quinoa

January 21, 2021 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

happy 2021, friends :) it feels like a new day. lots of unknowns, and i’m sure future struggles, but today i breath a sigh of relief, and hopefully you do as well.

there’s not much of a good segue way here, so were just going to talk about how good this bowl is!

i know quinoa and broccoli is nothing to really get excited about. that is until you make a super punchy pesto vinaigrette and then mix in a good amount of hot sauce to spice things up a bit. then there’s homemade garlic bread croutons - they’re crunchy and buttery (thank you miyoko’s vegan cultured butter) and garlicky and salty, and really the all-star in this dish. we add some toasted pine nuts which are never a bad idea, and wispy shreds of red onion to add some crunch and flavor.

i really love making component bowls like this because each thing can be made ahead and can stay in the fridge for a couple days, and then assembled the day of. another thing i lean on here is prepared vegan pesto. it’s something i always keep in my fridge ready to throw on pasta, in bowls, pizza, etc., and it just makes preparing this one step easier.

and the last thing i love about this bowl is the leftovers. i especially love making something that can be at the ready for lunch during the week, and this one does just that (you could even double the recipe if you want more). here’s to bowl food, and one’s that leave us with leftovers!

big love, xo

spicy pesto & broccoli quinoa bowl w/ garlic bread croutons | gf & v

| serves 4 as a side |

print the recipe

notes:

to speed things up a bit, i call for prepared pesto for the vinaigrette (gotham greens and gigi’s are both great options), but of course you could make your own ( here’s a favorite recipe from a few years ago).
white quinoa is called for but feel free to use what you have on hand.
lastly, everything can be prepared/made ahead of time and assembled when. needed. simply store each component seperately in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the bowl.

ingredients

spicy pesto vinaigrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons dairy-free pesto
1-2 tablespoons gluten-free & vegan hot sauce (i like using this one)
salt and pepper, to taste

salad

1/2 cup white quinoa, rinsed
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1/4 small red onion
1/4 cup pine nuts

garlic bread croutons

1 cup stale gluten-free & vegan bread pieces
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1 small clove garlic, shaved over a microplane or minced
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

method

make the vinaigrette. whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice until combined. add 2 tablespoons of the prepared pesto, and 1 tablespoon hot sauce. season with salt. and pepper. whisk and taste, adding more pesto, hot sauce, or salt, if needed. set aside.
make the salad. cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the package. once cooked, set aside and let cool.
while the quinoa is cooking, cook your broccoli. steam broccoli until tender, about 3 minutes. set aside and let cool.
using a mandolin (or a sharp knife), shave the red onion into very thin half moons, and set aside.
heat a pan over medium. once hot, toast pine nuts, shaking the pan every few seconds to toast evenly. remove the nuts from the pan and let them cool completely.
make the croutons. preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. place the torn bread onto your prepared baking sheet. melt the butter with the garlic over medium-low heat until the butter is melted. remove and pour over the bread pieces. season with salt and pepper, and toss everything together. place in the oven and cook until the bread is toasted, about 10-12 minutes. remove from oven and toss together with the parsley. let cool.
assemble the salad. in a large serving bowl, combine the quinoa, broccoli, and red onion. drizzle over half the dressing and toss. taste and add more dressing as needed. top with toasted pine nuts and garlic bread croutons, and serve

similar recipes:

creamy broccoli chop w/ asian pears & toasted almonds

pantry-friendly: creamy white bean, broccoli & tahini soup

spicy broccoli bowl w/ creamy ginger lentils

creamy broccoli rabe soup w/ crispy quinoa + yogurt / October 19, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

