April 26, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Sunshine Mung Bean Spread w/ Gluten Free Za'tar Flatbread

meals in general have taken on a life of their own. when amesy was a teeny babe he slept quite often, and so in between those times i was able to get things done. while his naps are more routine these days, they're much less frequent, and shorter, so the need to get creative and make every moment count is essential in order to get anything done. if you follow me over on instagram then you might be aware of my new found love for meal prepping. before having a baby i always strived to dedicate a day during the week for preparing meal components but it was never an essential thing to get frank and i through the week. but now, especially with amesy starting to eat solids, a dedicated meal prep day is super crucial. having plenty of dips and spreads is another thing that is kind of vital around here. i use them to dress up a lunch/dinner bowl, or for a nourishing snack with cut veg and/or crackers or bread.

but more importantly, we're honoring two wonderful humans today, who are going to need all the feel-good snacks that people with a little one need to have. sonja and alex from a couple cooks, just welcomed their beautiful boy, larson ames to the world and i'm just overflowing with happiness for them. and if a new baby isn't sweet enough, sonja told me that larson's middle name, ames, was inspired by our little amesy which always brings tears of joy to my eyes every time i think about it. sonja is the first one to always organize and put together virtual baby showers for so many of us lucky ducks, she goes above and beyond, even when the days were trying. so i'm beyond delighted to share in this special occasion with her and alex, and so many other bloggers today. welcome, welcome, little larson! you are one lucky little guy! and thank you to melissa, sarah, and ashley for putting this baby shower together!

for this dip i used my favorite pulse: mung beans (also know as moong dal which is the split variety). essentially, pulses are the seeds of plants in the legume family, they include: chickpeas, lentils, beans and split peas. i love mung beans mostly because they're easy on the digestive system (especially when they're soaked or sprouted), but also because they're an all-star bean, packed with a great number of vitamins and minerals, plus they're a great source of protein. it varies week to week, but i usually prepare a few different pulses to eat throughout the week, but i'm upping my game even more so because this month but I’m doing my best this month to meet the nutritional guidelines for pulses, eating ½ cup serving of the nutritious ingredients 3 times per week. pulses are not only easy to make, and super versatile (i wrote an entire book on chickpea flour, so you know they can do a lot!), but they're a sustainable food that are drought tolerant, water efficient, and they enrich the soil where they grow making them a natural fertilizer.

this post was created in partnership with usa pulses & pulse canada. all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own. thank your for supporting the sponsors that help keep dolly and oatmeal going!

check out the other #ACoupleAdopts recipes:

Flourishing Foodie | Avocado and Asparagus Tartines with Basil Pesto
The Full Helping | Individual Strawberry Chocolate Crisps
Snixy Kitchen | Roasted Lemon Mint Pesto Tartines, Two Ways
This Mess Is Ours | Coriander & Lime Scented Cashews
Making Thyme for Health | Hemp Ranch Hummus
Two Red Bowls | Buttered Eggs on Toast, with Radish & Parsley
Cookie and Kate | World’s Greatest Guacamole
Edible Perspective | Tropical Oatmeal Snack Cookies
Eat This Poem | Red Pepper and Walnut Hummus
Brooklyn Supper | Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Cilantro-Avocado Sauce
Gather & Dine| Muffin Tin Granola Cups with Lemon Greek Yogurt and Berries
The Fauxmartha | Laura’s Sunshine Crackers
FoodieCrush | Baked Beet Chips

Gluten Free Za'tar Flatbread | dolly and oatmeal

sunshine mung bean spread w/ gluten free za'atar flatbread

you can use any pulse here really, but be aware that there might be differences in consistency, and therefore you may need to add more or less tahini or water.

sunshine spread (makes about 2 cups)

1 1/2 cups cooked mung beans (i like using this sprouted variety)
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup filtered water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
sea salt & fresh pepper, to taste
sumac, for garnish
fresh dill and microgreens or pea shoots, for garnish

gluten free za'atar flatbread (makes four 5-6-inch flatbreads)

1 1/4 cup filtered warm water (105°-115°F)
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 packet instant yeast (approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons psyllium husk powder
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1/4 cup za'atar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

