Nina's Moroccan Harissa Salad / October 26, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Nina's Moroccan Harissa Salad | dolly and oatmeal

we took amesy to the beach this past weekend for his first real walk on the sand and his inaugural splash in the pacific. frank and i love the beach, so when we found out i was pregnant, we selfishly wondered if our babe would share in our love of the ocean and salty air as well. luckily our trip on sunday confirmed amesy's love for sand, and salty water, and plentiful sunshine; he also accumulated a good amount of sand in just about every crevice of his body, and didn't mind one bit. and once he got acquainted with the waves, he was waddling down the shore chasing after them - our little adventurer.

if you've been in and around southern california then you know this past week has felt anything like autumn. temps have been over 100 degrees, and aside from the sun being a bit lower in the sky and setting earlier, you would think it's the height of summer. i've only been using my oven in the mornings (when there's a 30 degree temperature difference), to roast ames some carrots and sweet potatoes. other than that it's been really exciting dinners for frank and me, like smoothies and room temp. food ;)

but before the heatwave kicked in i cooked from nina olsson's beautiful book, bowls of goodness. nina's book was released last year in europe, but we're celebrating because now it's out in the US for us americans to enjoy!! the book, as you may have guessed, is filled with vibrant meals in bowls, and i'm not sure what's better than that! i first "met" nina over on instagram. her food photos were stunning, and her recipes involved flavor combinations i would never think to combine. from there, i had become smitten with her blog, nourish atelier. i remember reading through her entire recipe index not knowing what recipe to start with.

her book it just as enticing. it's complete with breakfasts, smaller plates, heartier meals, and desserts. many, if not most of her recipes, are gluten free and dairy free/vegan. and this moroccan inspired salad is just one example of nina's ability to create a dish with such thoughtfulness. the base of this salad is harissa-roasted cauliflower. its mixed with raw carrot ribbons, sliced avocado, roasted red onion, raisins, almonds, and topped with an orange tahini sauce. each ingredient compliments the next and makes for one of my favorite cauliflower dishes to date. if nothing else, make the harissa cauliflower! complete game changer :)

xoxo!

moroccan harissa salad | v & gf

recipe from Bowls Of Goodness, by Nina Olsson

| serves 4 |

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup harissa Mina sauce (or 2 tablespoons harissa pasta with 2 tablespoons water)
1 medium cauliflower, florets separated
salt
2 red onions, cut in wedges
8 carrots, shaved into thin bands
4 avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup toasted almonds

orange tahini dressing

juice and zest of 1 oragne
1 garlic clove
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

to serve

sesame seeds
moroccan mint leaves

method

preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
blend the dressing ingredients into a smooth sauce, adding small amounts of water while blending until it is at your desired consistency. store in the fridge until ready to serve.
arrange the cauliflower on the lined baking sheet. mix the olive oil with the harissa and pour over the cauliflower, making sure they are well coated. sprinkle with salt and roast with the onion wedges for 35 to 40 minutes. toss the cauliflower and onion wedges after 20 minutes. once tender, remove from the oven.
mix the roasted veggies with the carrot, avocado, raisins, and almonds. top with sesame seeds, and mint leaves. serve with the tahini dressing.

similar recipes:

fennel roasted carrot & shallot salad w/ shaved apples

miso-tahini avocado toast w/ black sesame gomasio

Athena's Creamy Cauliflower Soup W/ Dukkah & Watercress Pesto / October 19, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Athena's Creamy Cauliflower Soup W/ Dukkah & Watercress Pesto | dolly and oatmeal

i wasn't always very keen on cooking. the truth is, that until i met frank, and he and i started dating, i didn't really enjoy the process of cooking that much. but as our relationship progressed, the notion of cooking for someone else and pleasing their tummy and tastebuds really appealed to me. so much so, that while frank and i grew a relationship and fell in love with each other, i simultaneously cultivated a little love affair with cooking as well.