creamy broccoli rabe soup w/ crispy quinoa + yogurt | dolly and oatmeal

sheesh, these past couple of weeks have been a bit mad, but in all the great ways! my eyes have been falling out of head editing the first pass of my cookbook (!!!) as my heart has been racing with excitement for it. i also styled my first ever photoshoot for sweetegreen's winter menu last week which was a whirlwind of emotions - excited, thrilled, and nervous to death basically sums up how i was feeling! in anticipation of the busy week i went ahead and made a big pot of soup to heat up quickly for dinner and serve beside a pan of socca, or whatever else was in the fridge. and i'm not sure about you, but preparing soup from scratch has become one of my favorite things to do when the weather gets cooler. my method for making them tasty is somewhat basic; adding different spices here and there, maybe toasting and grinding them, or roasting and caramelizing the star vegetable to add a deeper flavor. but i love that soup is so adaptable, that changing the flavor or consistency can be so dependent on what you're in the mood for.

so often the autumnal season gets poignantly marked with homemade soups, usually with some variation of sweet creamy winter squash. but my favorite soup growing up (as a super picky eater) was a really basic cream of broccoli soup, which probably had a larger ratio of cream to soup and was most likely void of any sort of nutrition at all. so i wanted step up my favorite creamy broccoli soup of years past, and put an upgraded, and more nourishing spin on it by using broccoli rabe and cutting out the dairy. because i still wanted that creamy quality to shine, i blended in a dairy-free cultured coconut yogurt to the mix, along with some leftover waxy potatoes from the summer. for some aromatic quality i toasted a few coriander seeds during the saute process to add a slight citrusy and nutty flavor - something i love when it comes to anything having to do with broccoli. crispy quinoa is another favorite of mine, i typically add it to salads for crunch, but topping the soup with it gives it all a fun texture, while also making it a heartier dish - perfect for a cozy lunch or to accompany a larger meal :)

big ups to soup season! xo

*and big thanks to andy boy broccoli rabe for sponsoring this post! all opinions are totally my own :)

creamy broccoli rabe soup w/ crispy quinoa + yogurt

creamy broccoli rabe soup w/ crispy quinoa + yogurt (v + gf)

| makes 4 servings |

crispy quinoa

1 cup cooked quinoa
3-4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
salt

soup

1/2 bunch broccoli rabe, woody ends trimmed (roughly 3 cups)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and fresh pepper
1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts sliced thin
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch chunks
3 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or filtered water)
1/2 cup unsweetened cultured non-dairy yogurt, plus more for serving

method

to crisp the quinoa, heat 3 teaspoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. once the skillet is hot, add the quinoa and a couple pinches of salt; stir and cook until crisp (if using white quinoa it will appear more golden in color). you will hear the quinoa pop and see it brown a bit when it's ready, about 8-10 minutes. (if you notice the quinoa sticking or burning in places, add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil.) remove from heat and place in a clean bowl; set aside.
preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. in a bowl, toss together the broccoli rabe, olive oil, and season with salt and pepper until broccoli rabe is evenly coated. turn broccoli rabe out onto the prepared pan and cook for 15-20 minutes, until tender and lightly browned. set aside.
while the broccoli rabe is roasting, saute the leeks. heat a large soup pot over medium heat, when pot is hot add the coconut oil and leeks; stir and cook until soft and translucent in color, about 4-5 minutes. add the garlic and coriander seeds, and stir for 30-40 seconds, until fragrant. add the potatoes, broth (or water), and salt and pepper to taste; bring soup to a boil, cover, and turn heat down to a simmer. cook soup until potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a sharp knife, about 15-20 minutes.
add roasted broccoli rabe - reserve a few small pieces for serving - and yogurt; stir and simmer for another 2 minutes, turn heat off and let the soup cool for 10 minutes before pureeing.
in batches, puree soup in a food processor or blender on high. taste and adjust salt if needed. return soup to the pot and bring to a boil. serve the soup and top with crispy quinoa, a dollop of yogurt, and pieces of roasted broccoli rabe.

enjoy!

