Chickpea & Avocado Tzatziki Salad + A Grohe Faucet Giveaway! / June 1, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Chickpea & Avocado Tzatziki Salad | dolly and oatmeal

when i first began to conceptualize my cookbook everything was basically a blur. writing an ingredient-based, single-subject book seemed a little one dimensional, so i really wanted to ground it in something tangible, something that gave the subject of chickpea flour some context. using chickpea flour throughout the year to highlight its versatility made sense to me, and more broadly how to incorporate chickpea flour into dishes throughout the year so you're not stuck with a whole bag of it just for those times you want to make socca.

pretty early on in my book proposal process i wanted the chapters to flow as months of year rather than chapters made up of appetizers, entrees, desserts, etc., from there, i tried to give each month an equal amount of breakfast options, lighter lunch fare, entrees, and sweets. one category i didn't plan on having much inventory in was the snacking/noshing section. as i got into the recipe testing phases, i started playing around with a chickpea "polenta" dish. during that process i saw that when chickpea flour and water was heated over the stove, it turns into a melted cheese/roux consistency. i had an idea of adding that creamy mix to a nut-based dip or cheese sauce to give it even more rich texture. so many of them turned out so good, and tasted so spot on, that i included a bunch in the book.

one of those recipes was a chickpea flour-based tzatziki dip that comes so close to the original, that i still question whether i'm eating dairy or not. besides using it for dipping, i love adding it to grain bowls or salads as a creamy alternative to a tahini or yogurt-based sauce. in this recipe it's the dressing for a super simple chickpea and avocado salad that adds a mellow coolness from the dill and cucumber. this is a perfect picnic salad (it's totally vegan, so you don't have to worry about it going bad on a warm day), a simple lunch, or as a companion to a dinner meal.

as for the major giveaway! grohe was kind enough to send me one of their stellar new faucet to try out, and i couldn't be more impressed with not only the design, but its functionality as well. when it comes to faucets i'm not that picky. if it works and does the job, i'm pretty happy about it. but after experiencing its pull-out spray head, and the toggle between normal water flow and spray, i'm pretty much smitten. as for the giveaway, grohe is giving away 4(!!!) of their eurocube faucets to 4 lucky winners, with the first winner being chosen Friday, June 10, and the final winner being chosen Friday, July 3. enter here for a chance to win (giveaway is open to US residents only). good luck! :)

*this post was created in partnership with grohe. all opinions, as always, are my own.

chickpea &avocado tzatziki salad | v

if you're not vegan/dairy-free feel free to use a tzatziki of your choice (even though i think you should give mine a shot - wink,wink). i also think that cannellini or navy beans would work well here, as well as any fresh greens you have on hand.

| serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a side |

tzatizki

1 medium cucumber, grated with a box grater
1 cup water
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked (up to 4 hours or overnight)
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
sea salt & fresh pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

salad

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
big handful fresh baby spinach, mesclun greens, or baby arugula
3 radishes, shaved on a mandolin
1 bunch spring onions, white and light greens parts sliced thin
1 ripe avocado, chunked
fine sea salt & fresh pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons -1/4 cup tzatziki
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
herb or vegetable flowers (optional)

method

tzatziki

place the grated cucumber in a fine-mesh sieve. use your palm and push to squeeze out as much liquid as possible; set aside
in a small saucepan, whisk together the water and flour until smooth. turn heat to medium and continue whisking until the mixture thickens, about 6 to 7 minutes; the mixture will resemble a roux or melted cheese. remove from the heat.
place the flour mixture, cashews, garlic, vinegar, oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a high-speed blender; blend for 1 minute until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl; stir in the grated cucumber and dill. let the tzatziki come to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
remove from the refrigerator when ready to serve and give it a good stir.

salad

place chickpeas, sliced radishes, onions, and avocado in a large bowl. season with salt and pepper.
add tzatziki and toss. taste and adjust, adding more tzatziki, salt, or pepper if needed.
garnish with toasted sesame seeds and herb or vegetable flowers.

enjoy!

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Strawberry-Rhubarb & Olive Oil Chocolate Cake w/ Chocolate Whip / May 26, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Strawberry-Rhubarb & Olive Oil Chocolate Cake w/ Chocolate Whip | dolly and oatmeal #glutenfree

i know i said last week that i was essentially going to wait until memorial day weekend to break into rhubarb season and make a pie, but i couldn’t wait. i saw these beautiful vibrant stalks and the first juicy strawbs at the market the other day, and i broke down and bought them. maybe this is a totally cliche thing to do when you’re pregnant (or just an emotional human being) but cake, guys. cake to ring in the fruity baking season that beats all others!

as i’ve mentioned before, my one consistent go-to pregnancy craving has been strawberries. from the beginning i was eating at least 2 pints per week, so, needless to say, strawberry season has been all i’ve been wanting/dreaming about! there are so many ways to use strawberries, or any in-season berry for that matter. but my fave is to really let the fruit shine in its most natural way. so in this situation i thought topping the cake with these sweet, juicy babes was the only way to do them proper justice.

things i love about this cake:

chocolate & rhubarb & strawberries = everything
the cake is so light and subtle it can totally be eaten as breakfast :)
the chocolate whip! fluffy, creamy, and adds just enough to make this cake a bit more luscious
california olive ranch’s rockin’ new mild and buttery olive oil
if you look at it from above it looks like a huge strawberry-topped doughnut
if you look at it from the side it looks like an even bigger cupcake ;)

but seriously, this is one of my favorite cakes i’ve made and shared here on the blog! i hope you enjoy it! xo

