whole wheat chocolate chip cookies / February 1, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

this is a variation of a recipe that i make often. however, i got inspired to make these delicious cookies with coconut oil, in lieu of butter, after a conversation i had with my mom. i figured if i was going to go butter-free, then i might as well try egg-free as well, and use ground flaxseed meal. basically, this is an almost vegan cookie. to make it entirely vegan simply use vegan chocolate, and vegan sugar. in addition, i substituted regular cane sugar for coconut palm sugar, because its low glycemic index. the end product -to my immense surprise - was a complete and utter success! not only are these cookies chewy, but they are crunchy as well. there is also a slight hint of coconut when you're finished chewing. all-in-all this recipe can be made with ingredient replacements or not. either way, these are yummy and super satisfying.

adapted from the Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe from Good to the Grain

:: make about 17 cookies ::

pre heat to 350°

adjust the racks to the upper and lower thirds of your oven (i baked my cookies one sheet at a time because my oven cooks unevenly).

line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

:: dry mix ::

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oat flour (you can substitute any other flour or use 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat - i've used almond flour with good results)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

:: wet mix ::

1/2 cup unmelted coconut oil (or 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar (i use dark brown muscovado sugar, regular brown sugar works fine as well)

1/2 coconut palm sugar (or raw cane sugar)

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal (or one egg)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 ounces (1/2 cup) bittersweet chocolate (you can use a chocolate bar and chop it, or use chocolate chips)

:: directions ::

in a bowl combine the dry ingredients and sift, or combine with a whisk.

in a separate bowl combine both sugars and add the coconut oil. use a hand mixer on low to combine until the ingredients are blended, about 2 minutes.

add the flaxseed meal (to activate the flax, combine 1 tablespoon flax meal with 3 tablespoons water. let it sit for about 5 minutes), and mix until combined. next, mix in the vanilla.

add the dry mix to the wet mix, and blend on low until the ingredients are combined, about 30 seconds. make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. add the chocolate and use a spatula to mix in.

depending on what ingredients you are you using, you may need to scrape the batter out onto a work surface to fully incorporate your ingredients.

scoop mounds of dough on the parchment lined baking sheets. (i used a tablespoon to make even balls of cookie dough.) leave about 2 inches between each cookie.

bake the cookies for 16-20 minutes rotating the sheets halfway through. cookies will be dark brown when fully baked.

:: enjoy ::

herbed wild rice patties / January 31, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

these patties are versatile, and can be made using brown rice, lotus rice, red rice, etc. however, i would stay away from white or sushi rice, i'm not sure they would add any flavor to the dish. additionally, you do not have to use oat flour. i simply prefer it. you can also substitute the grape seed oil for another "high heat" oil. just to note, if you are using dried herbs you can decrease the amount by 1/2.

inspired by sprouted kitchen

:: makes 7 patties ::

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice

1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 of a small onion, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 eggs

fine grain salt and pepper

grape seed oil for cooking

:: herb mixture ::

2 tablespoon parsley (if using dried herbs, reduce to 1 teaspoon)

2 teaspoons thyme

1 1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

:: directions ::

prepare your rice according to the directions that are given on the packaging.

while the rice is cooking - chop the onion, and mince the garlic. heat a small skillet on medium heat. once hot (your skillet is hot when a droplet of water sizzles), cover the bottom of the skillet with grape seed oil. sautè the onion for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic. let it cook stirring every few minutes - about 4-5 minutes. remove from heat and let cool.

next, prepare the herb mixture. chop the parsley, thyme, and oregano.

once the rice is cooked, let it cool. combine the cooled rice, the eggs, the onion and garlic, and the herb mixture. stir in the flour. mix until the ingredients are combined. toss in the crushed red pepper, the salt and pepper (i used about 3 pinches of salt). stir.

let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes. in the meantime, heat your pan. (i used an 8-inch cast iron skillet and cooked the patties in batches of 2.) once the skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil (more if you are using a larger pan). while the oil is heating, form the patties: using a small ramekin (mine was 2 inches), scoop a portion of the mixture in the bottom - pat it down to make it compact. then, turn it out onto your skillet, and let it cook 4-6 minutes on each side. ready a plate with a paper towel to sop up any unwanted oil. repeat with the remaining mixture.

:: 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::