apple cider + honeycrisp puffed pancake /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i never realized that so much of what i do each day and night relies on my ability to smell and taste.  i was forced to come to this realization last week when i down and out with a wicked cold.  perhaps i was (and still am) a big baby about it, but i haven't been sick in quite some time.  i suppose not being able to breath, the coughing, congestion, sneezing, and sleepless nights will do that to you, yeah?  it's been super frustrating to cook and want to get all experimental in the kitchen only to have an end product that is only distinguishable by the contents of it's sugar, salt, or acid (i.e. the only things halfway distinguishable).  i guess my point is that until one of these senses is temporarily not working, it's not entirely clear how important a purpose they serve. because of my limited ability to smell  and taste, i have commissioned my unofficial taste-tester: my husband.   he has been happily testing my puffy pancakes in my attempt to get them just right.  he doubted his palette and his ability to distinguish flavors, but i found his feedback quite helpful these past few days.  i have come to rely on him in yet another way i never imagined i would have to.  so, here's to my husband, who brings you these fun, puffy pancakes.   

i was gifted a bottle of boiled cider by my mother.  when i asked her what to do with it, she said something along the lines of "i don't know, play with it."  the teacher in me decided to go with an apple theme with this recipe and i took to replacing some of the pancake's liquid with cider.  the cider is not sweetened and therefore lends a tanginess to the pancake much similar to baked goods with sour cream or buttermilk - yes!  frank and i love honeycrisp apples, and they're at their absolute finest this time of year, so in they went.  (i hear honeycrisps are not so easy to come by outside new york state, i would say that gala apples or pink lady apples would make great substitutes.)  dutch baby pancakes or puffed pancakes seem to really be making the rounds on the interwebs since autumn has come to.  so, i wanted to make a version that i could enjoy and eat, and of course also share with you all.  i had had my eye on a beautiful recipe from a publication i received last year, and it took me awhile, but i managed to swap most of the flour and dairy products with ingredients that i normally bake with to make a light and puffy pancake that's crisp in all the right places!

apple cider + honeycrisp puffed pancake | GF + V

the flour and arrowroot powder can be substituted with any other flour with the same amount.  i use coconut palm sugar because of its low glycemic index, but it can similarly be replaced by any other sugar - i'm not sure how liquid sweetener would be since the batter is essentially liquid to begin with

adapted from Fig & Fauna for Pure Green Magazine, Volume 4

| serves 2-3 | 

ingredients  

  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour (i prefer Honeyville brand)
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder/flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon coconut palm sugar 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (plus a pinch for the apples)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (plus a pinch for the apples)
  • 3 large organic eggs
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons boiled cider or unsweetened apple cider
  • 1/2 cup honeycrisp apples, sliced about an 1/8" thick
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

directions

  • preheat the oven to 425°
  • heat your cast iron pan to medium-low on the stovetop.  when hot, add the coconut oil.  using a silicone pastry brush, brush up the sides and all around the pan to coat evenly with the oil (if you don't have a pastry brush, using a paper towel will work as well).  add the apples, stir in a 1/2 teaspoon of the coconut palm sugar and sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon to taste - stir.  cook the apples about 2-3 minutes on each side until they're lightly browned and soft.  arrange them to cover the bottom of the pan.  turn off the heat and set aside
  • in a blender or food processor, add the almond flour, arrowroot, salt, sugar and spices; pulse to combine.  then add the eggs, coconut milk, and cider.  blend for approximately 1 minute
  • pour the batter (it will be quite thin) into the pan to cover the apples.  very carefully, place the pan into the middle of the oven - bake for 15-20 minutes until pancake puffs up and lightly browned on top and around the edges 

dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately - enjoy!

ginger + lemon zest granola w/ puffed quinoa /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

part of my morning routine includes drinking a mug full of warm lemon-ginger water each day.  years ago i had been told that drinking lemon water in the morning helps aid the digestive process for the day, helps to boost the immune system, and aids in the cleansing of the liver to boot.  for me, starting my day off like this has been a way to balance and maintain a healthy and more cleansed system.  after all that birthday celebrating last month, and eating foods with more sugar than i'm used to, i began incorporating grated ginger into my lemon water for its anti-inflammatory properties.  i began thinking of ways to incorporate these two flavor powerhouses into things i eat regularly and with autumn here, granola seemed like a good candidate.  

