March 25, 2014 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

the spring season is here, the sun is shining brighter and longer, my house plants are dancing to the sun's revived rhythm, and there are small pieces of what look like daffodils pushing through the earth. it all sounds nice, but the temperature hasn't risen above 30-something and this chick is getting impatient! all i want to do is sit outside with warm sunshine hitting my face, make green salads filled with every vegetable imaginable, i would love to make a rhubarb something, but the fact remains, even though the season is spring, spring hasn't truly sprung yet - at least not here!

in an effort to celebrate spring, but to also be mindful that it still totally feels like winter, today i bring you one of my favorite dishes on the face of the earth, MUJADRA! it's a humble and cozy rice + lentil dish full of caramelized onions and warm flavorful spices. while most days i usually buy huge containers of it from sahadi's (the most bomb middle eastern grocery/deli in all the land) i've been trying to hone my mujadra-making skills. traditionally, mujadra (also known as mujaddara) is made by cooking the lentils and rice together, but here i use brown basmati rice, which has a longer cook time than white rice, and therefore has to be cooked separately (we don't want no mushy lentils!). i also chose to use leeks in place of sweet onions mostly because i bought 3 leeks the size of baseball bats and needed to use them in something, but also because they're a perfect segue to spring! also in the spirit of our new season, i left behind some of winter's warming spices like turmeric, cinnamon and allspice and replaced them with bright, bitter parsley and pea tendrils. and what dish is complete without an edible vessel? the truth is, food is more fun when you wrap a tortilla around it! i was thinking sandwich, wrap, naan...but in the end i wanted less bread and more mujadra, hence the tortilla. i'm no stranger to putting odd things in tortillas and calling them tacos, so i hope i'm not offending anyone! i can't wait to get into the swing of spring things, should be a good one! xo

mujadra tacos w/ leeks, spring herbs + pea tendrils (gluten free)

| serves 4-6 (makes about 12 tacos) |

the mujadra recipe provided makes roughly 3 cups. if you're planning on making this for a smaller crowd, i suggest either halving the recipe or freezing half for another time (i actually love making a big pot of this just so i can have leftovers to thaw whenever i want). also, the yogurt in the tahini sauce can be substituted with plain soy or coconut yogurt, just be mindful these yogurts do not have as much punchiness as greek yogurt so you may want to add more lemon juice. lastly, this can TOTALLY be eaten without the tortilla, just dollop on the yogurt sauce and chow-down!

ingredients

1 cup lentils (i used de puy)
3/4 cup brown basmati rice
3 large leeks, sliced lengthwise and into thin half moons (roughly 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup parsley, chopped fine
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt + freshly ground pepper
pea tendrils, to garnish (you could also use micro greens or sprouts)
small tortillas

yogurt + tahini sauce (slightly adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook)

4 1/2 tablespoons greek yogurt
3 1/2 tablespoons tahini paste
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced fine
2-4 tablespoons water
a big pinch of salt

instructions

make the tahini + yogurt sauce

in a medium-sized bowl, combine the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt and 2 tablespoons of water - whisk to combine. if you like, add more water for a thinner constancy. place in a lidded jar and refrigerate until needed

make the lentils and rice

pick over and remove any cracked or shriveled lentils; rinse under water. place lentils in a medium-sized saucepan with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil. once boiling, turn heat down and bring to a simmer. cook, uncovered for 20-30 minutes. add water as needed to make sure lentils are just covered. once cooked, remove from heat and set aside
wipe out pot, place over medium heat and combine the rice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, cumin, cayenne 1/4 teaspoon salt and some big cracks of pepper, stir to combine. toast the rice and spices for a couple minutes stirring frequently. add 1 1/2 cups of water; turn heat up and bring to a boil. cover, turn heat to low and allow the rice to cook 40-50 minutes, until water is absorbed. remove from heat and remove lid; place a tea towel over the pot and then place the lid back on. set rice aside
while the rice is cooking, make the caramelized leeks. heat a 10-inch skillet on medium, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. when hot, place leeks in. stir every few minutes or so for even cooking, the leeks with take on a caramel color and be quite fragrant when finished - about 20-25 minutes. set aside

assemble tacos

in a large bowl, combine the lentils, rice, leeks and parsley. taste and adjust seasoning if needed
place warm tacos on a clean work surface, add the mujadra to each tortilla, top with pea tendrils and yogurt-tahini sauce

serve warm and enjoy!

