yogurt

PREP SAUCE SUNDAY: VEGAN TAHINI YOGURT SAUCE /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

sunday greetings, and happy august!

we’re coming in hot with my forever go-to sauce, vegan tahini yogurt! it is literally the “mother sauce” in our house. over the years of making this in conjunction with a variety of recipes on my blog, i have gotten the most questions on this one. mostly about how to create a flavor and texture similar to a traditional, dairy-based tahini yogurt, what brands to use, how to store tahini, and what to use tahini yogurt for. sit tight, we’re going to talk all about it.

because there are so few ingredients in this sauce, we want to make sure each one is the very best for the ultimate flavor and texture. here are a few suggestions for making a vegan tahini yogurt sauce that’s a total knock out.

yogurt -

traditional tahini yogurt is made with thick greek (or greek-style) yogurt. plant-based yogurt tends to be inherently thinner in consistency. but we use an almond-based, greek-style yogurt that achieves a traditional thickness and texture to dairy-based greek yogurt. i’ve tried countless plant-based yogurts over the years, and this one (by far) provides the best base for this sauce.

tahini -

the other deal breaker is good tahini. when looking for tahini, we look for one that hasn’t separated (with the oil on top, and the paste on the bottom). a few of my favorites include: soom, seed and mill, al wadi, roland, and whole foods’ 365 tahini. with a little shake and stir, your tahini should be smooth and good to go. i prefer to store my tahini in the pantry, but if you live in a moist climate, then i would suggest storing it in the refrigerator.

up the ratio -

even with a plant-based yogurt that’s thicker than most, we still need to fill it out a bit more. while typically there’s a smaller ratio of tahini to yogurt, we use a 1:4 ratio of tahini to yogurt. this gives the sauce a bit more flavor and sturdier consistency.

mellow that garlic -

we mellow the garlic in the lemon juice first. this softens the garlic a bit, and takes away that punchy, spiciness that can overpower a sauce like this.

what to use tahini yogurt for -

we love this in and on everything, truly. layer it on flatbread (or pita) with fresh sliced tomatoes, olive oil drizzle, salt & pepper. you could add a good plop to a bowl, or thick toast, and shower it with roasted or fresh vegetables. serve it alongside skewered poultry or fish for a cooling drizzle. serve it in a bowl garnished with spices and olive oil as a dip for sliced vegetables and grilled bread. the options are limitless.

big hugs, and i hope you find some inspiration with this recipe! ❤️

tahini yogurt sauce | v

| makes 1 heaping cup |

print the recipe

method

  1. in a mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice and garlic. let it sit for roughly 1 minute. this makes the garlic a little less spicy and punchy.

  2. whisk in the yogurt, 3 tablespoons tahini, and salt. give it a taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary, adding an additional tablespoon of tahini, or more salt and/or lemon juice.

  3. pour the sauce into lidded jar, and store in the fridge for up to 5-6 days.

ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1 clove garlic, grated over a microplane or very finely minced

  • 1 cup unsweetened greek-style kite hill yogurt (this one)

  • 3-4 tablespoons tahini paste

  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

SUMAC-ROASTED VEGGIES W/ TAHINI YOGURT (+ SOME NEWS!) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

we’re just gonna start with the news, because i’m so excited to finally share it with you! 🎉WE’RE HAVING A BABY!🎉 baby love #2 is on the way, and HE(!!!) is due late this summer!! another little guy will be making us a family of 4 (5, if you’re like us, and count your pup as a child) and while initially i was in a state of shock at the thought of another boy, i am so excited at the idea of he and amesy being best little buds. we thought for sure that it was a girl. i had it all figured out that between both of our immediate families, the siblings have been girl/boy. this will be the first on either side where there are 2 boys. so it just goes to show that genetics only go so far, i suppose.

this pregnancy has been pretty good to me so far. my first trimester was all nausea all the time, but aside from that it was quite easy. and i’m so grateful. i never shared this before, but during my first trimester with amesy i was put on bed rest for about 6 weeks. i had a subchorionic hemorrhage, which is essentially an active bleed in the gestational sac. it was quite sizable and the bedrest was to prevent the hemorrhage from rupturing. it was probably the scariest thing i have ever gone through, but thank goodness amesy made it out of that first trimester, and i went on to have a very healthy pregnancy after that. needless to say, this time around i was was convinced it would happen again (apparently it’s common to have it again if you’ve had it before), but luckily we made it through this first trimester with zero sign of any bleed.

