March 3, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

miso tahini avocado toast w/ black sesame gomasio | dolly and oatmeal

do you ever have those weeks where you kind of want to crawl under a blanket and not come out until it's a warm sunny beach day? yeah, me too. after a long stressful week, i was stuck on an airplane for the better part of a morning this weekend. and while i'm usually the girl with all kinds of vibe-y airplane snacks and meals, i didn't bring anything with me except for a nut mix, and a boiled egg (which i had already eaten on the drive). big mistake! after i de-boarded said plane i was left to my own devices, because let's face it, most times airport food is just plain scary (at least for me), but i managed to get my hands on hot water to brew some tea i had stashed in my carry-on. i basically survived on adrenaline and tea for a good 7 hours until i was able to get back home.

like a lot of people i'm sure, i can't stand airports, absolutely loathe them. so when there are occurrences like the one i encountered, my nervous system gets totally whacked. and also like most people, when i get stressed, i crave all the cozies, including warm crunchy toast! this toast variation was born out of something i usually prepare which is a hummus, avo, and egg toast. but since i didn't have the patience to make hummus, i made a thicker tahini sauce fortified with a good amount of pungent miso paste which is super when paired with the subtleness of an avocado. and to top was a healthy dose of black sesame gomasio (basically a toasted sesame salt), mostly because it's what i had on hand, but also because i try to ingest a good amount of black sesames daily for their soothing medicinal properties. some sliced scallions for crunch and some leafy dill to bring some bright herby notes.

avo toast, y'all. it's limits are endless, amiright!? i just saw this version on mr. donny tsang's instagram account the other day and almost flipped my lid! what are some of your favorite combos?

also, also! it's that time of year again where you get to vote for your favorite food blogs in Saveuar's Blog Awards 2015! this is such a thrilling time of year to get the opportunity to acknowledge so many insanely awesome blogs! let your voice be heard! and if you feel so inclined, i wouldn't mind if you threw dolly and oatmeal a vote ;) xo!

miso-tahini avocado toast w/ black sesame gomasio (v + gf)

the gomasio makes more than you will need here, so store in a lidded jar at room temp for up to 5-6 months. i love sprinkling it on green salads, grain salads, roasted vegetables etc., etc. likewise, the miso-tahini makes approx. 1/3 cup and you will likely have leftovers which you can cover and refrigerate for 1-2 weeks.

| makes 4 slices |

black sesame gomasio ingredients

1/4 cup black sesame seeds
1/8 teaspoon large grain sea salt

toast ingredients

1/4 cup tahini paste
1 tablespoon mellow white miso
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3-4 tablespoons water
splash of tamari (optional)
1 ripe avocado, pitted and cut into 4 segments
4 slices of toast, toasted
1-2 tablespoons black sesame gomasio
2 scallions, trimmed and sliced thin
fresh chopped dill, to top (optional)

instructions

in a heavy skillet over a low flame, toast sesame seeds until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. set aside and let cool. place salt and cooled seeds in a mortar and pestle, grind until sandy. set aside until ready to use
in a small mixing bowl, whisk tahini, miso, lemon juice, and garlic; while whisking add water 1 tablespoon at a time until thick and creamy (slightly thicker than a traditional tahini sauce). cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use
take the avocado segments and slice each segment into thin slices. spread a generous amount of miso-tahini onto each piece of toast; top with sliced avocado and sprinkle with gomasio, sliced scallions, and chopped dill (if using)

enjoy!

more like this:

chickpea flour flatbread w/ new potatoes + fresh basil

coconut citrus sunshine smoothie / February 24, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

coconut citrus smoothie | dolly and oatmeal

the last few weeks of winter are here and they're not letting up around these parts. it's bitter cold, icy sidewalks, dirty snow, and wind that hurts your face and makes you want to cry. sunshine in all and any form is needed...desperately. while i'm usually sipping on hot tea, warm lemon water, or bits of coffee here and there, i've been opting for a cooler, citrusy beverage as of late perhaps to summon a brighter perspective.