similar recipes:

miso-turmeric soup w/ shiitakes, turnips + soba noodles

kabocha squash, fennel + ginger soup w/ spicy coconut cream

mung bean + cilantro falafel tacos / March 17, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

mung bean falafel tacos | dolly and oatmeal

spring is right here, it's close enough you can literally taste it in the air. the bits of dirty snow have but all melted away leaving behind pieces of litter from months prior. we're all happy for longer days, and grateful once again our favorite star is here to give us more light. my senses are alive once again it seems, breathing in fresh cool air, seeing tiny buds outside on the forsythia bush, and the scent of salty sea air has returned since its thaw.

things around here are a bit in flux at the moment; new exciting projects on the horizon, a move to a new apartment that's been in the works, and the new 'do i gave to my blog :)

i've been working on the redesign sporadically for a few months now, with frank's help of course. it seems that each year i'm redefining this space - what it is to me, but also how others come to it and why. in the spirit of trying to make things easier for people, i redesigned the recipe index in a way that's easy to navigate both alphabetically, and also categorically. there's a nifty side bar too that i'm excited about, hopefully you find it interactive and fun; i know i love clicking around on other blogs, so i thought i'd bring a little bit of that here! the search bar is pretty sweet, as well as the blog archives that is categorized by months of the year. so here's to hoping you all like the new look!

okay, these falafels! falafels are the kind of thing i love to eat, love to make, love to freeze and then reheat. lately i've been experiencing pretty bad digestive thangs (we won't go into that though...), i've been following a steady diet full of things that are easy on the digestive system. among them are split mung beans, or moong dal. i've been making my fair share of soups and such that incorporate these mighty beans, but thought they would be super in a baked falafel situation. they, along with the quinoa add a subtle flavor, that when mixed with tons of warming spices comes out to one of the best tasting falafels i've had. i tend to go without the tortilla, but frank insists they're the best when rolled all up in a taco; hence, this falafel taco! i added a very humble avocado and radish salad, plus tonnnns of cilantro, all with a healthy dose of tahini sauce!

sending warm springy vibes to you all! xo

mung bean + cilantro falafel tacos (v + gf)

soaking the beans and quinoa as directed below is to make them easier to digest. if you skip the soaking step, i recommend rinsing and draining both the beans and quinoa before cooking.

| makes 32 falafels |

1 cup moong dal (aka split mung beans), soaked overnight and drained
1 cup quinoa, soaked overnight and drained
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, more for serving
2 leeks, trimmed and sliced
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
juice from 1 lemon
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons sea salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon mild paprika
olive oil, for brushing
course sea salt, for topping
brown rice tortillas/corn tortillas/etc., toasted

tahini drizzle

1/4 cup tahini paste
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons sumac
1/4 cup cold water

radish + avo salad

1 ripe avocado, pitted and sliced into chunks
4 radishes, thinly sliced or shaved on a mandolin
splash of oil and vinegar
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

instructions

make the falafels

place the mung beans in a saucepan and cover with at least 3-inches of water. bring to boil, stir, and turn heat down to a simmer. cook for 7-9 minutes, until tender. drain beans if need be and set aside.
cook quinoa according to instructions on package. set aside.
warm a skillet over medium heat and add chickpea flour, toast for 1-2 minutes, swirling around to prevent burning, until golden and fragrant. remove from heat and place in a bowl, set aside.
place drained mung beans and quinoa in a food processor fitted with a metal S blade; add cilantro, leeks, garlic, lemon juice, salt and spices. blend mixture until combined; taste and adjust salt and/or lemon juice, or other spices. add toasted chickpea flour and blend once more until combined. transfer falafel mix to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
preheat oven to 400° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. scoop out golf ball sized pieces of mixture and shape into balls with the palm of your hands. place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining mixture. using a pastry brush, brush tops and bottoms of falafel patties and sprinkle both sides with course sea salt. bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through until golden brown.
place 4-5 falafel patties in each tortilla, top with avocado and radish salad. drizzle with tahini sauce, cilantro, and extra sumac (optional), and serve warm.

sauce

in a medium bowl, whisk together tahini sauce ingredients. taste and adjust salt and lemon juice if need be. cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

salad