February 11, 2014 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

for some reason valentine's day takes me back to the 80s, when i would wear scrunchy socks, neon colored clothing, acid-wash legging-jeans, and my favorite outfit was a shirt and matching skirt with big, red sponge-painted hearts. i had pink rimmed glasses and almost everyday i wore a super side-swept ponytail. i LOVED valentines' day because i knew i could wear my sponge-painted heart outfit with no shame in my game, but mostly because my school would have a huge bake sale. so, my mom and i would go to the grocery store, buy duncan hines white cake and chocolate cake mixes, white and chocolate frosting and goodies like conversation hearts to decorate. my favorite part was mixing the red food coloring into the white frosting to make PINK frosting! like, seriously, what was more thrilling than that? and as this recipe shows, i'm still thrilled by pink frosting even as an adult.

these cupcakes are filled with a pink, cream cheese-y center, riddled with red pulp. the chocolate shell is hard compared to the moist and fluffy cake, so when you bite in, it begins with a crack and crunch of the shell. these are somewhat a play on the snack cakes of my childhood (ones my parents never let me eat!) but with more wholesome ingredients. i made a similar recipe last year, and if you're looking for another valentine goody i can steer you in the direction of heart-shaped whoopie pies, also from last year!

***also, donations are still being accepted for the Feed South Africa campaign. please follow the link and donate here

valentine cakes w/ blood orange cream filling

| gluten + dairy free |

makes 20 cupcakes

ingredients

1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3 free-range eggs
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup hot water
1 blood orange, zested

blood orange cream filling

4 ounces (1/2 cup) tofutti cream cheese
3-4 tablespoons raw honey
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons fresh squeezed blood orange juice, and some pulp too! (more or less depending on how vibrant you want the color and taste)

chocolate shell + pink piping

1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips (i use Enjoy Life)
2 teaspoons virgin coconut oil
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed blood orange juice
1-2 teaspoons almond milk

instructions

for the cakes

preheat the oven to 350° and grease/line 2 muffin tins
in a large bowl, whisk the first 6 ingredients. in another large bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs until the sugar is dissolved - about 1 minute. add the vanilla, oil and vinegar and mix to combine. add the hot water while whisking; add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix thoroughly until combined, add the orange zest and mix once more
divide the batter between the tins (i used about 2 1/2 tablespoons worth of batter for each cake). place in oven and bake for 16-18 minutes, rotating halfway through for even cooking. remove from oven and let them cool completely

make the blood orange cream

in a medium sized bowl, combine the cream cheese, honey, vanilla, and blood orange juice with an electric mixer . mix until smooth and creamy and taste to adjust sweetness - you may want to add more or less juice as well depending on what shade of pink/red you want
using a spatula, pour the filling into a pastry bag, let the filling rest in the refrigerator until you're ready to use

assemble the cakes

turn cakes upside down and using the filled pastry bag, fill each one with cream (you will notice that they will get heavier and more plump when they have enough filling, don't squeeze too much in or they will burst) wash pastry bag if you plan on using the same bag for the pink icing
melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water until melted and add the coconut oil. place cupcakes rightside up and either dip, or use a spoon to cover top with chocolate shell. place cupcakes on a tray and refrigerate them until chocolate shell has hardened - about 15 minutes
combine the powdered sugar, blood orange juice and almond milk until it forms a malleable pink paste - you want it neither runny nor too stiff. transfer to the pastry bag and decorate the tops of your cupcakes. store at room temperature covered with parchment for up to 3 days

enjoy with the ones you love! ❤

feed south africa + romesco pizza w/ spiced chickpeas + lemony arugula / February 10, 2014 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

today, me and many other food bloggers are participating in the partnership with The Giving Table and The Lunchbox Fund, to help feed 100 South African school children each day for an entire year. This is because 65% of ALL South African children live in poverty, and receiving food not only encourages them to stay in school, but also to obtain an education. Unfortunately, poverty-related hunger has been a long sustained issue, but thanks to partnerships between organizations like The Giving Table and The Lunchbox Fund, people from around the world are able to help make an essential and important difference in the lives of many children.

i know from my own experience as a teacher working for a number of years with elementary-aged children, that imagining any number of these kids going hungry would be a painful thought. not only is hunger physically painful, but lack of food can diminish concentration, erode willpower, and strip a child down to a shell of what they could be. these children dream of becoming things like designers, doctors, or teachers, and cannot fully realize these goals of what they want to be. when i think about all of this one of my students, Carlos, comes to mind. Carlos was an energetic student who came to our after-school program just to help him become a proficient reader. he always marched into the classroom smiling with this bright eagerness ready to participate. his spirit was contagious and he often helped his peers with any reading difficulty. it was Carlos' tenacious personality to not only have the energy for his own work, but also to work with others. it's the kind of thought that if Carlos were hungry, his zeal to work and learn would not be as strong as it was, as his first thought would be his hungry belly. when i think of this program, and feeding 100 children, i think each one of them could be a Carlos, and the implications of them all being hungry.

i did this post thinking of what lunch item a child would want, but also in a way that gives a child the sustaining nutrition they need. i remember pizza being one of my favorite and fun things to eat as a kid. pizza bagels, pita pizzas, salad pizzas, grilled pizzas, and seasonal pizzas! pizza is so open to interpretation and ready for just about any topping. one of my favorite pizzas growing up was a mediterranean pizza that came with crumbly feta, roasted red onion, and salty kalamata olives, so i wanted to make this into a more well-rounded, healthful meal that can nourish and sustain you throughout the day.