*this post was created in partnership with california olive ranch. all opinions, as always, are my own. thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep dolly and oatmeal going!

strawberry-rhubarb & olive oil chocolate cake w/ chocolate whip | gf + df

i've been using superfine brown rice flour for baking for the last couple of months and have been loving how tender and delicate it makes baked goods. you can certainly use regular brown rice flour here 1:1, but i would nudge you to try the superfine variety some day - it's really great to work with! (i bought this brand.)

| makes one 8-inch round bundt cake // serves 8 |

1 cup superfine brown rice flour
1 cup (gluten free) oat flour
1/3 cup cacao powder, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup california olive ranch mild and buttery olive oil
3 large farm eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sliced rhubarb
1 pint strawberries, sliced or whole (depending on size)

chocolate whip

1 can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
2 tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons powdered coconut sugar*
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

*to make powdered coconut sugar: blend 1/2 cup coconut sugar in a high-speed blender (preferably a Vitamix) on high for about 30-40 seconds, until powdery. store extra in an air tight container.

method

preheat oven to 350°F and oil an 8-inch bundt pan, dust pan with cacao powder and set aside.
in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. set aside.
in another large bowl, beat together the sugar and oil with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until mixture is wet and sandy. add the eggs one at a time, beating them on low until fully incorporated. add the applesauce and vanilla, and beat together once more until mixed.
in 3-4 applications, add the dry ingredients to the wet and blend on low until mixed. repeat until everything is incorporated. set the electric mixer aside and use a rubber spatula to fold in the sliced rhubarb.
evenly distribute the batter in your prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula.
bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. set cake on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely. once cool, run a thin knife around the sides to loosen it. invert the cake onto a large plate, platter, or cake stand.
frost with the chocolate whip and top with sliced or whole strawberries. slice and serve, or cover cake lightly with parchment in the refrigerator. leftover cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

chocolate whip

turn coconut milk can over and open from the bottom. pour out the coconut water (reserve for smoothies, etc.) and scoop the solidified coconut cream into a mixing bowl. add the cacao powder, sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat together with an electric mixer until all the ingredients are mixed and frothy. taste for sweetness adding more sugar if necessary. cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. (cream can be made a day in advance.)

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chocolate olive oil bundt w/ salted maple almonds

Creamy Tahini & Lemon-Asparagus Soup / May 19, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Creamy Tahini & Lemon-Asparagus Soup | dolly and oatmeal #vegan

tending to my small backyard garden makes me super happy. it's a feeling i can't really explain. it challenges me, makes me think, forces me to get out of the apartment (especially on super busy days), and even in frustrating times i learn something. one of the first things i do in the morning is to check out what's growing, what critters are crawling around, if there are any birds in our new birdhouse - it's like a whole little ecosystem right outside our bedroom door. the same goes for my mom's garden which (before i moved out) i would help her tend to. when frank and i go up there on weekends, i bolt for the garden and peek at what's popping up. her rhubarb bushel and lemon verbena patches are getting so big, so we're planning to make a rhubarb pie for memorial day - but right now, when asparagus spears are shooting up, and chive, and other veg blossoms are blooming is my absolute favorite time. i will never ever tire of the various shades of spring green, or light purples, and vibrant yellows. every year they make my eyes totally sing.

this soup recipe was really created based on what's freshly available at the market, in my backyard, and (importantly) what this babe and i want to eat. this is a simple soup that really comes together quite fast. since there's no starchy potatoes involved the cook time is relatively fast - which is awesome! so what's the creamy base in this soup, you ask? TAHINI! when i was in LA the other week i saw a bottle of Soom tahini at my favorite little spot, Cookbook, and grabbed a bottle. since i came back i've been thinking up ways to use it aside from my weekly prep of tahini-yogurt sauce, or hummus. i really wanted the nutty flavor to shine. and shine it totally does. the soup is sturdy, light, and frothy, with just enough asparagus flavor, and hints of lemon-y tang. frank and i ate 2 mega servings the other night, and it's (for real) my new favorite soup. even the baby was moving around a whole lot, which i'm taking as an indicator that he's super into the soup as well! (also, in the notes below i have a mini list of my go-to tahini brands with links if you're interested.)

big spring hugs, all! xo

creamy tahini & lemon-asparagus soup | v

i use tahini pretty often in soup and i've found that the quality really matters both for the texture of the soup and the flavor. my favorite brand so far is Soom tahini which i found at a small shop, but is also sold here. some other brands i love are Roland, Al Wadi, and also 365 Whole Foods brand which is sold at Whole Foods but can also be found here. and i'm not sure about you, but i used to store my tahini in the fridge until i was told by a shop owner to store it at room temp and to just give it a good shake before using - i've never looked back.

| makes 2 large servings or 4 small |

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch spring onions, chopped (roughly 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 lb. asparagus, woody ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or filtered water)
1/4 cup fresh chives
2 2-inch pieces lemon peels
1/4 cup tahini paste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
sea salt & fresh pepper

garnishes:

asparagus ribbons
chive flowers
pea tendrils or baby greens
tahini paste

method

heat a large soup pot over medium heat. once hot, add the olive oil and onion, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft and translucent. add the garlic, stir and cook for 30 seconds. add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute, then add the broth (or water), chives, and lemon peels. bring soup to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 10-15 minutes. remove soup from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
carefully transfer soup to an upright blender, add the tahini paste and lemon juice. blend on high for 1 minute, until smooth and creamy. taste and adjust salt and/or lemon juice.
return the soup back to the soup pot and bring to a simmer. garnish and serve hot.

enjoy!