coconut citrus sunshine smoothie / February 24, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

coconut citrus smoothie | dolly and oatmeal

the last few weeks of winter are here and they're not letting up around these parts. it's bitter cold, icy sidewalks, dirty snow, and wind that hurts your face and makes you want to cry. sunshine in all and any form is needed...desperately. while i'm usually sipping on hot tea, warm lemon water, or bits of coffee here and there, i've been opting for a cooler, citrusy beverage as of late perhaps to summon a brighter perspective.

my husband isn't the biggest fruit consumer, so when i had a boat ton of citrus leftover from a project, i went to making my favorite juice this time of year, as well as develop a more substantial variety in the form of a creamy smoothie. i wanted something texturally thick, but fluid; slightly sweet, and creamy - almost like a childhood creamsicle, but more nutritionally sound. while i was going for more of a breakfast-y dessert smoothie, than a traditional greens 'n fruit smoothie, you can surely partake in this drink and still feel light and invigorated. in went my fave, fave, fave coconut yogurt (full of probiotics ---> happy belly!), hydrating coconut water, various citrus fruits for color and flavor, some warming nuggets of fresh ginger, a bit of maple syrup to round out the acidity; some chia seeds, bee pollen, and turmeric for their lovely anti-inflammatory properties and amino acids. basically a super high-vibe, slurp-able creamiscle! (and bonus, if you want to make your own coconut milk yogurt, izy's got you covered in a recent article on the kitchn!)

warmth, sunshine + smoothies! xo

coconut citrus sunshine smoothie (gf + v)

usually when i make smoothies i add as i go, which is really what i did here - there's no real math to it, so feel free to start with less and add more as you go. the result of the ingredient amounts below is a fairly fluid smoothie that thickens over time as the chia seeds activate, about 10 minutes.

| makes 4 servings |

1 cup coconut water, cold
1 cup coconut yogurt (or preferred yogurt)
1 navel orange, peeled, cut, and seeds removed
1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled, cut, and seeds removed
1 blood orange, peeled, cut, and seeds removed
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, extra to top (1 teaspoon fresh turmeric)
1 teaspoon chia seeds, extra to top
1 teaspoon bee pollen, extra to top

instructions

place all ingredients into a high-speed blender; blend on high until smooth and bubbly. taste and adjust, adding more syrup or turmeric. you can serve immediately, or wait 5-10 minutes for the chia seeds to activate, resulting in a thicker smoothie. serve, and sprinkle tops with some more chia seeds, bee pollen, and turmeric

more beverage goodness:

vibrant valentine's day: pink quinoa salad w/ beets, blood orange + chimichurri / February 10, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

vibrant valentine's day: pink quinoa salad w/ beets, blood orange + chimichurri | dolly and oatmeal

it's funny, for two people who choose not to really celebrate valentine's day, the occasion is a significant date in me and frank's dating history. we were friends for a few months before we began dating, and although he and i didn't speak to one another much, we kept in touch through facebook (i would often read and laugh at his rants about film vs digital projection, or how 3D movies aren't the wave of the future). the following year, frank reached out to me on valentine's day to ask for a date. while i wasn't sure if we would be more than just friends, we went out to a movie and a walk in central park a few nights later, and we've been together since then. it was 2 years later when we celebrated our anniversary by going to the same movie theater and taking the same route through central park where frank asked me to marry him. we're coming up on 5 years together in a few days and i can't help but feel super mushy and overcome with happy feelings about this life that he and i have together. sometimes it feels like we were little babies then, and sometimes it feels like it was yesterday; we've grown, and changed, found new personal paths, and remain wholeheartedly committed to rooting for one another.

speaking of rooting...this beet salad! (<--- see what i did there?!) these past couple of years i've shared chocolatey valentine's recipes, here and here. this year i wanted to create something just as festive but in salad form - basically because i've been craving all the savories lately. while i wasn't always a firm believer in beets, i've come to love them in almost any form (even tacos!), i also knew they would make my quinoa the most vibrant shade of pink/magenta. because beets are so earthy in flavor i wanted to juice it all up by adding some acid in the form of some lovely blood orange segments, and a parsley chimichurri sauce. it's all served up with some green sprouts, toasted hazelnuts and a few squeezes of orange juice; a simple meal or side to enjoy in the company of others, or on your own! :)

also, tiffany (from offbeat + inspired) and myself contributed some advice on how to throw a gluten-free dinner party - it's over on the recently re-launched Epicurious. i also have an interview of sorts over on Zeit Magazin, it's all in german, so google translate is a good tool to have here!

have a lovely week! xo

vibrant valentine's day: pink quinoa salad w/ beets, blood orange + chimichurri (v + gf)

i love this salad, not just because it's super heart and tasty, but because most everything can be made ahead of time and assembled the day of. or, assemble the salad (sans toppings) and refrigerate until ready to serve. either way this dish is most forgiving.

