protein to the mix here. i love a piece of roasted wild salmon, personally. but you could add ground or roasted chicken (or turkey), chicken sausage, chickpeas, or cooked lentils.

print the recipe!

| serve 2-4 |

1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise
Thrive Algae Oil spray
2 cups fresh basil, plus more for garnish
2 cups baby arugula
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1 clove garlic, smashed
fine sea salt & freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup Thrive Algae Oil

method

preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
spray the cut sides of the spaghetti squash with oil, and place cut-side down on the baking sheet. cook for 40-50 minutes, until squash flesh is tender. remove from the oven and set aside.
while the squash is cooking, make the pesto. in a container of a food processor fitted with a metal “s” blade, combine the basil, arugula, toasted pumpkin seeds (reserve a few for later), lemon juice, garlic, a few big pinches of salt, and a couple grinds of pepper. with the motor running drizzle in the oil until everything comes together to form a fluid paste. taste and adjust, adding more salt, lemon juice, and/or oil. set aside.
once the squash has cooled enough to touch, use a fork to scrape the strands from each squash half. transfer strands to two bowls, and season with salt and pepper, give it a good toss. add a few tablespoons pesto to each bowl, garnish with chopped basil, and reserved pumpkin seeds. serve with protein of choice (optional), and enjoy warm.

similar recipes:

baked purple kale & spaghetti squash cakes

broken lasagna w/ vegan white pesto & broccoli rabe

PESTO, BALSAMIC & PEACH PIZZA W/ GARLIC-CASHEW CREAM (GLUTEN FREE) / August 29, 2019 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

we welcomed our little baby joey on august 15th. we couldn’t be more in love and smitten with him. even amesy is tolerating his cries, and endless diaper changes. he’s even been pretty good at sharing me with his baby brother. i plan to share a bit more about joey’s birth story. but needless to say, it’s been a wonderful, chaotic whirlwind. so, stay tuned!

let’s talk pizza. specifically this peach-y garlicky pizza that we’ve been making all summer long! this combination of ingredients was somewhat of a hodgepodge of things leftover in our fridge one saturday night/a medley of ingredients we frequently combine for salads and such. the first thing you need is a ripe juicy peach. i’ve tried this with a semi-ripe, not-too-sweet peach, and while tasty, it didn’t hit the right note (the sweet, juiciness is key here). but since it’s the height of peach season just about everywhere in the states, i doubt you’ll have trouble finding one. next, you need some really good aged balsamic. the watery grocery store variety probably won’t cut it in terms of the sweet, acidic drizzle we’re going for here. and lastly, a good pesto. if i’m not making my own, then a store bought version is just as good. for cheese, i go between a buffalo milk fresh mozzarella, or a vegan mozzarella that are both wonderful here (of course depending on your diet). and for the pizza crust, i always use my recipe for the best gluten free pizza dough, or, if i’ve run out, i use this frozen dough that is quite good as a backup.

this is our go-to friday night summer pizza pie and i only thought it my duty to share its deliciousness here with you before we say goodbye to summer vacation. i hope you get the chance to make it! happy end of august!

xoxo!

PESTO, BALSAMIC & PEACH PIZZA W/ GARLIC-CASHEW CREAM (GLUTEN FREE)

garlic-cashew cream | makes roughly 1 1/2 cups

2 small heads garlic
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup raw cashews, soaker for at 5 least 5 hours or overnight, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2-3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt & pepper

pizza | makes 1 pie/8slices

1 portion of this pizza dough (or pizza dough of choice, roughly 1/2 pound)
1/4-1/3 cup garlic-cashew cream (recipe above)
1 ripe peach, sliced
6-8 ounces mozzarella (if using fresh mozzarella about 2-3 small balls)
2 tablespoons pesto, homemade or store bought
1 cup baby arugula
extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar
flaky sea salt
freshly ground pepper

method

make the garlic-cashew cream. preheat oven to 400°F. cut the tops of the garlic heads to expose cloves of garlic. place the garlic heads in foil and drizzle over the 2 teaspoons olive oil. fold up the foil to make a loose packet, and place in the oven. cook until knife tender, about 30-40 minutes. let cool.
in the container of an upright (preferably high-speed) blender, combine the cashews, roasted garlic cloves, almond milk, 1 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons vinegar, dijon, onion powder, a few fat pinches salt, and a couple grinds of pepper. blend on high, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until the garlic-cashew cream is smooth. taste and adjust, adding more vinegar, salt, and/or pepper if needed. use right away, or store in a resealable container in the fridge (garlic-cashew cream can stay in the fridge for up 1 week.)
make the pizza. place a pizza stone in your oven, and preheat to 500°F.
cut a large piece of parchment paper and place it on your countertop. place the dough in the center, and sprinkle with some brown rice flour. starting from the center, use your fingertips to spread the dough out into a large 10-11-inch circle or oval (the edges may crack a bit, and that's ok, just pinch the dough back together). use your dishtowel, and place it on top of the dough, letting it rise again, for roughly 30 minutes.
trim the parchment paper below your pizza dough, and discard. (if there's too much overhang it can quickly burn, we just need enough for the dough to sit on.)
use a pizza peel (or cookie sheet) to carefully slide your pizza dough (along with its' parchment) onto the pizza stone. par-bake the dough for 6-7 minutes. remove from oven, and use a spoon to spread the garlic cream evenly over top. then evenly spread the peaches over the garlic cream. place in the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes, until peaches have softened. add your cheese of choice, then add dollops of pesto. bake one last time, until cheese is melted and crust is crisp, about 6-8 minutes. remove from oven and top with arugula. drizzle with olive oil, the balsamic vinegar; sprinkle some flaky sea salt, and fresh pepper over top.
slice, and serve hot.