with all the worry of the first trimester aside, my mind is feeling a bit more at peace. we’re beginning to plan some things, some for baby, but mostly for amesy. i’m trying to think of everything i can to make this as easy a transition for him. which has translated to him moving into a big boy bed, starting the beginnings of potty training, and all that fun stuff! but in all honesty, i worried about so much in my pregnancy with amesy, that this time around i’m really just trying to take it all in stride, and just grateful for every day that i get to carry and care for this babe.

so where am i going with all this? and why am i celebrating this news with roasted veg? basically because i haven’t been able to stomach roasted anything for close to 3 months, and i’m finally able to enjoy roasted veggies once again. and more than that, i paired my favorite medley of fresh veg with my ultimate go-to (pregnant or not): dairy-free tahini yogurt. it’s the kind of sauce that you want to pour over everything, sop up with any scrap of bread you can find, or just eat it with a spoon. it’s that good. and if you’re on the other side of the world where it’s still hot and you have a plethora of tomatoes and cucumbers you could make this version that i posted the other day on instagram. like i said, the possibilities are endless with this sauce.

wishing you all a beautiful week ahead!

sumac-roasted veggies w/ tahini yogurt | v & gf

you could use this sauce in so many applications, but my favorite for this time of year is to brighten up roasted winter vegetables. there’s a good bit of punch and tang in the sauce, so it’s the perfect thing enliven winter meals (especially late winter meals). i used baby potatoes, red onion, and a mix of broccoli and romanesco, but feel free to use your preferred assortment of vegetable, you really can’t go wrong.

here are my favorite brands of dairy free yogurt to use here:

print the recipe

| serves 4 |

tahini yogurt

  • 1/3 cup tahini

  • 3/4 cup plant-based unsweetened plain yogurt (preferably greek-style)

  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane

  • salt

  • water to thin

sumac-roasted veggies

  • 1 lb. new potatoes or fingerling potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil, divided

  • 3 teaspoons ground sumac

  • salt & fresh ground pepper

  • 1 head broccoli or romanesco (or 1/2 broccoli, half romanesco), cut into bite size pieces

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

  • crumbled vegan feta or mozzarella, to top

method

  1. make the tahini-yogurt. in a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, garlic, a few pinches salt, a few grinds of pepper, and 1 tablespoon water. taste and add more lemon juice, salt, and water if needed. (if you’re looking to smear the bowl with the yogurt sauce, then i would suggest not adding as much water, you want it thick enough for it not to run down the sides of the bowl.) pour the sauce into a lidded jar or container and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

  2. roast the veggies. preheat oven to 400°F, and line baking sheet with parchment paper. in a large mixing bowl, combine the potatoes and onions with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons sumac, and a fat pinches of salt. toss together until everything is even combined. spread the veggies out evenly into the baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes (the potatoes will be lightly golden). while the potatoes and onion are cooking, add the broccoli or romanesco to your mixing bowl, and add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons sumac, and another good pinch of salt. toss it all together until combined. pull the potatoes from the oven, and add the broccoli (or romanesco) to the tray. roast for another 8-10 minutes, until the broccoli (or romanesco) is tender; and the potatoes and onions are lightly browned and edges are crisp.

  3. let the veggies cool slightly while you prepare your bowl. if you’re smearing your bowl with sauce (alternatively, you could serve the roasted veggies with a side of sauce), add half the sauce to a large shallow bowl, and use a large spoon to spread the sauce into the bottom and sides of the bowl,. add the veggies to the center. top with the chopped mint, chopped parsley, and crumbled vegan cheese (if using).

