Apple Cider Donuts (grain-dairy-refined sugar-free) / November 9, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Apple Cider Donuts (grain-dairy-refined sugar-free) | dolly and oatmeal

fall in LA is almost unrecognizable. if it weren't for grocery stores carrying more pumpkins and winter squash than tomatoes, you would never know that it was autumn, and that thanksgiving is right around the corner. while i'm certainly not complaining about 75 degree weather, and plentiful sunshine, it is a bit disorienting. i've been trying to get into the groove of the holiday season sans chilly temps, and leaves changing color, and these donuts were just the thing to get it all going ;)

where i grew up in the hudson valley, new york, little family-run farms could be found in just a short drive. my family would drive to to schultz's farm in the next town over. there, they sold farm-grown apples, pumpkins, fruit, and vegetables. as soon as fall hit they also opened up their small kitchen where they would make fresh, hot apple cider donuts right in front of you, to-order. i remember munching on them piping hot, with a cup of warm apple cider in hand.

so when i came across melissa's baked apple cider donuts on her instagram feed, i was overcome with nostalgia and longing for a seasonal donut. i adapted her recipe to be gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free (they also happen to grain-free as well - sorry that's a lot of free's), while also maintaining the integrity of a baked donut. and that they sooo do, guys! they're the perfect amount of light cake-y-ness, with a good balance of spice and sweetness. but the best part (if you don't eat refined sugar - or even if you do because i think you would be surprised) is the sugar coating. i used monk fruit sweetener (this one), 1:1 for sugar giving it that vital sweet crunch when you bite your way through an apple cider donut. definitely nudging you guys to make these 😉

hope you're staying cozy out there, xo!

baked apple cider donuts | gf & df

i'm going to anticipate any questions about substitutions, and just tell you not to. i know it's a lot if you don't have coconut flour in your pantry to go buy a package of it for 1 tablespoon, but it does make a difference in the way these donuts turn out. while i urge you to try monk fruit sweetener, you can certainly use granulated sugar as well.

adapted from the fauxmartha

| makes 6 donuts |

3/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or ground nutmeg)
1/3 cup apple cider, at room temperature
1/4 cup coconut sugar
3 tablespoons liquid coconut oil
2 large pasture-raised eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

topping:

1/3 cup monk fruit sweetner
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

(3.4.18) **a note on how to make these into chocolate donuts:

3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cacao powder
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk, at room temp
1/3 cup coconut sugar
3 tablespoons liquid coconut oil
2 large pasture-raised eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

method

preheat oven to 350°F and grease your donut pan.
in a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, arrowroot powder, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. in a separate bowl, whisk together the apple cider, sugar, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla. add the dry ingredients into the wet a little at a time until everything is combined.
add the batter to a piping bag (or a large ziploc with a bottom corner snipped) and fill the donut cavities 3/4 full.
bake for 12-15 minutes, checking at 12 minutes for doneness, until a cake tester or toothpick come out clean and donuts are golden.
in a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the monk fruit sweetener and cinnamon.
once the donuts are completely cool, dunk them in the topping, gently turning them to cover sides, and tops.
donuts are best when eaten the day of, but can be stored at room temperature under a piece of parchment paper for up to 2 days.

similar recipes:

olive oil & dark chocolate chunk loaf w/ pears

hemp-buckwheat blender waffles w/ spiced apples

Brussels Sprouts, Honeycrisp & Cabbage Slaw w/ Spicy Almond Butter Sauce (& A Giveaway) / November 2, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Brussels Sprouts, Honeycrisp & Cabbage Slaw w/ Spicy Almond Butter Sauce | dolly and oatmeal

going to the grocery store has long been one of my favorite things to do. when i visit a foreign country, or another state i'm always wanting to check out what's stocked in the aisles, and what kind of produce they're offering. when i was a kid, going to the grocery store with my dad was a weekly thing. every sunday we would go to grand union or a & p and get our groceries for the week. in the produce section, he would meticulously check whatever fruit or vegetable he was picking up for any bruises or spoilage. and in the dairy section he would tell me to look for the most recent date so we wouldn't get last week's delivery. each and every egg in the carton was checked for cracks or missing eggs. when we got to the check out, he preferred packing our bags, carefully distributing the weight so we wouldn't have any bags that were too heavy. at a young age i kind of thought that all of this was a bit of a chore, but now i find myself doing the exact same thing.

