spring onion + pea tendril flatbread - plus, news! / April 15, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

spring onion + pea tendril flatbread | dolly and oatmeal

for over 2 years i've been coming to this space sharing recipes, thoughts, ideas, things learned, but it ceases to amaze me that somewhere along the line this blog turned from showing my family members what i'm up to, to sharing and interacting with a community of people. in that light, i'm so happy and humbled to say that this little blog here has been nominated in the special interest category for the saveur blog awards! this space has come to mean so much to me, and for it to be recognized in such a way touches me deeply. so thank you to all who voted; those who pop over here from time to time and read or take something away from what's shared - thank you, thank you! there are over 75 awesome blogs being recognized, so if you would like to vote, you can do so here.

i've been in and out around here, not posting as frequently as i have in the past. and while i've felt somewhat disconnected because of that, i come back to this space yearning for that connection with you all. things will continue to be a little less frequent for the next couple of months as i'm in the process of writing my very own cookbook which will be published by The Experiment! right now it will hover around 100 seasonally friendly recipes, all gluten-free and dairy-free recipes, many of which will also be vegan :) it's been a crazy process so far, met with daunting challenges, gleeful moments when a recipe i've envisioned turns out the way i wanted it to, and also times where i'm just plain wrecked. i generally tend to be a little on the anxious side about most things, so taking this on has definitely pushed me in ways i've never been pushed before. this book is being written and developed with heavy doses of bob marley tunes/vibes, mornings full of yoga and meditation, and the constant and undying support of my dear husband. it's still in the development/testing stages, but the book is coming together little by little, and i am beyond excited to share it with you in mid-2016!

but really, there's no celebration if there's not some sort of carb, or veggie flatbread masquerading as a pizza, is there? this is one of my favorite go-to's as far as pizza/flatbread is concerned, it's super easy, suuuuper tasty, and actually good for you. i had the chance to run over the farmer's market, where my favorite vendor has returned from hibernation, and was lucky enough to score some freshly plucked spring onions, beautiful pink radishes, and a variety of herbs. i've also been growing some really special microgreens courtesy of a local farm here in new york, Good Water Farms who was kind enough to offer me 6 flats of microgreens, so we're consuming them in just about everything! spring has most certainly sprung, well wishes for a lovely season to come, all!

big big hugs! xo

spring onion + pea tendril flatbread (v + gf)

besides the base of the flatbread this recipe is a little of this, little of that, kind of a deal. the beginning of spring is always an inspired time of year where i love picking up what's fresh and beautiful, coming home and creating a meal. feel free to substitute what's available to you/what you prefer. i really love these flatbreads charred a bit, so i have simple instructions on how to do that on your stovetop.

| makes 2 flatbreads |

1 cup chickpea flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking
1 tablespoon coconut milk
2-3 tablespoons water
sorghum flour, for dusting
1/4 cup chive-spinach pesto
1 bunch spring onions, ends trimmed
2 handfuls pea tendrils
2 radishes, sliced paper thin
small handful of leafy greens (i used watercress)
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
fresh lemon juice

method

preheat oven to 400° F and place a baking stone (or baking sheet) on a rack placed on the bottom third of oven.
whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper. drizzle in oil and milk; mix using your hands until crumbly. 1 tablespoon at a time, drizzle in the water until you have a uniform dough. knead dough for 5 minutes, until smooth; cover dough with a damp paper towel, let rest for 10 minutes.
place a large piece of parchment paper on a flat work surface, dust it with sorghum flour. divide dough in 2 equal pieces, place the other piece back under the damp paper towel. roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness, turning and dusting as you go along so dough doesn't stick to surface. carefully transfer dough to baking stone (or baking sheet) and bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp.
turn a stovetop burner to medium-low, place flatbread over top lightly charring each side. set aside and repeat process with remaining dough.
while the flatbread is baking, place a skillet over medium heat; brush with olive oil, and place onions in an even layer. sprinkle with salt and cook each side for 2-3 minutes, until soft and lightly browned; remove from heat. once cool slice into 1-inch pieces, set aside. toss pea tendrils, radishes, and greens of choice with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
top flatbreads with pesto, onions, salad toss, and pine nuts.

slice and enjoy!

more recipes like this

flatbread w/ herb-spinach pesto + sprouts

romesco pizza w/ spiced chickpea + arugula

raw + vegan coconut-cashew chocolate milkshakes / March 30, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

raw + vegan coconut-cashew milkshakes | dolly and oatmeal

as so many people do, i tend get super overwhelmed (probably something i totally do to myself) by deadlines, and everyday life stress. a couple weeks ago frank and i found out the new apartment we were planning to move into would not be available until the following month. while it's something that i'm sure happens frequently, i was completely thrown. what i had planned and scheduled for had totally gone out the window. and as a result, i found myself getting into bad routines and eating poorly; noshing on too many snacks, and finding solace in an apple and peanut butter for dinner. i definitely don't punish myself for these indulgences, because i totally feel like our bodies need an extra food-hug every now and then. but i was finding that these short cuts were having an affect on my concentration, definitely testing my patience, and just leaving me generally moody.

i can often fall into these rhythms and i think we can all relate to the ebbs and flows of life and how that impacts our choices and diet. getting back into a more mindful mental state and knowing that what we put in our body really really matters. i've been really making time and focussing more on wholesome home-cooked meals, drinking more fluids and making more smoothies and juices.

