vibrant valentine's day: pink quinoa salad w/ beets, blood orange + chimichurri /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

it's funny, for two people who choose not to really celebrate valentine's day, the occasion is a significant date in me and frank's dating history.  we were friends for a few months before we began dating, and although he and i didn't speak to one another much, we kept in touch through facebook (i would often read and laugh at his rants about film vs digital projection, or how 3D movies aren't the wave of the future).  the following year, frank reached out to me on valentine's day to ask for a date.  while i wasn't sure if we would be more than just friends, we went out to a movie and a walk in central park a few nights later, and we've been together since then.  it was 2 years later when we celebrated our anniversary by going to the same movie theater and taking the same route through central park where frank asked me to marry him.  we're coming up on 5 years together in a few days and i can't help but feel super mushy and overcome with happy feelings about this life that he and i have together.  sometimes it feels like we were little babies then, and sometimes it feels like it was yesterday; we've grown, and changed, found new personal paths, and remain wholeheartedly committed to rooting for one another.  

speaking of rooting...this beet salad!  (<--- see what i did there?!)  these past couple of years i've shared chocolatey valentine's recipes, here and here.  this year i wanted to create something just as festive but in salad form - basically because i've been craving all the savories lately.  while i wasn't always a firm believer in beets, i've come to love them in almost any form (even tacos!), i also knew they would make my quinoa the most vibrant shade of pink/magenta.  because beets are so earthy in flavor i wanted to juice it all up by adding some acid in the form of some lovely blood orange segments, and a parsley chimichurri sauce.  it's all served up with some green sprouts, toasted hazelnuts and a few squeezes of orange juice; a simple meal or side to enjoy in the company of others, or on your own! :)

also, tiffany (from offbeat + inspired) and myself contributed some advice  on how to throw a gluten-free dinner party - it's over on the recently re-launched Epicurious.  i also have an interview of sorts over on Zeit Magazin, it's all in german, so google translate is a good tool to have here!  

have a lovely week! xo

vibrant valentine's day: pink quinoa salad w/ beets, blood orange + chimichurri (v + gf)

i love this salad, not just because it's super heart and tasty, but because most everything can be made ahead of time and assembled the day of.  or, assemble the salad (sans toppings) and refrigerate until ready to serve.  either way this dish is most forgiving.  

| serves 6 |

chimichurri ingredients

  • 1 bunch parsley, leaves and stems roughly chopped
  • 2 small garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salad ingredients

  • 3 medium red beets, washed 
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 blood oranges, peeled and segmented
  • juice from half of an orange, or a few squeezes lemon juice
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • course sea salt

to finish

  • big handful sprouts/micro green
  • handful chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

instructions

chimichurri

  • place chopped parsley, garlic, salt, chili flakes, vinegar, and olive oil into a food processor or upright blender and blend, scraping down the sides until thoroughly combined.  taste and adjust seasoning if needed.  transfer to a lidded jar and refrigerate until ready to use

salad

  • preheat oven to 400° 
  • place beets inside a foil packet; prick beets all over with a fork, drizzle with olive oil to coat.  secure foil in a packet and place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake for 1 hour, or until fork tender.  remove from oven and let cool until ready to handle.  once cool, slip beet skins off, rinse beets and pat to dry.  cut beets in eighths and then slice into small chunks. set aside
  • place rinsed quinoa along with a big pinch of course salt into a saucepan; cook according to directions on package.  once cooked, remove from heat and set aside.   
  • in a large bowl, combine the beets and quinoa, add orange segments, chimichurri sauce, and orange juice (or a few squeezes of lemon juice); toss to combine.  taste and adjust
  • serve warm, topped with sprouts, chopped parsley, and chopped hazelnuts  

(mini) granola + pear scones /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i've been getting quite a few questions about why i choose to bake with certain gluten-free flours, and because i do use specific flours for specific reasons, i decided i would go ahead and explain a little :) 

for cookies, cakes, cupcakes, doughnuts, quick breads, muffins, scones, etc., i use a mix consisting of brown rice flour, oat flour, almond flour, and usually a bit of arrowroot powder/starch/flour.   i use brown rice flour basically as an "all-purpose" flour, which is why i always use a larger proportion of it.  it's a great low-glycemic flour (it won't make your blood sugar spike, and then crash which is always a good thing), super versatile for both sweet and savory meals, and (in my opinion) it has a way better flavor than white rice flour.  oat flour is my absolute favorite flour!  it adds so much nutty delicious flavor that i have a hard time not using it in everything - plus, if i'm in a pinch, i just throw some rolled oats into a blender or food processor and i've got flour!  oat flour is great for lasted energy, and it also helps to stabilize blood sugar which is just another reason why i love utilizing it so much.  almond flour is one of the first gluten-free flours i ever worked with; it's also a versatile flour, but because it's a fat-dense, nut flour i only occasionally use it on its own.  however, when mixed with other flours, it adds depth, flavor, and fat - which can really help keep baked goods moist.  arrowroot powder is generally known as a binder, and is a great substitute for cornstarch.  even with the use of eggs, i use arrowroot in baked goods for extra binding purposes and also for lightness, as some gluten-free baked goods can bake up a little heavy.  i tend to stay away from starches like potato or tapioca starch as they can be hard to digest, as well as white rice flour.   

i've slowly begun using various other gluten-free flours, among them sorghum flour.  i've found that when using it in more delicate baked goods like pie crusts, or scones, it lends a perfectly smooth texture with a gentle crumble.  which brings me to these scones... i've made a few different iterations of this recipe, using cold solid coconut oil, different flour combos, and various kinds of plant-based milks, but this recipe right here has a (close to) perfect scone quality, one that reminds me of the gluten-y scones i used to indulge in.  scones for me always get crammed with whatever seasonal fruit that's available, and topped with nuts.  i had some leftover granola in the pantry and decided that we all would benefit from some sweet, nutty, crunchy goodness!

