March 4, 2014 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

we're talking breakfast again today, folks. morning's are hectic, sometimes a little crazy. as such, my weekday breakfast repertoire (instant oatmeal w/ almond butter, honey, cinnamon + chia seeds) is kind of lacking in the department of originality. there have been sooooo many mouth-watering morning meals out there that i thought it was time to up my breakfast game.

first, there was sini's whipped lingonberry porridge, then kate's toasted oatmeal w/ strawberry chia seeds jam + whipped coconut cream + to top all that! grace's spiced millet porridge w/ dates and almonds! to up the instant oatmeal game one must not use oats, and as much as i love quinoa, i'm not so much a sweet quinoa kinda girl. rather, i lean towards the more savory quinoa breakfast, perhaps with sauteed greens and some runny eggs or something. never having had millet for a morning meal, i took to pairing it with some spices and something a little sweet! loving all the berry and nut action in these posts, i remembered there were summer blackberries somewhere in the depths of my freezer that i had ordered from good eggs awhile back. i hadn't really missed summer berries yet, but when i opened that ziploc bag and peered in to see all their purple-y goodness, the warmth and smell of the coming season's bounty consumed me! and now i'm ruined and all i want is to kick winter's butt right out and welcome spring with lots of xoxoxoxos!

cardamom-toasted millet breakfast bowl w/ summer blackberry compote (gluten free + vegan)

| 4 sizable servings |

freshly ground cardamom is super amazing, especially here; it pairs so perfectly with the blackberry compote and millet! if using store-bought ground cardamom use the amount noted below - but taste as you go and add more if necessary.

ingredients

1/2 cup millet
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or 1/2 milk + 1/2 water)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom, roughly 8 pods
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
1/2 cup blackberry compote
plain coconut yogurt to serve + bee pollen + chia seeds to taste (optional)

summer blackberry compote

1 cup frozen (or fresh) organic blackberries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup (or raw agave nectar)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
splash of fresh lemon juice to taste

instructions

in a small saucepan on medium-low heat, add the coconut oil; to the oil add the millet, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and salt - stir to coat. toast the millet and spices for 5-6 minutes stirring frequently until fragrant - you will hear the millet pop a bit. add the almond milk, turn the heat up and bring to a boil; give a stir, cover and turn the heat to low. cook the millet for 18-20 minutes. remove from heat
while the millet is cooking, make the blackberry compote. in another small saucepan on medium heat, combine the berries, maple syrup, arrowroot and water, bring to a boil stirring frequently. add the vanilla and lemon juice (adjust lemon juice to your liking), keep stirring until the berries are soft and the compote has thickened a bit. remove from heat and set aside

serve the bowl

using a fork, fluff the millet; split between 2 bowls, serve with a healthy dollop of coconut yogurt, a large drizzle of compote and bee pollen + chia seeds
store leftover millet and compote separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. simply heat each back up for breakfast or a snack!

enjoy!

za'atar spiced chickpea crackers w/ maldon sea salt / February 25, 2014 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

did i ever tell you that my husband is a crazy-good photographer? well, he is, and i persuaded him to shoot (most of) this post! in most instances he shoots strictly film, but in this case, because of time constraints, i convinced him to use my digi. i love watching him do his photography thing...the way his eyes sustain their focus on his subject, how the muscles around his left temple move and shift when he's concentrating, and how cool and reserved he is about getting the image he wants. it's a treat whenever i get to see him in his element, and - bonus! - on most occasions i learn a thing or two.

these days me and garbanzo bean flour are bff's. using it at least once a week for socca, and now for these chickpea crackers. the flour and dough are super versatile and unlike a lot of gluten free flours out there, chickpea flour is packed with lots of good-for-you things: protein, fiber and iron - woot! i've made these crackers plain, with garlic and herbs, with za'atar, etc. in the past i've mixed the za'atar into the dry mix, and you can totally do that, but since the colors and texture of za'atar are so pretty i thought rolling them into the surface would be best...and it was - total win both for looks and taste. it was all perfect with some extra olive oil on top and some maldon for good measure. i'm super stoked to play around with this dough and see just how versatile it is. i'm already dreaming up a pizza dough, a savory galette and maybe dog treats!

za'atar spiced chickpea crackers w/ maldon sea salt (gluten free + vegan)

crackers adapted from farm on plate

| makes 32 large crackers (as pictured) or 64 smaller crackers, or lots of teeny crackers |

ingredients

2 cups garbanzo bean flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup + 1-2 tablespoons warm water, plus more if needed
~3 tablespoons za'atar
maldon sea salt for garnishing

za'atar

3 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried marjoram
3 teaspoons sumac
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

mung bean hummus from 101 Cookbooks

instructions

make the za'atar

in a mortar and pestle, grind the marjoram and thyme until crushed. add the sumac and salt, grind again until incorporated. mix in the toasted sesame seeds and set aside
store leftovers in a lidded jar at room temp

make the dough

in a large bowl, whisk the garbanzo bean flour with the salt and baking powder until combined. using your hands, rub the olive oil into the flour to distribute evenly; about 2 minutes - make sure there are no large clumps
transfer the flour mixture to a food processor. with the processor running, drizzle the 1/3 cup of warm water until the mixture comes together. if your dough is still dry, add more water by the 1/2 tablespoon until dough ball has formed
knead the dough for 5 minutes. divide it into two pieces and wrap each piece with plastic wrap. let it rest for 10 minutes

make the crackers

preheat oven to 350° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper
prepare a flat work surface with two pieces of parchment paper. place one piece of dough on top of one piece of parchment, wet your hands a bit and flatten the dough with your palm. cover dough with second piece of parchment and roll out to an 1/8-inch thickness with a rolling pin
trim edges and set scraps to the side, sprinkle with za'atar. use your rolling pin and roll over the dough once more to push za'atar into the dough's surface. using a pastry brush, lightly brush tops of crackers with olive oil, sprinkle with maldon sea salt
transfer the crackers to prepared baking sheets and bake for 18-20 minutes (**if you are making small crackers bake time will be between 12-15 minutes), rotating halfway through - crackers will be lightly browned on the edges when done. remove from oven and let crackers cool. repeat with remaining dough
crackers can be stored in an air-tight container at room temp for up to 4 days

enjoy with your favorite dip, hummus, spread or with nothing at all! xo

my go-to rejuvenating citrus juice / February 18, 2014 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!