basil oil / February 24, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

here in new york winter is slowly creeping to an end. this is the time of year where if you squint hard enough you can see spring in the distance, but you can't quite touch it yet. i am yearning for spring's bounty of herbs, fruits and veggies. i miss its flowers, green grass, and tree buds. therefore, this recipe comes out of my need for something green, and fragrant, and alive! luckily, our local market supplies fresh herbs from gotham greens, a rooftop greenhouse a few miles away in greenpoint. as soon as frank and i opened the lid to the container our noses were filled with the most delightful smell! the smell of fresh, pungent herbs. at this point in the year there is nothing better. lately my eye has been going to oils infused with herbs. i think i was intrigued when i saw a tarragon oil to garnish a soup. it was much different than a pesto; the oil was a delicate green color without a trace of herb leaves or residue. i left this recipe alone for fear that an oil infused with herbs would prove too difficult to make - especially in my little kitchen. but with frank's help i was able to pull it off! the result is a lightly flavored oil, with a bright green hue. i would say that this oil is good for drizzling on bread, or on fresh mozzarella. we used it to top off our pizzas (a post to come later on...). basil oil, or any herb oil is not difficult to make. all you need is a food processor or blender, and fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, and lastly, some time and patience.

recipe from Fine Cooking

:: makes 3/4 cup basil oil ::

1 cup good olive oil

2 packed cups basil

a couple pinches of fine grain sea salt

:: directions ::

measure the oil and place in the refrigerator while you prepare your basil

bring a small pot of water to a boil while water is boiling prepare an ice bath for the basil

place the basil in the boiling water and blanch for 10-15 seconds

pour the basil into a colander and quickly transfer to the ice bath

once the basil is cooled (about 5 seconds) squeeze out excess water and transfer to your food processor

add oil and salt and blend until smooth

let the mixture sit for 30 minutes

over a bowl use your fine mesh sieve (or cheesecloth) and gently push down the basil mixture with the back of a spatula to extract the oil

use right away or store in an air tight container in the refrigerator

:: enjoy ::

herbed wild rice patties / January 31, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

these patties are versatile, and can be made using brown rice, lotus rice, red rice, etc. however, i would stay away from white or sushi rice, i'm not sure they would add any flavor to the dish. additionally, you do not have to use oat flour. i simply prefer it. you can also substitute the grape seed oil for another "high heat" oil. just to note, if you are using dried herbs you can decrease the amount by 1/2.

inspired by sprouted kitchen

:: makes 7 patties ::

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice

1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 of a small onion, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 eggs

fine grain salt and pepper

grape seed oil for cooking

:: herb mixture ::

2 tablespoon parsley (if using dried herbs, reduce to 1 teaspoon)

2 teaspoons thyme

1 1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

:: directions ::

prepare your rice according to the directions that are given on the packaging.

while the rice is cooking - chop the onion, and mince the garlic. heat a small skillet on medium heat. once hot (your skillet is hot when a droplet of water sizzles), cover the bottom of the skillet with grape seed oil. sautè the onion for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic. let it cook stirring every few minutes - about 4-5 minutes. remove from heat and let cool.

next, prepare the herb mixture. chop the parsley, thyme, and oregano.

once the rice is cooked, let it cool. combine the cooled rice, the eggs, the onion and garlic, and the herb mixture. stir in the flour. mix until the ingredients are combined. toss in the crushed red pepper, the salt and pepper (i used about 3 pinches of salt). stir.

let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes. in the meantime, heat your pan. (i used an 8-inch cast iron skillet and cooked the patties in batches of 2.) once the skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil (more if you are using a larger pan). while the oil is heating, form the patties: using a small ramekin (mine was 2 inches), scoop a portion of the mixture in the bottom - pat it down to make it compact. then, turn it out onto your skillet, and let it cook 4-6 minutes on each side. ready a plate with a paper towel to sop up any unwanted oil. repeat with the remaining mixture.

:: enjoy ::