Izy's Fattoush Dip / June 15, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i have to say, it takes a lot for me to admit i'm tired. but i am. i don't think i ever knew an exhaustion like this. every day is full throttle, taking care of a crawling, teething child who has a determination to pull himself up on just about anything and everything. trying to balance being a baby chaser and having some semblance of a career has been a challenge as well. i've been determined to do "this" on my own, to take care of my child without the help of someone during the day. i'm not sure why i limit myself, why i have to stick with an idea regardless of how realistic it is. i can be very harsh with myself. i don't like taking things easy, nor do i like not being busy. but since we touched down in LA it's been go, go, go.

so some things have changed around here. frank and i found a babysitter, and are going on our first date since amesy was born (yes, he's almost 9 months old), we are also in the process of getting a very part-time nanny to help during the week, and we just booked a little vacation next month to the desert (not sure if that was the smartest idea at the height of summer). all good things that will hopefully alleviate some of the drained vibes around here.

i haven't been cooking for fun lately, and i rarely find time to recipe develop anything more than an iced matcha latte. so i couldn't be more grateful to cookbooks these days. their pages are like little gifts giving me instructions and measurements and telling me how put one foot in front of the other and put a meal together. this fattoush dip recipe comes from izy hossack's 2nd book, the savvy cook. the dip is a riff on a traditional fattoush salad but placed on top of a kidney bean puree. i love a good dip, and this one popped out at me. first, i love how vibrant it is, but it's wonderfully original, and delicious. the dip is flavored with a bit of garlic, and the salad is dressed with a simple dressing that's tossed with cinnamon. i wasn't sure how the garlic and the cinnamon would play off each other, but it's definitely a flavor i'm going to revisit.

happy almost summer! xo

fattoush dip | v

recipe from The Savvy Cook by Izy Hossack

| serves 3 to 4 |

dip

1 1/3 cups (240g) red kidney beans, drained (except for 3 tablespoons liquid from can) and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped or crushed
salt
juice of 1/2 lemon

salad

handful of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
2 radishes, thinly sliced
handful of arugula or pea shoots
handful of cilantro, coarsely chopped (leaves and stems)
handful of mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1 scallion, finely sliced
handful of pomegranate seeds (optional)

dressing

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch of salt

method

using a handheld blender or a countertop blender, blend all the dip ingredients together until smooth. transfer the dip to a serving plate, spread it out slightly, then top with the salad ingredients.
in a jar with a screw-on lid, combine all the dressing ingredients, put on the lid, and shake to mix.
pout the dressing over the salad and dip, then serve with pita chips, pita bread, or crackers for dipping.

similar recipes:

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

Sweet Pea Oven Risotto w/ Garlicky Pea Shoots / June 8, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

apparently there's something called june gloom here in southern california. the mornings and early afternoons are cloudy and chilly, and the late afternoons open up to bright blue skies and warm sunshine. but i'm not really finding anything super gloomy about it (for now). back in new york there would be super cold spring days, and the kind of spring days that are muggy and in the 80's. essentially, real spring days are numbered in new york, which is why i'm loving the LA weather lately. and to be honest, i'm not quite in shorts or bathing suit shape yet, so i'm selfishly excited i still get to rock yoga pants and sweatshirts for a little bit longer.

the desert nights are another thing i absolutely love here. no matter how hot it gets during the day there are always enough cool breezes to go around and sufficiently cool everything down. which is why i love this spring risotto dish. the recipe hits that seasonal in between perfectly, in that it has all those great spring vegetables, but it's cozy enough for a cool night. the risotto comes from sarah waldman's new book, Feeding A Family. i had been anxiously awaiting sarah's book since she began teasing posts about it on instagram a ways back, and she was kind enough to send me a copy. i'm a big fan of her site and love that she lived on my favorite island in the world, martha's vineyard.

the book is organized by season. in each season are dinner recipes accompanied by a side dish, and in most cases, a dessert. the book provides great structure for making family-based meals, which i love. in this (still) new world of having a baby, and still trying to prepare meals for my family, this book is a wonderful guide. sarah's recipe are approachable yet delicate, and are inclusive of lots of diets. but what i love most is her notes on how to make each recipe baby-friendly, or how to involve your older children in the process of making a meal. her notes also include how to turn "tonight's dinner" into tomorrow's dinner. so clever!

this risotto was super simple to put together. for someone who never knew you could make risotto in an oven, this was a revelation. it's so awesome to know there's a baby/family-friendly risotto recipe out there that doesn't require you to stand over a pot stirring for 40 minutes. and the rice comes out just as creamy and delicious as if you stood over that pot. i made some substitutions that are more friendly to my diet which i highlight in the notes below ;)

june hugs! xo

sweet pea oven risotto w/ garlicky pea shoots

recipe from Feeding A Family by Sarah Waldman

i substituted the 4 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of ghee. you could add more, just make sure to taste as you go since ghee has a distinct flavor. i also substituted roughly 3/4 cup of nutritional yeast for the grated parmesan, but you could add more/less depending on your preference. since i didn't use parmesan there's a lack of salt. i added salt, to taste, in the step where you add the peas.