| serves 6 |

chimichurri ingredients

1 bunch parsley, leaves and stems roughly chopped
2 small garlic cloves
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salad ingredients

3 medium red beets, washed
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 blood oranges, peeled and segmented
juice from half of an orange, or a few squeezes lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil
course sea salt

to finish

big handful sprouts/micro green
handful chopped parsley
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

instructions

chimichurri

place chopped parsley, garlic, salt, chili flakes, vinegar, and olive oil into a food processor or upright blender and blend, scraping down the sides until thoroughly combined. taste and adjust seasoning if needed. transfer to a lidded jar and refrigerate until ready to use

salad

preheat oven to 400°
place beets inside a foil packet; prick beets all over with a fork, drizzle with olive oil to coat. secure foil in a packet and place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake for 1 hour, or until fork tender. remove from oven and let cool until ready to handle. once cool, slip beet skins off, rinse beets and pat to dry. cut beets in eighths and then slice into small chunks. set aside
place rinsed quinoa along with a big pinch of course salt into a saucepan; cook according to directions on package. once cooked, remove from heat and set aside.
in a large bowl, combine the beets and quinoa, add orange segments, chimichurri sauce, and orange juice (or a few squeezes of lemon juice); toss to combine. taste and adjust
serve warm, topped with sprouts, chopped parsley, and chopped hazelnuts

fennel-roasted carrot + shallot salad w/ shaved apples / January 27, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

fennel roasted carrot + shallot salad w/ shaved apple | dolly and oatmeal

we're sitting here in the midst of a (non) blizzard, hunkering down in this super snowy, windy, and frigid weather. we got up this morning to take our little pup, quint out for a walk, needless to say he wasn't happy. we're not sure he's really into snow, as he runs away from us when we attempt to put his little black turtleneck sweater on, and when we try to squeeze his dainty feet into snow shoes he hates it even more. it's become a 10-15 minute process, depending on if it's both me and frank or just one of us, all for a 2 minute "walk" consisting of quint trotting in circles and finding the nearest vertical object to relieve himself on. we come back inside and the timid dog he was outside quickly disappears into a bold, playful pup zipping around the apartment, sometimes hopping on all fours, and poking us with his tiny snout encouraging us to play with him. most times you can find frank on the floor with him playing as if he were a dog as well, and as i'm sure you can imagine, quint is always totally delighted by that. we're constantly so amazed at how such a little guy can have such a tremendous personality - he's totally filled with life, and brings us so much love and light each day! this week, just under a year ago we picked him up at the shelter, all 7 3/4 pounds of him, so me and frank are reflecting a bit on how special he is, while also wondering what our lives were like before him :)

while quint isn't a fan of veggies (he actually eats around them), he is a big lover of apples - i often mash a couple slices up for him, which he loves to crunch on. most meals i have to be careful of setting them at a height he can reach, but salads never worry me - i know he'd rather occupy his time doing other things like playing with his reflection or chasing his tail. this carrot-centric salad is super simple, but also super tasty, with crushed fennel, sweet caramelized shallots, crunchy apple, and a respectable amount of blood orange juice to top. it was inspired by a salad over at vinegar hill house, and it's one of those little dishes that continues to have flavor, texture and depth in each bite, while also being really simple to put together and enjoy. plus, it's a salad served on the warmer side of spectrum, for these chilly days when thinking of eating something cold is just a no-go.

love + warmth, xo!

fennel roasted carrots + shallots w/ shaved apple | dolly and oatmeal

fennel-roasted carrot + shallot salad w/ shaved apple

this is the perfect salad to serve warm or at room temp. also, feel free to use larger carrots as opposed to the baby ones indicated below, just make sure to adjust cook time if need be. and i could also imagine this dish benefitting from more crunch, perhaps roughly chopped hazelnuts or roasted pistachios

| serves 2 |

2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 bunches organic baby carrots, scrubbed and sliced in half (or 1 bunch large carrots, sliced in half and then in quarters)
2 small shallots (or 1 large), ends trimmed and sliced with half-inch thickness
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
sea salt + fresh ground pepper
1 honeycrisp apple, cored and shaved thin (using a mandolin or a sharp knife)
handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
juice from half of 1 blood orange
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, to top

instructions

preheat oven to 375°. line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. set aside
heat a small pan over medium-low heat, add fennel seeds; shake pan back and forth a few times so they don't burn or stick. toast seeds for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and slightly brown. remove from heat and place in a mortar; once cooled, grind with pestle. set aside
in a large bowl, combine sliced carrots, shallots, crushed fennel, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. turn out onto prepared baking sheet and roast in oven for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned and tender. set aside and let cool slightly
in a serving bowl, combine the roasted carrots and shallots with shaved apples, toss in the chopped parsley, drizzle with olive oil, blood orange juice, and toasted sesames; taste and adjust seasoning. serve warm or at room temperature

enjoy!