before we moved in together, we would take turns cooking at our respective apartments. he would generally "cook" sandwiches, which were seriously good. and i would plan some sort of intricate dinner like a ricotta gnocchi recipe that i had ripped from the pages of the new york times. but saturday and sunday mornings were reserved for getting up a bit early to make a batch of scones or muffins that i had bookmarked and printed out weeks before. i would scotch tape the recipes to the my kitchen cabinets where they would become one with my little kitchen - splatters, drips, and all! maybe you would have guessed, but as mine and frank's connection grew stronger so did my love for preparing our meals.

cooking and developing recipes for a living has its considerable perks, but the past year that drive has waned a bit with having a baby. and i have often felt that love and connection to food disipate. i've talked to some other moms about this, and i know it's not just me. but that continual tug in two completely different directions of wanting to the best, most present mama, while also striving to be the best at your career has taken its toll. which is why every time a new cookbook shows up on my doorstep i am eternally grateful for the wonderful authors who share their stories, hearts, and kitchens with us every time fall and spring roll around.

so, today i'm cooking from a new book, cook beautiful, by athena colderone of the blog, eyeswoon. the recipes are organized by the seasons of the year, so i flipped right to the fall chapter and gathered a load of east coast autumn inspiration. i chose to make this creamy cauliflower soup to really welcome fall into my kitchen (although, it's literally 90 degrees in LA as i'm writing this), and give you all some chilly-weather meal inspiration as well. this cauliflower soup is a wonderfully delicious blank canvas - and you could certainly serve and eat this as is. but athena paired it beautifully with a pistachio dukkah (a middle eastern spice and nut/seed blend), and a zesty watercress-pistachio pesto. the dukkah added a flavorful crunch, while the pesto added a perfect bit of brightness to make an unassuming soup really shine. just like the title, states this book is beautiful in every way. i could see my younger self being too intimidated to cook from it just from its shear beauty, but i think it really beckons you to cook your most beautiful, push your boundaries a bit by introducing you to new ideas, and different ways of preparing a typical meal.

big cozy hugs! xo

creamy cauliflower soup w/ dukkah & watercress pesto

recipe from Cook Beautiful by Athena Calderone

*my notes: athena's recipe calls for heavy cream. if you don't handle dairy well, like me, then you can replace it with 1/4 cup tahini which i added to the blender during step 5.

| serves 4 |

1 large head of cauliflower (about 2 pounds/910 g), cored and cut into bite-size florets
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
kosher salt
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in half lengthwise and rinsed clean
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces (225 g) yukon gold potatoes (about 3), peeled and quartered
3 cups (720 ml) chicken stock
2/3 cup (185 ml) heavy cream
2 lemons, zested and juiced
freshly cracked pepper
watercress pistachio pesto, for serving
dukkah, for serving

watercress pistachio pesto | makes 2 cups

1/3 cup (45 g) unslated pistachios, toasted, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 cups (60 g) packed watercress
3/4 cup (45 g) packed fresh parsely
2/3 cup (165 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup (75 ml) lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
zest of 1 lemon
kosher salt

dukkah | makes 3/4 cup

3/4 cup (95 g) unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup (40 g) sesame seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon kosher salt

method

soup

preheat oven to 425°F (220°C)
spread the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet. drizzle the generously with oil, season with salt, and toss to coat. roast for 15 minutes, tossing the cauliflower halfway through. continue to roast until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
while the cauliflower is roasting, chop the leeks crosswise into roughly 1/4-inch (6-mm) slices. in a medium saucepan, heat the oil and thyme over medium heat and saute the leeks until they are slightly softened, about 2 minutes. add the garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes more.
add the potatoes, stock, cream, 2 cups (480 ml) water, and the roasted cauliflower to the pot. bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and cover, cooking until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. once the potatoes are tender, remove the thyme stems from the mixture (the leaves should have fallen off during cooking).
transfer the mixture to a blender and cover the hole of the blender top with a towel. blend until the mixture is very smooth. stir in the lemon juice and season with 2 teaspoons salt and some pepper. divide the soup among four bowls and top it with lemon zest, a swirl of the watercress pesto, and a sprinkle of dukkah.

