Za'atar Swirl Bread / March 2, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

as i'm sure a lot of you know, my love for chickpea flour runs deep, deep enough to write an entire cookbook dedicated to it. that's not to say that my affinity for the flour didn't fade. after recipe testing with it for over a year or so, i developed a distaste for it. after i turned in my manuscript, i was somewhat repulsed by its subtle flavor for a good year. each time i went to the grocery store i stocked up on chickpea flour, so when i was done with writing it, i felt a sense of freedom that i could shop without the demand to purchase it. there are still some favorite recipes that i make almost weekly, namely socca. frank loves it. plus, it's an easy meal to pull together with a hearty vegetable for dinner, and (bonus!) frank knows how to make it, so that means i can get a night to not worry about prepping a meal.

since having amesy our meals have become somewhat of a routine; a well-oiled machine, i would say. i generally worry about what we're going to eat way too far in advance of dinner. so having a little schedule provides some much needed sanity in a world of baby-uncertainty and chaos. and while i love routine (almost to a fault), i also crave spontaneity at times. which is why i love this za'atar bread recipe with my whole heart. it's very much like socca in that it's made from chickpea flour and water, but it's is baked, not fried, and has an abundance of flavor from the za'atar. this little dish was all i needed on "socca night" to get me out of my routine (while still kinda existing in one) and jazz it up a little. plus, i'm not sure i had this much fun cooking a dish in a really long time (thank you jessica!). polka-dotting the bread batter with za'atar oil, and then swirling them to make super easy/fancy looking swirls is a good night in my book. i guess the moral of this story is go beyond what makes you comfortable, if only a teeny bit, it may make all the difference.

this recipe comes from jessica murane's debut cookbook, one part plant. i was first introduced to jessica via twitter (i think), when we were first starting out in the blog world. jessica had graciously asked me to contribute a little write-up on one of my favorite ingredients and i was completely taken aback that someone was interested enough in what i thought, let alone what a favorite ingredient of mine was. and from that time on, i learned that jessica's way was to engage, discuss, and understand, as she had done on her blog, and now, on her podcast. she carries that beautifully into her book with a frank conversation about how she healed her body/mind/soul with plant-based whole foods. her recipes are simple, full flavored, and vibrant. there's a recipe for white bean buffalo hummus (for those of us who can't digest chickpea easily - hello!), an open-faced falafel sandwich, and a recipe for chocolate hazelnut crispies that are all on my to-make list when i'm off of my cleanse. in the meantime, i'll be swirling some za'atar into my bread from now on!

xo's!

za'atar swirl bread | v + gf

the za'atar bread is amazing as is. i happen to love garlic, so i added a clove to the batter after adding the water. i also sprinkled some flaky sea salt on top when it had finished baking.

| makes 8 servings |

2 tablespoons ground sumac
5 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1 cup water

method

first, make the za'atar mixture: in a small bowl, combine the sumac, sesame seeds, thyme, salt, and oil. set the mixture aside to let the flavors meld until your batter is ready.
add the flour to a medium bowl and stir in a little water at a time until you have a thin batter. set it aside for 2 hours.
preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8-or 9-inch round pan (jessica notes that she prefers a cast-iron skillet for this - and so do pour the batter into the pan. drop and scatter 1/2-teaspoon-size scoops of your za'atar spice mixture on top of the batter. it should look like za'atar polka dots. with a knife or skewer, zigzag and swirl through the batter from one side of the pan to the other. make sure you go all the way to the edges; you want to be sure to distribute the spices throughout.
bake the bread for 25-30 minutes, until the edges begin to brown and the dough pulls slightly away from the sides. let it cool for at least 5 minutes. cut and serve. jessica notes: this bread makes a great appetizer to go with dips and spreads, especially hummus and baba ganoush.

similar recipes:

stuffed za'atar roasted squash w/ pepper-lemon tahini sauce

Golden Dandelion Latte / February 22, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Golden Dandelion Latte | dolly and oatmeal

a few posts back i wrote a bit about some of my postpartum struggles/issues with inflammation, and hormonal shifts (to put it lightly). the first few months after giving birth were great. i felt wonderful - my hair was still thick and shiny, i felt pretty good physically, and most of the pains in my lower back from the last month of pregnancy had gone away. my mood was still all over the place, but that's been a struggle my whole life ;) enter 3 1/2 months postpartum and i began losing hair, clumps at a time. i felt tired and sluggish in the morning (no matter what time i went to bed the night before), and the pains in my lower back, while different, came back with a vengeance. i would be lying to say that ingesting more turmeric made it all go away, that's not what happened. truth is, is that i'm still working to get back on my feet and feel good again. so i've been making some life changes in an effort to be only healthier, happy, but more knowledgeable about the root causes of these afflictions. and from what research i've done, it seems like hormones play a huge part.

while i was always skeptical that hormones were at the root cause of a lot of my issues, i didn't know where to begin. right now i'm in the midst of reading this powerful book (thank you jessie!), and just finished the second day of a 21-day elimination cleanse to kind of reset my body. i thought i was kind of crazy for doing a cleanse while caring for an almost 5-month old, but i keep telling myself that i want to feel stronger physically/mentally/emotionally to take good care of my babe. i'm currently quite hungry, but the whole idea of the cleanse is to lighten up your diet to give your body a break from digestion, so it can spend time cleansing and healing. i can report that i've gotten some of the best, most restful sleep in a while (and yes, amesy sleeping through the night doesn't hurt either!), and that eating a smoothie for breakfast and dinner is super easy and good on the clean up especially with a babe on my hip. there's something i really enjoy about challenging my body in different ways i didn't know/think it was capable of, since so many times it's a mind over matter game.