my pals over at Bai5 have helped me tremendously in that department. their selection of juices are super low in sugar (hello, natural stevia!) and have a boatload of antioxidants thanks to (new-to-me) coffee fruit! so when i add it to smoothies i get the sweetness without the sacrifice. while frank and i have been making our fair share of kitchen sink smoothies with some Bai5 blends - ones where i add too many chia seeds and it quickly becomes a smoothie bowl - i also wanted to highlight the juice in a wholesome, satisfying and snack-y way. i mostly made a milkshake because while i'm making a concerted effort to stay away from sugary things, i still wanted a substantial chocolatey dessert with a cozy feeling to it. it contains a good amount of Bai5's molokai coconut juice, which is somewhat of a sweet coconut water, making that coconut-y flavor really shine through in the shake. i added soaked cashews for a thick creamy base, frozen bananas for that ice cream-like texture, and raw cacao for a super lush chocolatey flavor. that's right, no added sugar in this babe; the molokai coconut juice and banana provided every ounce of sweetness this shake could ever need. and having grown up drinking new england frappes, this vegan version far exceeded my expectations - xo!

coconut-cashew milkshakes (raw + vegan)

if you don't have frozen bananas on hand, regular bananas will be just as good, but result in a less ice cream-like consistency, and more of a smoothie-like consistency.

| makes 2 cups |

2/3 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1 cup molokai coconut Bai5
1 small frozen banana
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

toppings

coconut whip
toasted coconut chips
cacao nibs
cacao powder

method

drain cashews and place them in an upright high-speed blender. add molokai coconut juice, banana, and cacao powder, blend on high for 1 minute, until thoroughly blended and smooth.
divide shake between 2 cups, top with coconut whip, coconut chips, cacao nibs, and cacao powder and enjoy!
milkshakes will stay good covered with cling wrap or in a lidded jar for up 2 days in the refrigerator.

*this post is in partnership with Bai5, all opinions are my own

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mung bean + cilantro falafel tacos / March 17, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

mung bean falafel tacos | dolly and oatmeal

spring is right here, it's close enough you can literally taste it in the air. the bits of dirty snow have but all melted away leaving behind pieces of litter from months prior. we're all happy for longer days, and grateful once again our favorite star is here to give us more light. my senses are alive once again it seems, breathing in fresh cool air, seeing tiny buds outside on the forsythia bush, and the scent of salty sea air has returned since its thaw.

things around here are a bit in flux at the moment; new exciting projects on the horizon, a move to a new apartment that's been in the works, and the new 'do i gave to my blog :)

i've been working on the redesign sporadically for a few months now, with frank's help of course. it seems that each year i'm redefining this space - what it is to me, but also how others come to it and why. in the spirit of trying to make things easier for people, i redesigned the recipe index in a way that's easy to navigate both alphabetically, and also categorically. there's a nifty side bar too that i'm excited about, hopefully you find it interactive and fun; i know i love clicking around on other blogs, so i thought i'd bring a little bit of that here! the search bar is pretty sweet, as well as the blog archives that is categorized by months of the year. so here's to hoping you all like the new look!

okay, these falafels! falafels are the kind of thing i love to eat, love to make, love to freeze and then reheat. lately i've been experiencing pretty bad digestive thangs (we won't go into that though...), i've been following a steady diet full of things that are easy on the digestive system. among them are split mung beans, or moong dal. i've been making my fair share of soups and such that incorporate these mighty beans, but thought they would be super in a baked falafel situation. they, along with the quinoa add a subtle flavor, that when mixed with tons of warming spices comes out to one of the best tasting falafels i've had. i tend to go without the tortilla, but frank insists they're the best when rolled all up in a taco; hence, this falafel taco! i added a very humble avocado and radish salad, plus tonnnns of cilantro, all with a healthy dose of tahini sauce!

sending warm springy vibes to you all! xo

mung bean + cilantro falafel tacos (v + gf)

soaking the beans and quinoa as directed below is to make them easier to digest. if you skip the soaking step, i recommend rinsing and draining both the beans and quinoa before cooking.

| makes 32 falafels |

1 cup moong dal (aka split mung beans), soaked overnight and drained
1 cup quinoa, soaked overnight and drained
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, more for serving
2 leeks, trimmed and sliced
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
juice from 1 lemon
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons sea salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon mild paprika
olive oil, for brushing
course sea salt, for topping
brown rice tortillas/corn tortillas/etc., toasted

tahini drizzle

1/4 cup tahini paste
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons sumac
1/4 cup cold water

radish + avo salad

1 ripe avocado, pitted and sliced into chunks
4 radishes, thinly sliced or shaved on a mandolin
splash of oil and vinegar
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

instructions

make the falafels

place the mung beans in a saucepan and cover with at least 3-inches of water. bring to boil, stir, and turn heat down to a simmer. cook for 7-9 minutes, until tender. drain beans if need be and set aside.
cook quinoa according to instructions on package. set aside.
warm a skillet over medium heat and add chickpea flour, toast for 1-2 minutes, swirling around to prevent burning, until golden and fragrant. remove from heat and place in a bowl, set aside.
place drained mung beans and quinoa in a food processor fitted with a metal S blade; add cilantro, leeks, garlic, lemon juice, salt and spices. blend mixture until combined; taste and adjust salt and/or lemon juice, or other spices. add toasted chickpea flour and blend once more until combined. transfer falafel mix to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
preheat oven to 400° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. scoop out golf ball sized pieces of mixture and shape into balls with the palm of your hands. place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining mixture. using a pastry brush, brush tops and bottoms of falafel patties and sprinkle both sides with course sea salt. bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through until golden brown.
place 4-5 falafel patties in each tortilla, top with avocado and radish salad. drizzle with tahini sauce, cilantro, and extra sumac (optional), and serve warm.

sauce

in a medium bowl, whisk together tahini sauce ingredients. taste and adjust salt and lemon juice if need be. cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

salad