pesto

in a food processor, pulse the pistachios, watercress, and parsley until coarsely chopped, about 10 pulses. add the oil and lemon juice and process until a smooth, loose paste forms, about three 10-second pulses. transfer the mixture to a bowl, stir in the melon zest, and season with salt. covered in the refrigerator, with a layer of olive oil on top, the pesto will last 3 to 4 days.

dukkah

in a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast the pistachios for minutes, until warm. add the sesame seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds. continue to toast for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the seeds are fragrant. transfer the mixture to a mini food processor, along with the peppercorns and salt. pulse until the pistachios are coarsely chopped the dukkah can be used immediately or stored in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 week.

similar recipes:

chipotle cauliflower rice & black bean enchiladas

Vegan Caesar Pasta Salad / October 12, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Vegan Caesar Pasta Salad | dolly and oatmeal

every time autumn rolls around another pasta dish accompanies this blog. it's almost as if the two compliment each other in the coziest of ways. however, i was a little concerned if that fall/pasta sentiment would carry through to living in LA. aside from a few days last week, it seems as though summer really has no end - at least not yet. i so vividly remember what fall on the east coast feels like, so it's difficult to adjust to such a different climate, and different ways of looking at, and cooking within the seasons.

i've been missing new york a lot lately. most of it is just sentimental, but a lot of it has to do with missing the familiar. i knew where to go to get cute birthday candles, or where to go when i was craving a good tuna salad. it's silly, but those little things make all the difference. there was a cafe/"gourmet" food establishment in the town i grew up in. when i was young we would get many of our meals from there. when there were birthdays, or bridal showers, or amesy's baby naming, we had them cater it. they were essentially a big part of our family. when i was a kid, i would get their caesar pasta salad. it was always super simple: chopped romaine, some cabbage or radicchio, bowtie pasta, and good amount of shaved reggiano on top. but the best part was the dressing. it was a tangy, pungent, creamy buttermilk dressing that was so good you could almost drink it. (i would sometimes get a cup of it and make pasta, just to dunk them in it.)

so when i was thinking of a pasta dish that was cozy for those fall-like evenings, and those summer-like days here in los angeles, a pasta salad came to mind. and i didn't have to think very much about trying to recreate that favorite buttermilk-pasta situation. the dressing base is thick and luscious, and comes together with a dairy free yogurt, and tahini at its base. from there, some lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, and dijon mustard is added. it thins out pretty nicely when its added to the salad, while coating every bite in the best way. i used a new-to-me brand of pasta, gogo quinoa which i really dig. it cooks up perfectly al dente - zero mushiness. and the ingredients are on point - no weird additives. i'm excited that they'll be launching in costco stores across the US soon (but if you're in the bay area, costco is already carrying them). hoping this fall pasta dish finds you all well <3

love & cozy hugs!

this post was sponsored in partnership with gogo quinoa. all thoughts and opinions, as always, are mine. thank you for supporting the sponsors that help keep dolly and oatmeal going!

vegan caesar pasta salad | v & gf

| serves 4 |

dressing

1 cup cultured coconut yogurt
1/4 cup tahini
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
salt & fresh pepper
water, to thin, if necessary

salad

8 ounces GoGo Quinoa pasta*
roughly 4 cups chopped romaine
1 cup shredded radicchio
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
salt

*about the pasta: ingredients: organic sorghum flour, organic white quinoa flour, organic amaranth flour, organic chia flour.

method

combine the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, nutrtional yeast, oil, and garlic in a blender or food processor. blend until everything is combined. season with salt and pepper. blend again, and taste for seasonings and more acid, adjust if necessary. you want the dressing to be somewhat pungent, as it will dilute a bit when you dress the salad. store in a lidded jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.
cook the pasta according to the instructions, until al dente. drain and rinse with cold water.
in a large bowl, toss together the romaine, radicchio, and half the toasted nuts. add the pasta and half the dressing. toss again, then taste, adjusting the seasoning and adding more dressing if you like.
serve, and sprinkle with remaining nuts.