store-bought granola isn't usually my jam, but when i make it at home you can be sure that i down it by the handful.  for years i've made heidi's granola from her cookbook, Super Natural Everyday, and i have to say that it is my favorite by far!  granola is one of those things that lends itself to so many flavor varieties that it's hard to nail down which are your favorite.  i'm usually a fan of granola that's low on the dried fruit, high on nuts and seeds, and sweetened slightly with a touch of salt.  ideally, the texture is always crunchy, but here i decided to add more crunch, and dare i say pop (!), to this granola with the inclusion of puffed quinoa. while i never found the puffed version of quinoa in any health stores or grocery stores in brooklyn or the city, i did manage to find them online here .  i highly recommend this puffed version, as it has been making its way into just about anything and everything i can think of.   in any event, the ginger and lemon combination was pretty spot on and is a new staple in our household.

ginger + lemon zest granola w/ puffed quinoa - GF + V

  if you do not have puffed quinoa on hand, substitute puffed brown rice or 1 cup rolled oats.  if using ground ginger, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon and taste to adjust to your liking.  

| makes about 5 cups | 

 

ingredients

  • 3 cups gluten free rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 cups puffed quinoa
  • 1 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • zest of one large lemon
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup raw honey

instructions 

 

  • preheat oven to 300° and line two rimmed baking trays with parchment
  • in a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, puffed quinoa, almonds, cinnamon, cardamom and salt.  once mixed, add the lemon zest and fresh grated ginger, mix until combined - about a minute
  • in a microwave-safe bowl, heat the honey until warm and runny - 20-30 seconds.  add the coconut oil and let it rest until melted
  • add the honey mixture to the oat mix and stir thoroughly until combined - about 1 minute
  • divide the granola between the two baking trays and spread in a thin layer. bake, for 35-45 minutes.  stir the granola a couple of times until toasted and golden.  (you may want to rotate pans top to bottom to make sure the granola is cooking evenly.)
  • remove from oven.  let the granola cool completely (this allows the granola to get all clumpy!)  once cooled break up the granola into chunks and store in an airtight container at room temp  

sprinkle on yogurt or fresh fruit, eat as cereal with some almond milk.  it can also be used to top fruit crumbles, or eaten dry as a snack.  enjoy!

raw veggie + ginger rice bowl w/ sriracha tahini /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

last week frank and i did a lot of birthday celebrating (as our birthdays are 3 days apart), so like any good pair we celebrated with dinners out and a good amount of birthday sweets.  needless to say, my body was completely whacked out in reaction to my consumption of bits of gluten here and there, and sugary treats.  frank and i both came to a quick conclusion that we needed to get back to our old routine of cooking at home, and not eating desserts almost every night.  since the celebrations have ceased i have been consuming a fair amount of ginger to help calm and balance this body of mine.  

with that in mind, i wanted to make a healthful and soothing dinner, and this rice bowl was just the thing to help do that.  the rice was cooked with ginger to infuse some of that anti-inflammatory goodness, and loaded with raw veggies as to not let any of those good nutrients escape. the tahini sriracha was inspired by the flavors in this blog post, and by my friend who had us over the night and made a delicious and simple bok choy salad with toasted almonds and sesame oil dressing - yummo!  i'm a big fan of veggie rice bowls, and this is similar to one i made awhile back, but here i used veggies that were a cinch to slice thin, making them easier to chew and digest.   and i think by now you've learned that i love, love, love tahini!  and spicy sriracha...with the tahini...mind. blown.  if you're not so into the spicy factor, don't use the sriracha, the tahini will still be delicious.  

here is to being mindful of what we put in our bodies - to healthful meals, and veggie-love!

raw veggie + ginger rice bowl w/ sriracha tahini

| serves 4 | 

ingredients

for the rice bowl

  • 1 cup black forbidden rice
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 bunch bok choy, chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 4 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
  • 1 large zucchini or 2 small zucchinis (i used 1 small zucchini and 1 small summer squash), ribboned, cut into matchsticks, or julienned with a peeler
  • 1 bunch scallions (about 6), sliced thin
  • 1 ripe avocado, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons thai basil, chopped small
  • 1/3 cup raw almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

for the sriracha tahini

| makes about 2/3 cup | 

  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon tahini paste
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (or more depending on how spicy you want it) 
  • water to thin consistency  

instructions

  • combine rice with ginger in a medium sized saucepan, cover with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.  once water boils, stir once, cover and turn down heat to low.  cook for 25-30 minutes.  set aside
  • while rice is cooking make the sriracha tahini.  in a medium sized bowl, combine tahini, sesame oil, rice vinegar and sriracha.  one teaspoon at a time, thin sauce to desired consistency.  set aside
  • in a large bowl, combine ginger-rice with the bok choy, carrots, zucchini, and scallions.  serve and top with sliced avocado, basil, almonds and scallions  
  • dress the bowl with a couple dollops of sriracha tahini and enjoy!