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

Julia's Shaved Carrot & Avocado Salad w/ Tahini / November 16, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Julia's Shaved Carrot & Avocado Salad w/ Tahini | dolly and oatmeal

the first cookbook i ever owned, that was truly all mine, was mark bittman's how to cook everything, it was a present my mom and dad had given to me for christmas one year. i sat down the next morning with my purple sticky notes tagging all the recipes i wanted to make: basic pizza dough, roasted garlic soup, classic chocolate chip cookies, etc. i came across words like miso, and compote; and read about things i knew nothing about: pickling techniques, and the basics of pasta-making. but out of it all, the one recipe i practiced most was his basic scone recipe. i made them over and over again, sometimes with blueberries, sometimes plain, but they were my baking go-to, something i felt super confident about. i worked up enough confidence in my scone skills that over time i replaced the buttermilk with sour cream, and then ricotta a time or two. i also researched the best way to cut the into the flour while still keeping it cold (turns out quickly grating butter on a cheese grater worked best for me!).

i'm sure we've all had (or have) that one recipe in our back pocket that makes us feel really accomplished or fancy, but the thought of veering away from what's comfortable into an unknown realm is packed with worry (maybe cooking is a metaphor for life?!). so when i read julia turshen's intro in her new, and totally beautiful cookbook, small victories, i knew i was at home. her thought behind each recipe is that if you only have 2 recipes in your repertoire, then guess what, in all actuality you know how to make about 200 things. every recipe in the book comes with ingenious spin-offs, giving us a few different takes on the recipe and turning 1 small victory into a few. it's an encouraging way to cook from a book that motivates rather than overwhelms. similar to bittman's book, small victories reassures you that it's ok to try new flavors, various techniques, and different flavors in a series of inspiring but relaxed recipes, that feels like julia is cheering and comforting you from the sidelines.

but more importantly, julia is teaming up with Friendsgiving for No Kid Hungry to raise awareness for childhood hunger and help to make healthy food more accessible to children across the country. to learn more about the campaign or to donate click here.

here's to small victories in and out of the kitchen! xo

shaved carrot & avocado salad w/ tahini

recipe from Small Victories by Julia Turshen. reprinted with permission.

| serves 4 |

1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
kosher salt
3/4 lb (340 g) carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal into coins
1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions, roots and dark green tops trimmed off, white and light green parts thinly sliced
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

method

in a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, boiling water, olive oil, and lemon juice. season to taste with salt. put the carrots in a large bowl, add half of the dressing, and toss to combine.
transfer the dressed carrots to a serving platter. use a spoon to artfully scoop the avocado from its shell into pieces and place them over the carrots. season the avocado pieces to taste with salt and then drizzle the salad with the remaining dressing. scatter the salad with the sesame seeds, scallions, and cilantro (if using). serve immediately.

note: if your sesame seeds aren't already toasted, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, until they're golden brown, about 4 minutes

spin offs:

toss shaved fennel, thinly sliced kumquats, and sliced scallions with kumquat and/or lemon juice and olive oil. garnish with fennel fronds, toasted marcona almonds, and lots of shaved parmesan.

dress shaved celery, toasted walnuts, and chopped italian parsley with lemon juice and olive oil.

dress shaved cabbage with sesame seeds, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil.

dress shaved green apples with fish sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar. stir in salty peanuts and thinly sliced fresh red chile.

similar recipes:

garlic & spice market carrots w/ tahini-yogurt

carrot gazpacho with lemongrass / March 30, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

carrot gazpacho with lemongrass | dolly and oatmeal

i know last week i talked about the spring cookbook season, but we're getting into the thick of here! love & lemons is one of the first internet food spaces i visited and became a fan of before i even had a blog of my own. i always admired jeanine's simple, easily prepared but flavorful dishes, and her husband's light, bright, and airy photography. their book, the love & lemons cookbook, is the best kind of extension from their blog that they create together - thoughtful, charming design, and heavy on beautiful food photos. my favorite part (which gave me actual goosebumps!) is where jeanine lays out recipe diagrams in the back of the book. among others, there's one for pesto with variations including: traditional, pepita, zucchini, and mint. it's quite possibly the most fun and inventive thing i've seen in a cookbook in a long while!

truth be told i've never made a gazpacho. i've surely eaten my fair share, but making a cold soup never appealed to me for some reason. perhaps i never came across the right recipe, or maybe i have too much nostalgia for simmering veggies over a hot stove. but you can totally count me as a gazpacho convert now. first of all, it's super easy on the prep, "cook", and cleanup - which are waaaay important for us all, i'm sure. secondly, i thought that the raw-ness of the soup wouldn't make for that soup-y aroma i know and love, the one that fills your house with cozy scents. so i was pleasantly surprised when i left my kitchen and came back in to a waft of fragrant sweet carrots, a hint of aromatic lemongrass, and punchy curry paste. i cannot wait to dig in to more of this book and explore more of what i've been missing these years!

xo's!

*ps there's still time to enter last week's giveaway of autumn giles book, beyond canning. the giveaway ends this friday at 5pm.

carrot gazpacho with lemongrass | v + gf

since i never made a gazpacho before, i followed jeanine's recipe exactly. the only addition i did make was adding some crushed red pepper to the garnish just for a little extra heat.

| serves 4 |

1 stalk lemongrass
16 ounces (450 g) peak-season carrots, peeled and slices, about 2 bunches
1 (14-ounce/414-mL) can light or full-fat coconut milk; reserve 1/4 cup for garnish
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 tablespoons (30 mL) sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon (5 mL) red curry paste
1/2 cup (125 mL) filtered water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

optional garnishes

hemp seeds
pepitas
microgreens
drizzles of coconut milk

method

prepare the lemongrass by cutting off the root end and the tough upper stem of the stalk. remove the one or two layers of outer leaves and finely chop the tender, aromatic part of the lemongrass.
using a high-speed blender, combine the lemongrass, carrots, coconut milk, garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, red curry paste, water, and a few generous pinches of salt and pepper. blend until smooth. if you're not using a high-speed blender like a vitamix, strain the soup and blend again until completely smooth.
chill for at least 4 hours. if the soups thickens in the fridge, stir in a little more cold water. add more salt and pepper, to taste.
drizzle with olive oil and serve with desired garnishes.

enjoy!