A Winter Mezze / December 13, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i don't know about you, but the holidays, and more specifically christmas, has always meant a good amount holiday hors d'oeuvres. my family's christmas eve tradition was to basically snack on a whole spread of cheeses, fruit, bread, crackers, nuts, etc. throughout the night. it was my favorite! it was a special night where we gather around the coffee table in our living room that my mom would set up with all the snack-y items along with special little hors d'oeuvres forks, fancy paper napkins, and sparkling apple cider in our nice glassware. my dad would make a fire, and we would sit and snack and chat and have the best time.

our christmas eve tradition was something that always stuck with me, not the gifts, or which year's christmas tree was the best. the moments i spent with my family, in that living room, munching on finger food was. i yearn for traditions like that to continue with amesy. we're still in the everyday hustle of having a little one running around that it's difficult to see how or where those traditions will be molded and made, but i have great hopes that they will naturally take place.

this year i wanted to keep that snack-like tradition going, but make a change to be more friendly to how we generally eat nowadays. so i made a cozy, winter mezze. there's a take on a dish that was my favorite from a restaurant in brooklyn called, tanoreen. it was a fried cauliflower dish with tahini sauce and pomegranate molasses that i would scarf alongside a big helping of mujadra. the spiced cauliflower i made here is my iteration of it. we season it with 7 warm spices, then roast on a high heat so it gets a bit of carmalization on its edges. from there it's served warm with a creamy tahini sauce, and a few drizzles of the punchy pomegranate molasses. there's also a beet techina (tahini dip) that's perfectly smooth and creamy, and seasoned with a bit of cumin, a good amount of lemon juice, some earthiness from the beet, and little flecks of crunch from the poppy seeds. it's all served with falafel, warm flatbread, hummus, fresh cut veg, some briny olives, and some sweet fruit.

i'm so grateful to simply organic for their, cook for a change initiative that's highlighting ways we can change the way we're cooking, connecting with others through food, transforming classic dishes into ones that fit your lifestyle, or trying different cooking techniques. and you can get involved for such a wonderful cause. simply organic and the Ceres Community Meals Healing Project are teaming up to deliver organic meals to critically ill people during this holiday season. if you would like to participate: take a photo of how your cooking change tagging it with, #cookforachange. tag a friend and challenge them to #cookforachange as well. 1 tag + 1 hashtag = 1 meal delivered. i love the idea that no matter what you're cooking, or how you're cooking it, that you can relate and connect through the nourishment of food. whether that's in the physical act of eating it, or sharing moments with those you love.

wishing you all cozy times ❤️ xo

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

beet techina (tahini dip) | v

| serves 4-6 |

1 small red beet, root and top trimmed
1 cup tahini
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic ground cumin
filtered water
fine salt & fresh pepper
2 teaspoons Simply Organic poppy seeds
fresh dill, to garnish

7-spice roasted cauliflower

| serves 4-6 |

1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons 7-spice mix (ingredients below)
kosher salt
tahini sauce (recipe below)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
pomegranate molasses, for serving
chopped parsley, to garnish

7-spice mix:

1 teaspoon Simply Organic allspice
1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon Simply Organic ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon Simply Organic ground cardamo m
1/8 teaspoon Simply Organic ground ginger

tahini sauce:

1/4 cup tahini
1 small clove garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
fine salt & fresh pepper
filtered water

method

preheat oven to 400°F. prick the beet all over with a fork, drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil. bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until fork tender. let cool completely.
beet techina. add the cooled beet, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and 1/2 cup water to a high-speed blender or food processor. blend until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides, and adding more water for desired consistency. season with salt and pepper. scrape the dip into a lidded container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use (dip can be made a couple of days in advance).
spiced cauliflower. preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. add the cauliflower florets to a large bowl and drizzle well with olive oil. mix in the spice mix, and season with salt. spread the cauliflower out onto the baking sheet. cook for 30 minutes, tossing the cauliflower halfway through, until edges are golden.
while the cauliflower is cooking, make the tahini sauce. whisk together the tahini, garlic, and lemon juice, add water a couple tablespoons at a time until the sauce is runny. season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
place warm cauliflower in a serving bowl, drizzle with tahini sauce. top with pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, pomegranate molasses, and chopped parsley. serve warm.