method

in a blender or food processor, blend the mung beans, tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, spices, and salt and pepper to taste. continue blending the mixture scraping down the sides of blender or bowl until the spread is smooth and creamy. add more water if needed to get your desired consistency. transfer the spread to a bowl, cover with cling wrap, and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
make the dough. in a bowl, whisk together the water and sugar until it is dissolved. sprinkle in the yeast and let it proof until the surface it foamy, about 10 minutes.
in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients except the oil. use a wooden spoon to make a well in the center of the flour, then add the yeast mixture and olive oil. stir until dough is mixed. cover the bowl loosely with cling wrap and allow to dough to rise in a warm place (i preheat my oven to warm - about 150°F - and shut it off about 10 minutes before placing the dough inside) until the dough doubles in size, about 30-45 minutes.
preheat oven to 500°F and place a baking stone inside (or a cookie sheet). line a cookie sheet with parchment and set aside. divide the dough in half and wrap one half in cling wrap, place in the freezer for another time. place the other half of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet and dust with more brown rice flour. divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and use your fingers to press it out, using more flour if needed to prevent sticking, until you have four 5-6-inch rounds. cut any parchment hanging over (to prevent any extra paper from burning.) cover the dough with a clean dishcloth to puff up slightly, about 15-20 minutes.
whisk together the za'atar and oil, and spoon it over the dough rounds, using about 3-4 spoonfuls to sufficiently cover the tops. use the cookie sheet to carefully shuffle the parchment and doughs onto the baking stone. bake until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. et the za'atar bread cool slightly.
serve 1 piece of za'atar bread with 1/2 cup mung bean spread, some sliced veggies, and olives.

similar recipes:

black beluga lentil hummus w/ roasted fennel & garlic

Spring Rainbow Bowl w/ Honey Mustard Tahini / April 18, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Spring Rainbow Bowl w/ Honey Mustard Tahini | dolly and oatmeal

big news over here, guys! we're moving! to los angeles! frank got a new job out there just about a month ago, so we're hastily packing our belongings into boxes that are currently taking up more space than the furniture in our little apartment. in about 2 weeks time we were lucky to find an apartment out there that we'll call home for the time being. our real estate agent was nice enough to give us a showing via facetime and i couldn't have been more grateful for technology in that moment! making a decision about where to live now that we have a babe wasn't as easy as when it was just frank and me. now that amesy's on the move and about to crawl (like seriously any day now it seems!), i wanted to make sure that the floors weren't anything like the janky ones we have currently. luckily the building the was just renovated, so above anything else, the baby will have pristine floors to practice his new skills on :)

2016 was a difficult year for frank and me. aside from all things election, we were dealt some difficult cards, and i see this move as a fresh start, a new chapter in our story together. i'm not sure i've fully digested this move yet. i've been a life-long new yorker through and through, and have never really lived anywhere else (i spent the summer of 2009 in LA, but i'm not sure that counts). there's so much that i identify with here, so much of this town that lives and flows in my veins, and so much of the life that frank and i created here that it's sad to somewhat "let go" of. but there's also so much i'm excited about, and i'm curious how this will all play out.

so in honor of sunshine and vibrancy, i bring you the recipe for this rainbow bowl. if you've been following my (very infrequently posted) instagram stories, then you might be familiar with a lot of the lunch bowls i tend to eat. i've been really get my stuff together in order to eat well during the day, and naturally, meal prep has been the key to success. either on a sunday or monday, i dedicate most of the day to prepping my food for the week. some veggies are roasted, cooled, and refrigerated. others are cut, ribboned, or sliced for meals or snacking. i usually boil eggs to have on hand, roast chicken breasts, make a large batch of hummus and a designated dressing for the week as well. i try to get a balanced amount of protein, healthy fats, and carbs in my lunch bowls along with the benefits of vitamins and minerals. so i'm super excited to be partnering up with anthropologie to bring awareness to the health benefits of eating the rainbow this earth day! back when i used to see a nutritionist she always told me to eat as many colors an i possibly could, and for good reason. eating a variety of colorful produce contributes to your body accessing enough nutrients, fiber, and vitamins. plus, i find that when my food is vibrant and bright, it's way more appealing to eat. and when your meal is all encased in bowl-form it's a much more informal way of eating, allowing for flavors and textures to intermingle, and eggs yolks to become a dressing, if that's what you like ;)

cheers, all! xo

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

spring rainbow bowl w/ honey mustard tahini

| serves 1 |

honey mustard tahini (makes extra)

3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons raw honey
1 garlic clove, minced
sea salt & fresh pepper, to taste
water to thin

salad bowl

1 small sweet potato (or half of a large one), sliced into wedges
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & fresh pepper, to taste
1/2 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed
8 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 1/2 cups shredded kale
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1-2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
1/2 cucumber, peeled into ribbons
1/2 ripe avocado, sliced
2 pasture-raised eggs
hummus, bean dip, or spread of choice

method

make the honey mustard tahini. whisk the tahini, oil. mustard, vinegar, honey, and garlic together. add water a 1/2 teaspoon at a time until you reach a fluid consistency. season with salt and pepper, to taste.
preheat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
in a large bowl, toss the sweet potato wedges with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. turn potatoes out onto the baking sheet and cook for 35-40 minutes, until edges are browned. remove from the oven and set aside.
place the asparagus and shiitakes onto the other baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. cook for 10-12 minutes, until both are tender and lightly browned. set aside.
while the veggies are cooking, massage the kale. in a large bowl, combine the kale with the lemon juice and a big pinch of salt. massage for about 5 minutes, until it has softened it bit. set aside.
fill a small saucepan 3/4 of the way with water. bring the water to a boil and gently add the eggs. time for 7-minutes, and turn the heat to medium-low. remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and run under cold water to stop the egg from cooking.
assemble your bowl. make a bed of massaged kale, top it with potato wedges, ribboned cucumber and carrots, roasted asparagus and mushrooms, sliced avocado, a schmear of hummus, and your eggs. give another squeeze of lemon juice over the raw veggies, and season the eggs with salt and pepper. drizzle the honey-mustard tahini onto the veggies of your choice.

