my go-to rejuvenating citrus juice /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

this is the time of year after the holidays, new year's, and valentine's day when it sets in that we've got another solid month of hardcore winter.  i feel pale, drained, and suuuuper vitamin d deprived, this is when i call in the troops.  extra anti-inflammatories (i'm looking at you, turmeric, chia seeds, healthy fats, etc., etc.,), vitamin c up the ying-yang, hella tea and warm lemon water.  of course i'm also trying to chomp down on healthy meals but all i really want is chocolate and waffles...in that order. this weather is tough, especially this year- dry skin, ceiling leaks, water damage, and sidewalks full of soup-y slush.  i'm over you, winter.

so, this juice has everything in it to give me the extra energy i need to get through a long and cold day: apple cider vinegar to help my skin and aid in digestion, oranges and coconut water to keep my body and skin hydrated, and turmeric to add some earthiness, but also for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.   it is seriously one of the things i start my day with, or if i don't have the time in the morning, i make in the afternoon to restore my lost energy.  if you're not used to the taste of apple cider vinegar - the tanginess might be something to get accustomed to. although i have never tried, you could omit the vinegar if it's really offensive to you and replace it with equal parts lemon juice.  cheers, friends! xo

rejuvenating citrus juice

serves 2 - makes about 3 cups

i doubled the amounts here for 2, simply halve the recipe for 1 serving.  alternatively, you could also use a juicer instead of a high-speed blender.  

adapted from The Colorful Kitchen

ingredients

  • 2 cara cara or navel oranges, peels removed
  • 2 blood oranges, peels removed
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons raw agave nectar
  • 6 coconut water ice cubes (or water ice cubes)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

tools

  • high-speed blender (or juicer)
  • fine mesh sieve

instructions

  • place all ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth
  • place a clean glass below a fine mesh sieve, and strain half the juice - i like a mix of half pulp and half juice.  alternatively, you can strain all of the juice or none of it, totally delicious either way and totally up to you!

enjoy!

valentine cakes w/ blood orange cream filling ❤ /  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 /  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!