***please watch the short video below and join me in donating (according to your means) to this very necessary cause. even $10 feeds a child for a day, less than the cost of a pizza pie! please donate here

romesco pizza w/ spiced chickpeas + lemony arugula

| gluten free + vegan |

serves 2

ingredients

1 pound gf/v pizza dough
3-4 tablespoons romesco sauce
1/4 cup spiced chickpeas (ingredients below)
1 1/2 cups baby arugula
1/4 of a red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup tofu feta (or cheese of your liking, or no cheese at all)
a handful of pitted kalamata olives, cut in half
2 tablespoons pignoli nuts, toasted
juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for brushing pizza dough
salt and pepper

romesco sauce - slightly adapted from It's All Good

1 bell pepper, roasted
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons toasted blanched almonds (cooled)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
coarse sea salt
pinch of cayenne pepper or freshly ground pepper

sautéed spiced chickpeas (there will be leftovers!)

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, for cooking

instructions

make the romesco sauce

roast the pepper over a gas flame set to medium-low, rotating it with tongs until charred evenly - about 15 minutes (if you don't have a gas stove, you can broil it in your oven). place pepper in a boil and cover tightly with plastic wrap (this creates steam to help peel the skin). once cool enough, cut the pepper and discard the stem and seeds, carefully peel the skin and discard. run the peppers under water to remove any excess char; dry, and blend in a food processor with remaining ingredients. season to taste with salt and cayenne (or ground pepper), place in refrigerator until ready to use (i like to make it a couple days in advance to let the flavors come together.)

make the sautéed chickpeas

drain the chickpeas and rinse. place in a small bowl, add the spices and salt, mix. heat a small sauté pan on medium heat and cook the beans for 4-5 minutes. remove from heat but keep warm in the pan

make the pizza

preheat oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
flour your workspace and rolling pin; roll dough (or press) dough out to any shape desired with about a 1/4-inch thickness (less if you like your pizza thicker). fold the edges in a bit and pinch to create a crust
brush with olive oil and pre-bake in oven for 5-7 minutes.
while pizza is baking, toss the arugula with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, set aside
remove from oven and top with romesco sauce, onions, olives and feta "cheese", place in oven and bake for roughly 10 minutes, until cheese has melted. remove from oven and slice. top each piece with pignoli nuts, arugula, and spiced chickpeas

enjoy and don't forget to donate!

herb-roasted veggie bowl w/ a tahini-kale sauce / February 4, 2014 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

this time of year is always the longest. once we make that turn after the holidays and then new year's, it seems time moves at the pace of a snail. january was kind of brutal with all the snow and polar vortex action. so i'm trying to be more optimistic about february given that it's the shortest month that we've got all year.

but it's easy to be optimistic when you've got a new little hairy dude in your life. a few days ago me and my husband adopted a 10-month old chihuahua mix and we named him quint! quint basically because it's a rad name, but also for all you Jaws fans out there, Capt. Quint. the character is near and dear to mine and frank's heart, plus he's a total badass and doesn't take any crap. we're already seeing some of those traits in our quint, but he also possesses a really loving personality, with an super cute underbite that shows off his pearly whites. his favorite things include: sleeping on our laps at ALL times, curling up in little balls, eating peanut butter cookies, snuggling and giving lots of kisses. all-in-all he's a very sweet dream. i'm already dreaming up of all the homemade doggy treats to make! any links or suggestions are super duper welcome!

back to seasons, months of the year and food...i've been dreaming of spring and its bounty of green. green pestos, green salads, and big, fresh veggie bowls. while we all wait for that day to come, i offer you this equally as tasty roasted veggie bowl. these are my absolute favorite vegetables to roast together, i make them at least once or twice a week. this time, i decided to switch it up and throw them in a big vessel of a bowl and top it off with some garlicky kale tahini. it's totally a super easy dish, that nourishes me all week long, especially in the doldrums of winter.

*head over to One Part Plant where i'm talking a lot about TAHINI!

herb roasted veggie bowl w/ a kale-tahini sauce

| gluten free + vegan |

serves 4 as a meal, serves 6 as a side

inspired by Bon Appetit's Food Lover's Cleanse - both here and here

ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and cooked
2 large or 3 small yams (or sweet potatoes), halved and sliced into half moons
3 carrots, diced about 1/2 inch thick
1 vidalia onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 handfuls shiitake mushrooms, sliced
7-8 brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
4 rosemary sprigs
1/2 cup parsley, minced
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon medium grain sea salt
a good coating of olive oil (about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons)

kale-tahini sauce

1/2 cup tahini
2/3 cup cold water
2 large kale leaves, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

instructions

make the tahini sauce

in a medium-sized saucepan of boiling water, cook kale until wilted - about 35-45 seconds. with a slotted spoon, transfer kale to a boil of ice water; let cool and drain. squeeze excess water out and place in the bowl of a food processor
add the tahini, water, lemon, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes. blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl until you have reached desired consistency. (for a more fluid, runnier sauce add more water). place in the refrigerator until ready to use

veggie bowl

rinse the quinoa and place in saucepan with 1 3/4 cups of water. bring to boil, stir, and cover the pot; turn heat to low and cook 10-15 minutes. remove from heat and let it sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. transfer to a large bowl
preheat the oven to 375° and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper
combine yams, carrots, onions and mushrooms in a large bowl, add the olive oil, mix and evenly to coat the veggies. add the salt, paprika, parsley and rosemary; mix. in a small bowl combine the brussels sprouts with olive oil to coat and a sprinkle of salt and paprika, set aside. divide the vegetables and herbs between the two baking sheets and bake for 40-55 minutes - in the last 15 minutes add the brussels sprouts and roast for remainder of cooking time
add the roasted vegetables to the large bowl and combine with the quinoa. serve in individual portions with the tahini sauce

enjoy!