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(baked) purple kale, cilantro + spaghetti squash cakes by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal


my spaghetti squash was lying on the kitchen counter for a little over a week before i knew what i wanted to do with it. sure i could have made some recipes that are the usual suspects around here when fall come into town, but i wanted to use the squash strands for something different this season.  spaghetti squash is my absolute favorite of the squash family.  yes, on the exterior it's a quite underwhelming: it has muted yellow skin, and a smooth and mundane surface.  i guess one could surmise that spaghetti squash, despite it's cool name, it somewhat lackluster judging from the outside.  but as soon as you cut them open, you recognize how major they are!  what plant or vegetable out there gives you perfectly shaped, noodle-like strands without the use of any sort of tool (unless a fork counts as a tool?  are tools and utensils the same?).   most. genius. veggie. everrr!  

like i said, i wanted to make something with the squash i never had.  so with a little exploring of what my mouth likes to taste and what my belly likes to eat, i decided to go the route of some form of burger, patty, cake, or fritter of some sort.  this made me think of my great-grandmother's german potato latkes that my mom would make around hanukkah.  my favorite thing about them was always the lone strands of potato that would make up the edges of the latke - those little crunchies alone were my inspiration for these squash cakes.  i thought the squash strands would be perfect to give the edges that crisp and crunch i was longing for, and they did just that!  the rest of the cake mixture is made up of some tasty seasonings as i was going for a latin-light vibe here.  i toyed around with pan frying them and making them thinner (much like my mom's latkes) but i opted for a lighter interpretation that cuts down the use of oil and keeps your kitchen free of frying-oil odor.  so in they went into the oven.  and they were some form of perfection - super crunchy on the outside, with a billowy, sog-free center.  there's a little bit of prep work involved in these, but once everything is chopped, they're a cinch to just throw in the oven.  and with just frank and i, we had plenty of leftovers for lunch and dinner throughout the week.

 

 



(baked) purple kale, cilantro + spaghetti squash cakes w/ sriracha avocado sauce | gf + dairy free |

 

| makes 10 cakes |   

inspired by Sprouted Kitchen

ingredients

for the cakes

  • 1 spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise 
  • 1 cup purple kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped   
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 small-medium shallots, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup oat flour (ground from gluten free rolled oats in a food processor)
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) 
  • neutral oil for greasing baking pan (grapeseed works the best here)

*also needed: a clean tea towel or cheesecloth to wring out squash

for the avocado sriracha sauce

 

  • 1 ripe avocado, pitted
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro
  • 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (more or less depending on how creamy you want it) 
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 medium shallot (or ~2 tablespoons chopped red onion) 
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
  • salt to taste
  • ~3-4 tablespoons water, to thin consistency


instructions

make the cakes

  • preheat oven to 400° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  cut the squash in half, lengthwise and scrape out the seeds (reserve seeds for toasting! totally optional, but also totally yum).  brush the flesh with olive oil and place face down onto the baking sheet.  bake for 35-40 minutes until knife-tender.  remove squash from oven and let it cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes.  this is a good time to prep the rest of your ingredients)
  • preheat the oven back to 400°.  once the squash is cool, use a fork to scrape the flesh into long strands.  one half at a time, place the scraped squash strands into a clean tea towel (or cheesecloth) and wring out as much liquid as possible (i was actually amzed how much liquid the spaghetti squash contains!).  place wrung out squash in a large bowl and repeat with the other half.  place chopped kale, cilantro, shallots and garlic in the bowl with the squash and mix until thoroughly combined.  add egg and combine once more. set aside
  • in a separate bowl, combine the oat flour, ground flaxseed, salt, baking powder, chili powder, cumin and cayenne (if using) .  pour the dry ingredients into the kale and squash mixture, and mix.  set aside
  • oil a large rimmed baking sheet.  using a 1/4 cup measure, pack it almost to the top and press the cake mixture into the cup measure to make compact.  turn measure over and tap out onto the palm of your hand.  place on oiled baking sheet, use the back of the measure, or your fingers, and press the cake down just a bit (it should be just under an inch thick).  repeat with the rest of the mixture until you have 10 cakes  
  • place baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through.  at the end of 20 minutes take cakes out of oven and flip them over to brown the other side.  place back in the oven for 5 additional minutes.  remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.  let the cakes cool for about 5 minutes, or eat them at room temperature.  top with avocado sriracha sauce and garnish with cilantro
  • store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

 

 

 

 

 


make the avocado sriracha sauce

  • place all ingredients in a small food processor and blend until desired consistency.  (you made need more water depending on how thin you want the sauce.)

enjoy! 

