BAKED KABOCHA SQUASH CHIPS / November 12, 2020 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

BAKED KABOCHA SQUASH CHIPS | dolly and oatmeal

since there’s so many thanksgiving recipes already out there, i thought i’d come in here with something festive, yet a little lighter. personally, with 2 little ones and not much time to cook, we’re planning to order our holiday sides from a local shop (frank and i are making a turkey - it’s become our yearly thing). so i thought i’d share this super easy recipe for homemade winter squash chips!

not only are they aesthetically pleasing, but they taste so good. they definitely bring me back to my Terra chip days - a bit heartier than a potato chip, and a smidge on the sweet side. because they can be a bit time consuming (and by time consuming, i mean you’re mostly just babysitting while they bake in the oven), i like to serve them with other dippers - potato chips, crackers, cut veg, etc. they bring a super festive vibe to the appetizer table, too, which i especially love this time of year :)

baked kabocha squash chips | gf & v

print the recipe!

notes:

if you don’t have/can’t find kabocha squash, acorn squash is a great alternative.
i like to serve these chips alongside other favorite dippers - potato chips, crackers, cut veg, etc.
go wild with seasonings. i went plain, but you could use anything here - get creative!
serve this with your favorite dip - hummus (my favorite), vegan onion dip, whipped tahini, or vegan labneh.
these are best eaten the day they are made, but will stay fresh in a sealed bag for up to 2 days.

ingredients

1/2 kabocha squash, cut in half and seeds scooped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste
flaky salt, to finish

method

preheat oven to 250°F, line 2 baking sheet with parchment or a silpat, and set aside.
use a mandolin to slice the squash super thin - about 1/16-inch. with your hands, toss squash slices with the olive oil, fine salt, and pepper to taste, until all slices are nicely coated (add more oil as needed, but be careful not to add too much). arrange the squash slices in a single layer on the baking sheets.
bake the squash for 1 hour, rotating the sheets top to bottom, halfway through. after 1 hour flip the chips over and continue to bake them until they’re browned and crunchy, about 30-40 minutes.
remove the chips as they bake and become crispy (some chips may take longer to crisp up), transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
once all chips are baked and crunchy, serve with a good sprinkle of flaky salt, and a good dip (like hummus!).

similar recipes:

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

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.