hummus + pesto veggie wraps, + parting with summer / August 28, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

the last few weeks of summer seem to be slowing encroaching in. and while it's not over yet, i am already missing summer's colorful produce and its sweet smelling berries at the farmers' market. i know i'm totally jumping the gun, and that we have many more days of vibrant fresh greens, and bounties of plums and apples, but to think that these beautiful summer days and beach weekends are numbered makes me a little sad. on the other hand, i'm super excited at the thought of cool fall days, my mind perks up about apple picking, the start of a looong squash season (!), scarves, and snuggling up to my mister on the couch. nature is full of many beauties, and some exciting surprises in the fall season. it's just letting go of summer is what's difficult; of its warmth, sunshine, its edible gifts, and the way that it never lets you down.

most summer weekends are reserved for at least one day at the beach. me and the husband have our little routine of making our lunch, packing our beach bag with the paper or a book, and a big towel to share. we usually head out first thing in the morning after grabbing iced coffee to go, and then we're on our way. our usual spot at the end of the beach will be all ready for us, and sometimes, if we're lucky, it's low-tide and we get to walk out onto the sand-bar. it's usually a perfectly simple day, just me and my love, with sunshine on our faces, wind blowing, and the sound of the tides coming in and out. these are the days i live for.

i made the wraps here with these last few beach weekends in mind. they're simple to make ahead, wrap up, and throw in a container. they're vegan/dairy free, so even if you don't have a cooler they will stay nice and fresh. if you want, cut the time in half and buy your favorite hummus and pesto. if not, i provide a recipe for both below. the pesto recipe was inspired by this beautiful blog post, and my new affinity for cilantro since returning from Costa RIca. i hope you all are enjoying these last few weeks of the summer season!

hummus + pesto veggie wraps

| gluten free + vegan |

| makes 6 wraps |

ingredients

6 large brown rice tortillas (or tortillas of your choice)
1 bunch swiss chard, de-stemmed and chopped (about 4-5 leaves)
1 large cucumber, julienned
1 small red onion, sliced
1 ripe mango, thinly sliced
8 ounces roasted garlic hummus
1/4 cup sunflower cilantro pesto (recipe below)

| sunflower cilantro pesto |

1/2 cup cilantro, packed (1 bunch)
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon toasted sunflower seeds
salt to taste ~1/8 teaspoon
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

instructions

make the pesto

in a small food processor, combine cilantro, chopped garlic, olive oil, lime juice, toasted sunflower seeds, salt, and cayenne. blend, scraping down the sides. transfer to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator until ready to use (i like making my pesto the day before, or early in the day to let the flavors really come together.)

assemble the wraps

one at a time, warm the tortillas between a damp cloth, or 2 damp paper towels, in the microwave for a few seconds (this helps the tortillas not break when rolling them.)
place the tortilla on a clean work surface. using a spoon or small spatula, add the hummus - i used about 2 tablespoons worth. then, add about 2 teaspoons of pesto - use more or less depending on your preference
next, add the mango strips and chopped chard. top with cucumber and red onion
fold the bottom and top of the tortilla in towards the filling, then fold the sides in. tightly roll one side to the other. with the folded side down, use a sharp knife to cut in half. repeat with remaining tortillas

grab a napkin, chow down, and enjoy!

roasted garlic hummus / January 29, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

a few months ago a new cookbook came out called, jerusalem by yotam ottolenghi. i had been able to preview parts of the book through a website i follow, 101cookbooks, and the beautiful images are what initially caught my eye. each page illustrates the every day lives of jerusalem's inhabitants and how food perhaps is one thing that unites them. here is one part of the introduction that has stuck with me:

"although jerusalemites have so much in common, food, at the moment, seems to be the only unifying force in this highly fractured place...it is sad to note how little daily interaction there is between communities, with people sticking together in closed, homogeneous groups. food, however, seems to break down those boundaries on occasion. you can see people shop together in food markets, or eat at one another's restaurants...it takes a giant leap of faith, but we are happy to take it - what have we got to lose? - to imagine that hummus will eventually bring jerusalemites together, if nothing else will."

i used the recipe from jerusalem in combination with the smitten kitchen variation of it. seriously, best. hummus. ever! however, achieving this totally-worth-it-hummus was no easy task. in deb perelman's (smitten kitchen) hummus post, she gave up the trick to smooth, creamy hummus: skinless chickpeas! who knew!? whether you are using dried chickpeas or ones out of the can, deb insists that one has to "pop" each chickpea individually out of its shell/skin. tedious? yes! worth the aggravation and work? yes!

adapted from jerusalem and smitten kitchen

makes a little under 2 cups

1 3/4 cups cooked, drained chickpeas (from a 15-ounce can) or a little shy of 2/3 cup dried chickpeas 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (for dried chickpeas only) 1/2 cup tahini paste 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste 8 cloves roasted garlic 1/2 teaspoon table salt, or more to taste approximately 1/4 cup water

::for dried chickpeas::

in a bowl soak dried chickpeas with water that is twice their volume (just make sure the there's a few inches of water covering the chickpeas). leave them to soak overnight. the next day, drain the chickpeas. in a sautè pan over medium-high heat, combine the chickpeas with the baking soda (apparently this reduces the gassy effects of dried beans!). stir constantly for about 3 minutes. add 3 1/4 cups of water - bring to a boil. once it boils turn down to a slow simmer (i had my heat up too high, my beans got quite mushy and were hard to peel later on). use a slotted spoon to skim the foam from the surface. they will cook for 20-40 minutes. you will know that they're ready when they break easily between you thumb and finger.

drain the chickpeas. you can either let them cool on their own, or run them under cold water.

::for dried and canned chickpeas::

here is the important part: peel your peas! place the chickpeas between your thumb, forefinger and middle finger and pop them out one by one.

in a food processor or blender, blend the chickpeas until clumps form. next, add the tahini, lemon juice, salt, and roasted garlic, blend until pureed. add water by the tablespoon until you get desired consistency.

transfer the hummus to a bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. let it sit longer if possible to let the ingredients marinate.

::enjoy::