with amesy now, my trips to grocery store involve me hurriedly running through the aisles while entertaining him, or jaunts while he's with a sitter. the luxury of taking my time in the store will return one day, i'm sure, but for now i do the best i can with the time allotted. so buying what i can in the little spurts of time means a lot more especially when it comes to fresh produce. i'm always super bummed when the carton of strawberries i've bought for amesy turns rotten mid-week, or when our cilantro for thursday night guacamole salad get super wilted. no matter if it was my janky brooklyn refrigerator, or my brand new one here in LA, produce mid-week isn't always looking so hot.

so i was super intrigued when rubbermaid approached me to try out their line extension of FreshWorks produce saver containers which keep produce fresh up to 80% longer than traditional store packaging and fit a variety of produce needs (*based on strawberries in FreshWorks containers vs. store packaging. results may vary depending up on product use). to test them out, i stored some sturdier produce like brussels sprouts, and apples; and some tender produce like strawberries, raspberries, and herbs to test the containers out. all i did was remove the vegetables and fruit from their packaging (without washing or cutting) and delivered them right into their respective FreshWorks container. the hearty brussels and apple stayed fresh for over a week, and the delicate herbs and fruit lasted the entirety of the week as well before spoiling, which was so gratifying. the design of the containers is quite smart. the tops have what they call, FreshVent technology which allows the air to properly ventilate. while CrispTray at the bottom also helps ventilation, and keeps the veg or fruit elevated, keeping any moisture away. and i'm so excited about these containers, that i'm giving away a set of them to one reader! check out the details:

*giveaway is now closed* one reader will be chosen at random to win one FreshWorks 3-peice set. to enter: leave a comment (with a working email address, please!) sharing anything related to a supermarket haul (it could a memory, something funny, how your baby/child embarrass you - anything! full disclosure, mine is that i secretly love to see what other people have in their grocery carts! ). giveaway is open to US residents only (sorry overseas friends!), and will close november 9, 2017 at 5pm PST. good luck, everyone! xo

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

Brussels Sprouts, Honeycrisp & Cabbage Slaw w/ Spicy Almond Butter Sauce | v & gf

this slaw is a great base to add a protein to. in my house we like to add some shredded chicken. but you can certainly add your plant-based protein of choice too.

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

spicy almond butter sauce

1/4 cup unsweetened, unsalted almond butter
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons coconut aminos
2 teaspoons coconut nectar
juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
fine sea salt, to taste
water to thin, if necessary

slaw

1 pound brussels sprouts, tough ends trimmed
1/2 head of purple cabbage
1/2 apple (preferably honeycrisp or another crisp apple)
4 green onions, ends trimmed, and white and light green parts sliced thin
1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped fine
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds
pinch of fine sea salt

method

in a mini food processor, blend together the spicy almond sauce ingredients, except the water, until completely smooth. add the water a couple tablespoons at a time until you have your desired consistency. pour the sauce into a lidded jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. remove the sauce about 1 hour prior to using. add more water to thin, if necessary.
place your mandolin over a large mixing bowl (if you don't have a mandolin, you can use a sharp knife), shred the brussels sprouts and cabbage into wispy pieces. use the julienne attachment on your mandolin to slice the apples into thin pieces (you can also do this with a knife if need be). to the mixing bowl, add the sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, toasted hazelnuts and sesame seeds. add a sizable pinch of salt and give it all a toss.
drizzle the spice almond butter sauce onto the slaw and mix (since the slaw it a bit delicate, i like using my hands for this). taste for seasoning, and adjust is necessary.
leftover slaw can be refrigerated in a lidded container for up to 3 days.

similar recipes:

mole black bean tacos w/ cabbage & cilantro slaw

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.