hope you're all staying warm + cozy! xo

(mini) granola + pear scones (gluten + dairy free)

i made these scones pretty tiny, they're basically bite-size. however, if you want to make them larger, do so - the baking time might need to be adjusted a bit longer though.  also, feel free to cram these babes with whatever fruit situation you've got going on where you are! i noted below that the psyllium husk powder is optional; you can substitute xantham gum if you prefer, or leave it out altogether, but your scones will be a bit more crumbly. 

| makes 20 two-inch scones |

  • 1 cup sorghum flour
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons oat flour
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
  • 1/4 cup organic cane sugar (or palm sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 2 large free-range eggs, divided
  • 1 ripe pear, cored and chopped small
  • 1/2 cup granola

instructions

  • preheat oven to 400° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. set aside
  • in a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, psyllium husk, and salt; set aside.  in a small mixing bowl, combine the milk and oil, whisk in the egg; using a rubber spatula, add the wet ingredients to the dry, combine until dough comes together (the dough should be sticky, but not that it sticks to your hands.  if you find that it's too wet, add more sorghum flour a teaspoon at a time until you are able to manage it.  conversely, if the dough is too dry, add more coconut milk 1 teaspoon at a time until dough comes together. )  gently fold in the chunked pear
  • turn dough out onto a piece of parchment; pat and flatten into a round with 1-inch thickness.  grease a 2-inch round cookie cutter with a bit of oil; stamp out scones.  roll scraps back together a repeat until no dough remains.  place scones onto prepared baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.  crack the remaining egg into a small dish and whisk.  using a pastry brush, gently pat top and sides of scones with egg wash; top the scones with crumbled granola.  place in oven and bake for 16-18 minutes, until lightly browned
  • remove scones from oven and let scones cool completely.  they can be stored on a platter covered with parchment at room temperature for up to 3 days 

enjoy!

fennel-roasted carrot + shallot salad w/ shaved apples /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

we're sitting here in the midst of a (non) blizzard, hunkering down in this super snowy, windy, and frigid weather.  we got up this morning to take our little pup, quint out for a walk, needless to say he wasn't happy.  we're not sure he's really into snow, as he runs away from us when we attempt to put his little black turtleneck sweater on, and when we try to squeeze his dainty feet into snow shoes he hates it even more.  it's become a 10-15 minute process, depending on if it's both me and frank or just one of us, all for a 2 minute "walk" consisting of quint trotting in circles and finding the nearest vertical object to relieve himself on.  we come back inside and the timid dog he was outside quickly disappears into a bold, playful pup zipping around the apartment, sometimes hopping on all fours, and poking us with his tiny snout encouraging us to play with him.  most times you can find frank on the floor with him playing as if he were a dog as well, and as i'm sure you can imagine, quint is always totally delighted by that.   we're constantly so amazed at how such a little guy can have such a tremendous personality - he's totally filled with life, and brings us so much love and light each day! this week, just under a year ago we picked him up at the shelter, all 7 3/4 pounds of him, so me and frank are reflecting a bit on how special he is, while also wondering what our lives were like before him :)

while quint isn't a fan of veggies (he actually eats around them), he is a big lover of apples - i often mash a couple slices up for him, which he loves to crunch on.  most meals i have to be careful of setting them at a height he can reach, but salads never worry me - i know he'd rather occupy his time doing other things like playing with his reflection or chasing his tail.  this carrot-centric salad is super simple, but also super tasty, with crushed fennel, sweet caramelized shallots, crunchy apple, and a respectable amount of blood orange juice to top.  it was inspired by a salad over at vinegar hill house, and it's one of those little dishes that continues to have flavor, texture and depth in each bite, while also being really simple to put together and enjoy. plus, it's a salad served on the warmer side of spectrum, for these chilly days when thinking of eating something cold is just a no-go. 

love + warmth, xo!

fennel-roasted carrot + shallot salad w/ shaved apple

this is the perfect salad to serve warm or at room temp.  also, feel free to use larger carrots as opposed to the baby ones indicated below, just make sure to adjust cook time if need be. and i could also imagine this dish benefitting from more crunch, perhaps roughly chopped hazelnuts or roasted pistachios

| serves 2 |

  • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 2 bunches organic baby carrots, scrubbed and sliced in half (or 1 bunch large carrots, sliced in half and then in quarters)
  • 2 small shallots (or 1 large), ends trimmed and sliced with half-inch thickness 
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
  • sea salt + fresh ground pepper
  • 1 honeycrisp apple, cored and shaved thin (using a mandolin or a sharp knife)
  • handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • juice from half of 1 blood orange
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, to top

instructions

  • preheat oven to 375°.  line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  set aside
  • heat a small pan over medium-low heat, add fennel seeds; shake pan back and forth a few times so they don't burn or stick.  toast seeds for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and slightly brown.  remove from heat and place in a mortar; once cooled, grind with pestle.  set aside
  • in a large bowl, combine sliced carrots, shallots, crushed fennel, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. turn out onto prepared baking sheet and roast in oven for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned and tender.  set aside and let cool slightly
  • in a serving bowl, combine the roasted carrots and shallots with shaved apples, toss in the chopped parsley, drizzle with olive oil, blood orange juice, and toasted sesames; taste and adjust seasoning.  serve warm or at room temperature

enjoy!