| serves 6 |

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 cups aborio rice
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups sweet peas (thawed if frozen, blanched in boiling water if fresh)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 handfuls of freshly grated parmesan cheese
garlicky pea shoots, for serving

garlicky pea shoots

| serves 4 |

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced or grated on a microplane
3 loosely packed cups pea shoots, torn into peices
kosher salt

method

preheat oven to 400°F.
place an oven-safe pot over medium heat. add the olive oil and the chopped shallots and saute until soft but not browned. add in the rice and cook it for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the grains glisten.
meanwhile, pour the broth into a separate saucepan, bring it to a boil, and immediately remove it from the heat. add 4 cups of the hot broth to the rice mixture. stir to combine and bring the rice pot to a boil, the cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. cook for 20 minutes or until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the rice is tender. remove the pot from the oven and add the peas, butter, the remaining 1/2 cup of broth, and handfuls of parmesean cheese. stir everything to combine and served topped with garlicky pea shoots.

garlicky pea shoots

heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. add the minced garlic and pea shoots. continuously toss the pea shoots with garlic until they are just wilted. sprinkle with salt and serve on top of the risotto.

sarah's notes:

for baby: the sweetness and soft texture of this risotto are perfect for baby. if you'd like, stir in finely chopped pea shoots for added nutrition.

tomorrow's dinner: risotto cakes - make a second pot of oven risotto and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. the rice will get firm and sticky. form the rice into small patties and fry them in a large skillet coated with olive oil until crispy and browned on both sides.

similar recipes:

herbed black beluga lentils w/ garlic scapes & yogurt sauce

cilantro black rice w/ roasted asparagus & garlic scapes

pea shoot, radish & fermented jalepeno tostadas

Strawberry Coconut Kale Slaw / June 1, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Strawberry Coconut Kale Slaw | dolly and oatmeal

when we were in LA for vacation last january we made a stop at the whole foods in downtown for a quick dinner. it was the second night of our trip, and i remember amesy was particularly irritable, so a fast dinner was in order. at the prepared counter at the whole foods in in new york, there are slim pickings, and they rarely change up what's on the menu, so i thought my decision in LA would be a quick one. it turned out that i was wrong. there were mounds of beautiful fresh salads and my dinner choice couldn't have been harder to decide. i wanted to sample each dish, but my crying babe quickly brought me back to reality so i hurriedly got the strawberry kale salad.

that split second judgement couldn't have been better. that salad transported me from my bleak winter blues, into the land of plenty where strawberries were already being served atop fresh greens. cranky baby aside, that meal was heaven. and apparently i'm not the only one out there that loves that particular whole foods salad. there's at least a few recipes on the web dedicated to recreating it as well! this version here is more of a slaw. the kale is chopped in shreds, and marinated a bit, and it generally has a lighter feel. there's a good amount of toasted coconut shreds tossed in and more on top for good measure, along with some toasty pine nuts. it's all dressed in a really simple honey-lime vinaigrette that i love. it's a great salad for a gathering, and will serve up to 10 people. this past weekend my man and i served it up to a small crowd alongside a potato salad, some grass-fed burgs, and a simple blueberry lemon cake. all about those easy-peasy dishes ;)

happy june. big hugs, all!

strawberry coconut kale slaw

you could easily halve this recipe. but leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to a few days, and might i say will taste better as the days go by. the slaw can also be made the day before and be stored in the fridge. make sure to take the slaw out an hour or so prior to serving.

inspired by whole foods

| serves 6-10 |

3/4 cup toasted coconut shreds
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
2 bunches kale, stemmed and shredded
1 tablespoon liquid extra virgin coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
fine sea salt & fresh ground pepper
1 pound strawberries, halved or quartered
5 green onions, white and light green parts sliced thin

honey-lime vinaigrette

juice from 2 limes
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons raw honey
fine sea salt & fresh ground pepper

method

heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, add the coconut shreds. toast the coconut until lightly brown and fragrant, shaking the pan every now to prevent burning. remove the coconut and let it cool. in the same pan, toast the pine nuts until lightly browned, shaking the pan every now and then. remove the nuts and let them cool.
add the kale, oil, lemon juice, and big pinch of salt to a large mixing bowl. massage everything until the kale has softened, about 5 minutes. add half of the coconut, the pine nuts, strawberries, and green onions.
in a lidded jar, combine the lime juice, olive oil, and honey. fasten the lid and give it a good shake, season with salt and pepper.
drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to distribute the dressing. garnish the top of the salad with the remaining toasted coconut.