similar recipes:

mujadra tacos w/ leeks, spring herbs & pea tendrils

black beluga lentil hummus w/ roasted fennel & garlic

za'atar spiced chickpea crackers w/ maldon sea salt

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

Creamy Horseradish Potato Salad w/ Pickled Shallots & Dill | Vegan / June 29, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Creamy Horseradish Potato Salad w/ Pickled Shallots & Dill | dolly and oatmeal #vegan

if there were ever a kind of food i could just eat, and eat, and eat, i would say that california fare would be my everyday go-to. it almost seems like you can taste the difference in the food that restaurants prepare, as if their ingredients haven't been flown in from thousands of miles away, but grown only a few miles from where their destination would end up being. i feel like there's a natural ease to the way dishes are made - a simplicity that's complex, but uncomplicated.

during my last trip there a couple of months ago i scored reservations at gjelina. after purchasing their cookbook months prior, all i wanted to do was go there and eat from their menu! and since my sister-in-law and i were both pregnant, it was the perfect time to indulge in some perfectly made veg-centric appetizers and some bites of their insanely delicious pizza. we started off with a few salad apps: summer squash with za'atar and tomatoes, roasted yams with yogurt and scallions, and my fave - a horseradish potato salad with pickled red onions that was off the chain!

you may have noticed that i have a thing for potato salad (seen here and here), but there's a very specific potato salad that really makes my tastebuds grin, and that's a mildly creamy, kinda tangy, and crunchy potato salad. this time around i riffed gjelina's version and made an everyday, vegan version made with cultured coconut yogurt flavored with a pungent kick of horseradish, some good dijon and dill. and paired with pickled shallots for some mega crunch and sharp flavor. it comes close to one my mom used to prepare in the summer months which had a similarly acidic undertone using mayo, dijon, vinegar, and red onion, but i would say this version here is even better - that horseradish and those crunchy shallots are just too good!

this is the kind of food (pregnant or not) that i crave on the regular - especially during the warm summer months when we're bbq'n, packing up for a beach day, or bringing dishes to friends or family get togethers. these simple, uncomplicated summer dishes are what i look so forward to! i hope you do as well :)

xo's!

*oh! and don't forget to stop by every friday for my new summer blog series: summer fridays! this week i'm going to be sharing my go-to fancy (but not really fancy) mocktail that i've been surviving on in lieu of popping bottles of rosé. but for those of you who are not growing a tiny human, the recipe is totally adaptable for making it good and boozy ;)

creamy horseradish potato salad w/ pickled shallots & dill | v

adapted from gjelina: cooking from venice california

the pickled shallots can be replaced by thinly shaved shallots or red onion, but if you have the ingredients and time, i think the pickling is well worth it.

| serves 4 |

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, cut in half
fine sea salt

pickled shallots

2 cups filtered water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
4-5 shallots, sliced thin
3 thyme sprigs

horseradish sauce

1/2 cup unsweetened cultured coconut yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
fine sea salt & fresh pepper

method

place potatoes and a few pinches of salt in a pot and cover with about 1-inch of water. bring to a boil, cover and turn heat to low, simmer for 12-15 minutes, until potatoes are firm but tender. drain potatoes and rinse under cold water to stop them from cooking. spread them out on a dish towel and allow them to cool and dry.
make the pickled shallots. combine the water,vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a small pot. bring to a boil, then lower heat and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.
while the vinegar mixture is simmering, place the shallots and thyme in a large heat-proof glass jar (like a Ball jar), then pour the brine over top and let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before using, or up to 1 month in the fridge.
make the sauce. whisk together the yogurt, dill, mustard, horseradish, and salt and pepper to taste.
in a large bowl, combine the potatoes, sauce, and about 1/4 cup of pickled shallots. toss to coat evenly. garnish with extra dill and/or nasturtium leaves.