 

vanilla bean icebox cake by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal


in a little over 2 weeks my mr. and i will be getting married! as i sit here now and try to describe my feelings about this, i can't.  it's an emotion too big for words, and too meaningful to describe.  we just recently applied for our marriage license which made it all the more real and exciting.  we went to city hall in downtown manhattan.  we waited in lines, waited for our number to be called (as if we were at the DMV), filled out online forms, and signed our printed license!  it was much more formal than romantic, but we loved the experience nonetheless.  i thought i would be more scared, but it was really nice writing what my future surname will be!  in any event, it was awesome being with so many other people who are in a similar place as frank and i are in.  and it was especially beautiful to see ALL couples being given the right and opportunity to devote their lives and love to one another in front of their family and friends.  

i dedicate this little cake to my fiance.  a man who loves me, and understands me in a way no one else can. and importantly, a man who loves cookies and cream.  so, this cake is for you, my love.  

this cake was inspired by a Barefoot Contessa cake i used make back in the day when ate dairy, sugar, wheat, all that good stuff.  however, my cake here is vegan, gluten free, and dairy free.  the wafers here are handmade, but you could easily swap them for store bought wafers or cookies to save yourself some time - make sure to buy crisp cookies, not chewy (the Contessa suggests Tate's Bake Shop).  in addition, the cream is made from coconut milk, which can easily be substituted with heavy cream, if that's what you prefer.   this is perfect summer time cake, that stays in the refrigerator until ready, and will please just about anyone.


vanilla bean icebox cake

(gluten free + vegan) 

| makes one 8" cake

chocolate wafers - adapted from Real Sustenance 

  • 3 cups almond flour (Honeyville brand or another fine-grain, blanched almond flour)
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
  • 3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 3 tablespoons decaffeinated espresso powder  
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 5 - 6 tablespoons filtered water

coconut cream

  • 3 cans unsweetened, full fat organic coconut milk - refrigerated overnight 
  • 2-4 tablespoons good quality maple syrup (or honey, agave, or powdered sugar)
  • 1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

equipment

  • 8" springform pan
  • 2" round cookie or biscuit cutter
  • food processor
  • electric mixer
  • rolling pin
  • 2 large pieces of parchment paper (for rolling) 

instructions

make the wafers - makes 45 chocolate wafers

  • preheat oven to 350°.  line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
  • in a food processor, combine almond flour, cocoa powder, sugar, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt; pulse to mix.  with the food processor on, drizzle the vanilla extract and 5 tablespoons of water through the hole (the "food pusher" on top of your processor).  the dough will come together in a ball.  if your mixture is too dry, add the additional tablespoon of water (this process can easily be done by hand as well; the dough is quite thick, so a food processor just makes it easier.)
  • turn dough out onto flat surface; divide the dough into 3 even pieces.  wrap 2 pieces in parchment, and let rest in the refrigerator
  • roll dough out to 1/8" thickness between 2 sheets of parchment paper.  gently, remove the top piece of parchment.  using a 2" circular cookie or biscuit cutter, cut the dough.  re-roll the dough until it has all been used.  place the circles of dough onto the lined baking sheets
  • place in the oven, and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, rotating halfway through.  repeat with remaining dough, and let the wafers cool completely 

make the cream - makes ~3 cups

  • place hand mixer attachments, and a large metal mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes (this makes the cream stay super cold, and prevents any melting - especially in the warm, summer months.)
  • remove the coconut milk cans from the refrigerator and turn upside down.  using a can opener, open the bottom of each can and pour coconut water into a lidded container and reserve in the refrigerator (the water can be used for smoothies or broth/soup).  using a rubber spatula, scoop out the solidified coconut cream from the bottom of the can into your bowl.  with the mixer on medium-high, beat the coconut cream; add the scraped vanilla bean and the maple syrup. mix and taste - adjust the sweetness to your liking

 

assemble the cake

  • arrange the wafers flat in the bottom of the the 8" springform pan, covering as much of the bottom as you can (you may need to break some cookies apart to fill in the gaps).  spread a good amount of the cream over the wafers (about a fifth of what you have in the bowl) and spread evenly.  continue layering with wafers and cream until you have 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream.  smooth the top, cover with parchment, plastic wrap, or tin foil, and refrigerate overnight
  • before serving, run a thin knife around the edges of the cake.  unhook the latches, and remove the sides of the pan.  using a fine mesh sieve, dust the top of the cake with reserved cocoa powder

slice and enjoy! 

 

 *the cake will stay for a week, covered and refrigerated