similar recipes:

asparagus, pea & broccoli rabe saute over a chive-chickpea mash

balsamic roasted asparagus salad w/ fried capers & a 7-minute egg

flourless almond cake w/ kombucha macerated berries & a brunch menu / April 8, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

flourless almond cake w/ kombucha macerated berries & a brunch | dolly and oatmeal

we spent the better part of last week sitting my parents' dog at their house upstate. it was great spreading out, so to speak, and actually having room in our living space! amesy transitioned really well to sleeping in his little travel crib, and i've finally began putting him down for naps without rocking him to sleep first. this has been such a relief because babies falling asleep on their own doesn't come as easy than when they're teeny infants apparently - it's been a learning curve to say the least! there are so many things happening in his little world these days, so many developments and progressions. last week was all about his teeth, and now this week he's been eating solids for a whole a week and absolutely loves sweet potato and avocado (he is definitely my little guy). he's beginning to show curiosity in crawling and standing, and now i'm beginning to see how this whole baby thing passes by way too quickly. a month ago he was still and an infant, and now there's this huge emergence of a little personality. he voices when he doesn't like something, when he does, and when he's having the best time ever. my whole heart could explode at how amazing it is to witness it all each day.

that's not to say that trying to fit everything into a working day with a babe, doesn't have its challenges. it is THE challenge if anything. i have a lot more grey hairs, way more stress, and have morphed into the person who wears yoga pants and big comfy flannel shirts every day. but i'm ok with that ;) one huge constant in my life is the whole foods market that's a quick drive away and totally comes in clutch all the time! frank and i usually have some sort of super casual, buffet-style brunch thing for an easter/passover mashup. so this year i've teamed up with the whole foods market team to show you what i'm serving up from their menu, and how to make this super easy almond cake with kombucha macerated strawberries. i found that ordering online saved me that awkward phone call with a cooing (or screaming) baby in the background, but i'm sure it's just as convenient for anyone sans baby. it makes the whole process super fast and simple, and when i went to pick up my order, it was really convenient to snag the flowers for the table (i bought a big pot of pansies and transplanted them to smaller terracotta planters), and other groceries to make the cake and its topping. the cake is simple to make, and only uses a handful of ingredients, most of which are pantry staples. it's one of those back pocket recipes that comes in handy, all while being super nourishing as well. the berries are macerated a bit in kombucha and a little coconut sugar to give it that spring feel :)

happy brunching <3

this post was created in partnership with whole foods market. all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own. thank you for supporting the sponsors that help keep dolly and oatmeal going!

a brunch menu

wild basmati rice w/ peas & pistachio

roasted fingerling potatoes w/ horseradish

carrots & parsnips w/ coriander honey

grilled asparagus

hard-boiled eggs & toast

flourless almond cake w/ kombucha macerated berries

flourless almond cake w/ kombucha macerated berries | gf & df

you could use any fruit or berries you like here, just keep in mind the fruit's natural sweetness and adjust the sugar as necessary. as for the kombucha, i like a ginger variety (this gingerade is my go-to) as i find it gives the berries a subtle flavor, but you could use any flavor.

| makes a 9-inch cake |

4 large pasture-raised eggs, separated
1/2 cup coconut sugar (or regular sugar)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

berries

1 cup strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup kombucha
1 tablespoon coconut sugar

method

preheat the oven to 350°F and oil a 8-inch round pan with coconut oil. set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the oil, and the almond and vanilla extract. in a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot, baking powder and salt. then combine with the egg yolk mixture (batter will be very thick, that's ok), and set aside.
using a stand mixer or electric mixer, whip the the egg whites on medium-high until they get nice and fluffy. a little at a time, add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until soft peaks form. a spoonful at a time, fold the egg whites into the batter. (the batter with start out thick and will become more and more airy as the whites are incorporated.)
spoon batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the cake pulls from the sides a bit.
place cake on a rack and let cool completely.
while the cake is cooling, make your berries. place the berries in a bowl, stir in the kombucha, and sugar. stir the berries occasionally for about 30 minutes.
top the cake with macerated strawberries, and a sprinkle of toasted sliced almonds. slice and serve.