Everyday Roasted Veggies / March 1, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Everyday Roasted Veggies | Dolly and Oatmeal

happy march! i'm not sure about you, but i'm glad to see february go, and that we're starting fresh with a new month! back in new york i would count excitedly for the weeks of march to pass so we could finally get to the spring equinox. then, in just a couple of short weeks the buds on the crab apple tree in our backyard would begin to bud, and the chives in my planter would start to sprout. those are glorious memories, and ones i hold dear because here in LA it seems as though most plant life is alive and grooving, no matter time of year it is. (which is awesome, just also totally strange to me!) i knew i would miss the ebb and flow of what i knew seasons to be, but spring being my favorite is making me super nostalgic for those days.

i always find that my meals mimic my mood which still honors winter, but is so very ready for the shift that the new season always brings with it. so around this time of year i find myself eating somewhere between heavy winter meals, sprinkled with some lighter spring fare. think: this creamy pasta situation, with this hearty seasonal salad. but once a week, no matter what season it is (expect the height of summer, maybe) i roast a huge tray of veggies for frank and i. in the fall months it's root veg with all the squash, and in the spring it's usually a lighter medley where i throw asparagus in in the last 10 minutes of roasting. but in the winter i roast this tray of veggies here.

it's a simple combination of brussels sprouts, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. they're doused in my forever favorite spice mixture: garlic powder, onion, powder, and smoked paprika. it coats the vegetables perfectly making them so, so tasty. but the mushrooms are my favorite, and hold all the flavor, in my opinion. the shiitakes absorb a lot of liquid, so naturally you use a bit more oil here. and when they're roasted with the spices they take on a beautiful umami flavor, with an almost meaty (but not in a gross way, i promise!) texture. so while i'm calling these everyday roasted veggies, they're actually: everyday veggies taken up a notch.

wishing you a wonderful start to a new month, loves! xo!

everyday roasted veggies

you could swap out a veggie here or there with the same results. you could use sweet potato, cubed winter squash, parsnips, white potatoes, etc. i would urge you not to swap out the mushrooms though, they're really the tastemaker here ;)

print the recipe!

| serves 4 |

| prep time: 10 minutes | | cook time: 35-40 minutes|

1 pound brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and outer leaves removed, and sliced in half
1 bunch carrots, washed, peeled, and sliced into 1-inch pieces on a diagonal
12 large shiitake mushroom caps (roughly 8 ounces), sliced into 1/2-inch thickness
2-3 tablespoons avocado oil
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & fresh pepper, to taste
chopped parsley, for garnish

method

preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
in a large bowl, toss together the brussels sprouts, carrots, and mushrooms with the oil. add the spices, and salt & pepper to taste, and toss everything together until the veggies are evenly coated. spread the veggies evenly onto your baking sheet. roast for 35-40 minutes, stirring them halfway through, until the veggies are cooked through, and lightly browned and crisp.
transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped parsley and a couple more pinches of salt. serve immediately :)

similar recipes:

herb-roasted veggie bowl w/ kale-tahini sauce

fennel-roasted carrots & shallot salad w/ shaved apples

sprouted rice pilaf w/ roasted grapes & fennel

Chipotle Black Bean Tortilla Soup from Pretty Simple Cooking / February 22, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Chipotle Tortilla Soup from Pretty Simple Cooking | Dolly and Oatmeal

it's finally been chilly enough throughout the entire day that i can comfortably wear a couple of the sweaters i bought for "winter". most people i talk to say this warm, sunny winter isn't normal for this time of year, so consider me very grateful. but you know that feeling at the end of summer when you want the heat to dissipate, and all you want to do is hunker down, make a pot of soup, and wear your biggest comfiest sweater? well i feel i've been having one of those moments for months, and finally the cool weather has come! and i celebrated by choosing the coziest dish i could find among the beautiful pages of my friends sonja and alex's new book, pretty simple cooking! if you don't already know sonja and alex, they are the lovely duo behind the blog, a couple cooks; and their podcast, a couple cooks podcast. their blog focusses on whole food, vegetarian recipes. they're the kind of recipes we all want to reach for: delicious, fun, accessible, and not intimidating!

their book is a reflection of that philosophy, too! admittedly, i get into dinner ruts all the time, so i always flip to the mains section of the cookbooks i own for ideas and inspiration. and now with amesy, i really only choose recipes with accessible, easy-to-prep ingredients, and easy-to-execute recipes. and as soon as i opened the pages of pretty simple cooking i was met with a flurry of recipes that i cannot wait to make! on the list is: darn good vegan chili, their burrito bowl with lime crema(!), falafel burgers, and their rainbow soba noodle bowls. i've already made this delightful tortilla soup which has been so satisfying to eat on these chilly nights, along with their bliss bites (basically an inside out peanut butter cup, but with good-for-you ingredients!) which are the easiest to make, and hit the spot every time i'm craving something chocolatey.

this soup though! it's super satisfying and so, so tasty. i'm not the biggest chipotle person, i usually use chipotle powder (because i'm a wuss and usually add a teeny pinch), but i love the flavor here. it brings a depth to this soup it wouldn't have had without it. i ended up having to skip the corn because i was shopping with amesy and forgot to get it at the store. but i could see adding some cooked sweet potato or carrots could be great here too if you're like me and forget ingredients all the time! but the best part are the tortilla strips - they're the perfect little nod to a traditional tortilla soup and make everything taste 100 times more amazing, plus they're baked, and taste just as good as the fried version!