my husband isn't the biggest fruit consumer, so when i had a boat ton of citrus leftover from a project, i went to making my favorite juice this time of year, as well as develop a more substantial variety in the form of a creamy smoothie. i wanted something texturally thick, but fluid; slightly sweet, and creamy - almost like a childhood creamsicle, but more nutritionally sound. while i was going for more of a breakfast-y dessert smoothie, than a traditional greens 'n fruit smoothie, you can surely partake in this drink and still feel light and invigorated. in went my fave, fave, fave coconut yogurt (full of probiotics ---> happy belly!), hydrating coconut water, various citrus fruits for color and flavor, some warming nuggets of fresh ginger, a bit of maple syrup to round out the acidity; some chia seeds, bee pollen, and turmeric for their lovely anti-inflammatory properties and amino acids. basically a super high-vibe, slurp-able creamiscle! (and bonus, if you want to make your own coconut milk yogurt, izy's got you covered in a recent article on the kitchn!)

warmth, sunshine + smoothies! xo

coconut citrus sunshine smoothie (gf + v)

usually when i make smoothies i add as i go, which is really what i did here - there's no real math to it, so feel free to start with less and add more as you go. the result of the ingredient amounts below is a fairly fluid smoothie that thickens over time as the chia seeds activate, about 10 minutes.

| makes 4 servings |

1 cup coconut water, cold
1 cup coconut yogurt (or preferred yogurt)
1 navel orange, peeled, cut, and seeds removed
1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled, cut, and seeds removed
1 blood orange, peeled, cut, and seeds removed
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, extra to top (1 teaspoon fresh turmeric)
1 teaspoon chia seeds, extra to top
1 teaspoon bee pollen, extra to top

instructions

place all ingredients into a high-speed blender; blend on high until smooth and bubbly. taste and adjust, adding more syrup or turmeric. you can serve immediately, or wait 5-10 minutes for the chia seeds to activate, resulting in a thicker smoothie. serve, and sprinkle tops with some more chia seeds, bee pollen, and turmeric

more beverage goodness:

warm squash, parsnip, + kale salad w/ pomegranate dressing / February 18, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

warm squash, parsnip + kale salad w/ pomegranate dressing | dolly and oatmeal

not that long ago i was in the kitchen of a lifelong friend of mine, and since a large portion of my life is all about food these days, it was super interesting to see how she was generating dinner that night, along with how she organized her kitchen, and i even found myself curiously peeking at the condiments in her fridge. she totally confessed to me that she can feel anxious at the thought of what to cook for her and her husband, how to prepare and cook various kinds of ingredients, how to store fresh produce, and how to eat less take-out, and more healthfully. i could completely relate to the part about planning a meal, because while i may work with food all the time, some days it's nice to not have to think about what to make for dinner.

recently we met for brunch and inevitably the topic of food came up again. i asked how her cooking quest was coming along and she began telling me about a food delivery service she started using called Blue Apron. she told me how they offer chef-designed meals with step-by-step instructional recipe cards that are all delivered to your door already proportioned so you don't have to deal with a trip to the store, or have any unused product afterwards. she said her and her husband use the 2-person plan they offer at $9.99 per person per meal, always with free delivery, once a week of 3 meals for them. she was really impressed that they have fresh produce from local farms and utilize whole grains, seasonal veg, and healthy fats. she mentioned they even offer a family plan, which i later looked up is only $8.74 per person per meal and adds some options on delivery and has family style meals as well.

i was super intrigued by all the things i heard my friend tell me over brunch, so a few days later when Blue Apron happened to contact me about trying their service, i was certainly excited to see what it was all about. i learned they add 6 recipes every week and cover 80% of the country, so I know i'll have to let my family who lives in LA + north carolina know about them too. i was impressed when i got my package with so many fresh ingredients in a refrigerated box so nothing was even close to wilted. there was fresh, local product from farms in upstate new york, as well as from one of my favorite nyc bakeries, hot bread kitchen. i'm also looking forward to gaining inspiration from Blue Apron's cache of recipes, including this quinoa and tofu "fried rice", and this cozy tuscan ribollita soup with farm eggs!

you can find the recipe for this lovely squash salad here, where i substituted the farro for sprouted quinoa :) by the way, the pomegranate molasses dressing in the recipe was a complete revelation, and it's totally making a comeback in my kitchen asap!

this kind of service certainly strikes a chord with me as i know a lot of people don't cook because they can feel intimidated or apprehensive about where to start, just like my friend did, and how so many people fall back on take out and fast food, even though they really want to be eating more healthfully. so, in the spirit of getting people back in the kitchen, Blue Apron was kind enough to give the first 25 readers 2 free meals on their first order, just click here. happy healthy! xo

*this post is in partnership with Blue Apron, all opinions are my own.