similar recipes:

everyday roasted veggies

everyday roasted veggies

warm fingerling potatoes w/ garlic turmeric sauce

warm fingerling potatoes w/ garlic turmeric sauce

Salty Smashed Potatoes w/ Harissa Yogurt /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i think we can unequivocally say: potatoes are life.  especially this time of year.  around mid-june, back on the east coast, would be the beginning of new potato season.  my favorite farm stand, fishkill farms at our tiny brooklyn farmers market had the best little taters, second only to the csa potatoes my mom would get from stone barns farm.  every week we looked forward to roasting them plain with a bit of salt & pep, grilling them kebab-style with red onions, or making a potato salad.  but in all that time, i never tried a smashed version.  a couple weeks ago,  frank and i had a very casual memorial day celebration at our place, and i made smashed potatoes for the first time!  and now i'm kind of obsessed with them.  so much so, i have a few notes/technique tips for you to making these potatoes the very best.  

let's get started:

to start, choose your potatoes wisely.  I would advise to use fresh, market potatoes, simply because they taste the best.  you also want to keep them whole when you boil them, so the little to medium ones work best. 

next, i tried 3 different techniques in smashing them: using the bottom of a glass - this worked, but didn't make the potatoes craggy enough.  getting as many craggy surfaces allows for a lot of crunchy bits - which is key.  using the bottom of a baking sheet - while this is a great way to smash them if you're low on time, it still doesn't' produce a craggy enough surface (for me).  using a fork - i used a couple different forks, and what i found best was a large serving fork.  the potatoes are quite tender at the point when you're smashing them, so i found that a large fork, with a good amount of space between each prong worked the best.  and, drum roll, they produced the very best craggy, crunchy tops!  take away: use a serving fork!

another find. this might be controversial, but we're gonna roll with it.  i know there's all sorts of scientific studies/research that you should really use high heat oil when cooking above 350°F, and i usually do, but i really couldn't get down with the flavor of avocado oil on these babes.  so! i used extra virgin olive oil for that perfect flavor.

serve them immediately.  they're best when served straight out of the oven.   i wouldn't recommend this as a make-ahead dish.  you can reheat them, but they're kinda not the same (similar to reheating french fries, ya know?).  and that it on my notes! 

one more thing, i served these with a simple harissa yogurt sauce, which adds creamy, spicy, cool elements to the mix that just give you just about everything you need.  but could definitely eat them plain, with vegan sour cream, maybe some kite hill cream cheese, yogurt-tahini sauce, etc., etc.!

happy june, lovelies!! xo

salty smashed potatoes w/ harissa yogurt | v & gf

  • to note, the harissa paste i used had preserved lemon in it.  so, if you're using a homemade or store-bought harissa, with no lemon juice, i would suggest adding a squeeze into the sauce.
  • all other recipe notes can be found above! :)

PRINT THE RECIPE!

| serves 4 |

  • 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
  • flaky sea salt
  • fresh ground pepper

harissa yogurt (makes extra)

  • 5 ounces dairy-free (plain, unsweetened) greek-style yogurt (preferably this brand)
  • 2 tablespoons harissa paste (this is my favorite brand)
  • 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup 
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • fine sea salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • chopped parsley and dill, for garnish (optional)

method

  1. place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. turn the heat down to a simmer.  cook the potatoes until just tender (use a sharp knife to pierce a potato, if it sticks a bit but can easily slide off the knife they're ready), checking at the 10 minute mark, if they're not tender, continue to cook, checking after a couple of minutes under tender.
  2. while the potatoes are cooking, mix together the yogurt, harissa, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.  taste and add more maple syrup if needed. cover, and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  3. drain the potatoes, then let them dry a clean dish towel.  
  4. preheat the oven to 450°F.  line 2 baking sheets with parchments paper, and grease with a good drizzle of olive oil; use your hands to distribute it evenly.  place the potatoes on the oiled pans, about 1-2 inches apart. use a large fork (notes above)  to gently smash the potatoes down. 
  5. pour the remaining oil into a dish, use a pastry brush to brush the tops and sides.  sprinkle with chopped parsley, flaky sea salt, and a few cracks of pepper.
  6. bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until browned and crisp. remove from the oven and sprinkle with more parsley, and some dill sprigs.
  7. serve immediately with the harissa yogurt sauce.      

more potato recipes:

roasted fingerling w/ romesco & herby black quinoa

roasted fingerling w/ romesco & herby black quinoa

creamy horseradish potato salad w/ pickled shallots & dill

creamy horseradish potato salad w/ pickled shallots & dill

warm fingerling potatoes w/ garlic-turmeric sauce

warm fingerling potatoes w/ garlic-turmeric sauce