wishing you all a cozy week ❤️

chipotle black bean tortilla soup | gf & v

Reprinted from Pretty Simple Cooking by Sonja and Alex Overhiser with permission from the publisher.

print the recipe!

| serves 4 to 6 |

6 6-inch corn tortillas
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
4 medium garlic cloves
2 15-ounce cans black beans
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups frozen corn (fire roasted, if possible)
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)*
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 radishes, for garnigh
1 lime, for garnish
1 handful cilantro, for garnish
hot sauce (optional)

method

preheat the oven to 375°F.
make the tortilla strips: brush the tortillas lightly with olive oil on each side. using a pizza cutter, slice them in half, then into thin strips. place the strips on a baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt. bake for 10 to 12 minutes until crispy and lightly browned.
make the soup: peel and dice the onion. dice the green pepper. peel and mince the garlic. drain and rinse the beans.
in a large pot of dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. add the green pepper and the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. stir in the oregano and the cumin for 1 minute. add the tomatoes, beans, corn, adobo sauce, broth, and kosher salt. bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. taste and add additional adobo sauce or kosher salt if desired.
prepare the garnishes: slice the radishes. slice the lime into wedges.
to serve, ladle the soup into bowls and allow to cool to warm. garnish with tortilla strips, radishes, torn cilantro leaves, hot sauce, and plenty of lime juice.

alex and sonja's notes:

*use 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can, the peppers and remaining sauce can be reserved (or frozen) for future use.

GF* for gluten-free, use gluten-free adobo sauce (check packaging prior to purchase).

similar recipes:

*BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHILI W/ CILANTRO YOGURT*

Sweet Potato Chocolate Brownies from Simply Vibrant / February 14, 2018 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Sweet Potato Chocolate Brownies from Simply Vibrant | dolly and oatmeal

happy valentine's day! if you've been reading this blog for a while then you probably know, i'm not that into this holiday. sorry to be a bummer. consider me one of those people who always thought it was a hallmark holiday. but(!) i am finding it easier to get into the spirit now that amesy's old enough to find googly-eyed hearts, or mickey mouse valentine cards funny and interesting. we're not doing any valentine projects (yet, i'm sure they'll come in time), but there is definitely a bit mote of a fuss over all the silly heart-shaped treats and decorations everywhere. dare i say that i'm excited for next year when we'll be able to make cards, or decorations together!? we'll see what happens ;) but until then, BROWNIES!

these brownies come from anya kassoff (from the ever inspiring blog, Golubka Kitchen) and her daughter masha davydova (she takes all the stunning photographs!), and their cookbook: Simply Vibrant. this is their second cookbook that focusses on plant-based, vegetarian meals spanning the day. the contents are broken into very clever categories: morning meals like porridges and pancakes. then there are: wraps and rolls; noodles, pasta, and pizza; and fritters and veggie burgers. the last couple of chapters include sweets, and basics and sauces. anya, like she does on her blog, makes her recipes so inviting not only with the beautiful photos that grace the pages, but the different flavors and textures she incorporates into each dish.

these brownies for instance are made lusciously fudgy by using sweet potato - something i would never think of incorporating into a brownie batter. there's also a good amount of chocolate, but anya instructs you to chop it in the food processor which basically makes the chocolate into a meal, it's then stirred in with the rest of the batter to form these delicious treats. and i especially love a dessert i don't have to worry about giving amesy nibbles of. they're sweetened with dates (and aforementioned chocolate), and i assume some sweetness comes from the sweet potato as well ;) these are the perfect treat to induge in on this day, or any day, really! whatever you're partaking in, i hope it is serving you well!

big XOXO's!

sweet potato chocolate brownies | v & gf

my notes: i used 85% cacao bittersweet chocolate. next time i would use between 60%-70& cacao chocolate, as most of the sweetness in these brownies comes from the chocolate.

recipe from Simply Vibrant by Anya Kassoff

print the recipe!

| makes 12 large or 24 small brownies |

1 cup (200 g) chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups raw hazelnuts
1/2 cup (50 grams) almond flour
3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting the brownies
pinch of sea salt
9 to 10 (140 g) large, soft medjool dates, pitted
1 medium sweet potato, baked, peeled, and roughly chopped
1/4 cup almond butter

method

preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, extending the paper up the sides. place the chocolate in the freezer.
spread the hazelnuts on a baking tray and toast them in the oven for 10 minutes. remove them from the oven and let them cool, then rub them with a clean kitchen towel to remove the skins. reserve a few whole nuts for garnishing the brownies, and place the rest of the nuts in a food processor; grind into a meal. make sure you don't overprocess. transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
place the chilled chocolate in the food processor and grind into the smallest pieces possible. transfer to the bowl with the ground hazelnuts and add the almond flour, cocoa powder, and salt. stir to mix evenly.
combine the dates, sweet potato chunks, and almond butter in the food processor and puree until smooth. spoon this mixture into the bowl with the ground hazelnuts and chocolate; stir to combine thoroughly.
spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish and even out the top with a spoon. transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top of the brownie is firm to the touch.
remove the pan from the oven and let it cool to room temperature, then transfer the brownie to a cutting board, using the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan. dust the brownie with cocoa powder chop the reserved whole hazelnuts and sprinkle them on top, if desired. slice the brownies into bars.