but no matter what, turmeric tea is my old standby as an overall restorative beverage. i've began sipping on this latte when i was first pregnant, and i finally had the time to share the recipe. it's super basic, but i've included some steps for a simple turmeric paste that makes leftovers for soups, smoothies, shakes, potions - whatever you like! the mixture is ground turmeric, water, coconut oil, and black pepper. and interesting side note: the coconut oil and black pepper play an essential role in the body absorbing the anti-inflammatory properties in turmeric. in any event, i enjoy this drink first thing in the morning or as an afternoon soother. i've been loving it in between lunch and dinner when that 3pm hunger hits :)

i hope you're all feeling well and in good spirits. i would be curious to hear how you've gone about dealing with any hormone or post-baby ailments? (and if you're not into publicly commenting, i would love to chat through email!)

big hugs, all! xo

golden dandelion latte | v

you can use any tea here, but i like dandelion tea which is known to soothe digestive issues, strengthen the immune system, and balance blood sugar levels. however, for a nighttime tea i do use chamomile, as well. i included some optional boosters below. i use tocos for a creamy effect, plus it's known to brighten your skin. ashwaghanda is an adaptogenic herb which aides in a slew of things including stress and anxiety. collagen peptides also aid in digestion, joint and bone health, and it's also an amino acid which is great for hair growth.

| makes 1 latte |

turmeric paste (makes extra)

2 tablespoons ground turmeric
1/2 cup filtered water, plus more for thinning
1 tablespoon unrefined extra virgin coconut oil
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

latte

1 cup (8 oz) boiled filtered water
1-2 dandelion tea bags
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tablespoon unrefined extra virgin coconut oil
2 teaspoons coconut nectar (or maple syrup)
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric paste

optional boosters

1 tablespoon tocos/tocotrienols
1/2 teaspoon ashwagandha
1 scoop collagen peptides

method

make the turmeric paste. place the ground turmeric in a small saucepan, whisk in the water and turn heat to a low flame. continue whisking to until the mixture has thickened but is still fluid, about 6-8 minutes. (if your mixture gets too thick before the 6-8 minute mark, add more water a few teaspoons at a time.) remove from the heat and whisk in the coconut oil and pepper. let cool completely, then place in a lidded jar and store in the refrigerator.
make the latte. pour the water into a large mug, steep the teabag/s for about 5 minutes (for a stronger tea flavor use 2 bags). while the tea is steeping, warm the milk over the stovetop until it steams a bit, remove from heat. add the milk, oil, coconut nectar, and turmeric paste to a high-speed blender. whiz on high for 20 seconds, until frothy. remove the teabags from your mug and pour the milk over top. top with a dusting of black pepper and ground turmeric and drink while hot. (if adding any boosters, whiz them in the blender with the other ingredients.)

similar recipes:

cold-brewed shiso & hibiscus tea iced latte

Dark Chocolate Kabocha Muffins / February 15, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Dark Chocolate Kabocha Muffins | dolly and oatmeal

every year around this time i feel so overly done with winter. whenever the new year begins it feels like such a long journey to the spring equinox, until there are longer days, more sunshine, increasingly warmer days, essentially. but this year is different. maybe because we have a babe now and all i want him to do is explore outside, breath fresh air, and be enveloped by sunshine..? it's no wonder that i reach for comfort in the form of food then, and chocolate in particular.

while i usually grab some dark chocolate, mid-winter usually beckons for something a bit more indulgent. i wish my metabolism were one that could tolerate eating baked goods on the regular, but alas, i could eat air and still gain a pound. so i reserve those types of cravings for these cold, bleak days, when a few shreds of chocolate baked inside a cake-y muffin just seems crucial, ya know?

these are by far my favorite muffin i've made. i have to say that every time i use fresh as opposed to canned puree, i find the resulting texture one that can't be beat. it's rich and velvety (something a canned variety has yet to ever yield), yet still light and airy. i would say these are more on the cake-y side as opposed to a more hearty muffin. either way, they've become quite the staple around here. and if you're wanting to make a slightly healthier/less sugar version of them, eliminate the chopped chocolate, as to cut out some of the sugar. but let's face it, no baked goods are ever going to be healthy, so why not go full tilt and keep those chocolate bits ;)

xo's friends

dark chocolate kabocha muffins | gf & df

the kabocha puree can be substituted with any winter squash puree (butternut, acorn, pumpkin). i would nudge you to try making these with fresh puree, but if you're in a pinch canned puree will do.

| makes 12 large muffins |

1 1/4 cups fine brown rice flour
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup almond flour, plus more for topping
5 tablespoons raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup kabocha squash puree*
2 large free range eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup chopped dark chocolate
cacao nibs for topping

*kabocha squash puree: preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. cut the squash in quarters, remove the seeds. rub the flesh side with a bit of coconut oil and place face down. cook until fork tender, about 35-40 minutes. let the squash cool until it is ready to handle. scoop flesh out and allow to cool completely before using or storing it.

method

preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-cavity muffin tin with liners.
in a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. in another large mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until mixed. add the dry ingredients to the wet a little at a time until combined. then fold in the chocolate.
evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin, filling each cavity 3/4 of the way. top with a sprinkle of almond flour and a small sprinkle of cacao nibs.
bake in the center of your oven until a cake tester comes out clean, about 28-34 minutes. cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove muffins and let them cool completely before eating. leftover muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.