a quick visit: Berlin by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

all these shots above were taken walking around Mitte.  a part of berlin that seems up and coming - think the lower east side of nyc, like 7-10 years ago.  there are interesting galleries, delicious restaurants, boutiques for all, and cute shops.

some places of interest include:

Factory Girl! - coffee, tea, salads, paninis, light fare.

Shiso Burger - small menu consisting of strictly burgers, recommended is the tuna burger and the chili lemon burger.  plus they have sides of edamame and sweet potato fries, and a small, but nice selection of beers.

The Barn - suuuper cute coffee shop and roastery with a "brew bar" that showcases various brew techniques - for all you coffee nerds out there.  

Strandbad Mitte - aesthetically pleasing, both inside and out.  we didn't eat here but the meat and fish lover would probably find most menu items pleasing.  

Do You Read Me? - a shop dedicated to magazines from around the world.  

the Berlin Wall Memorial is a must see if you're into history or general sightseeing.  we happened to get there just as the sun was setting, which made for some dreamy visuals.  there's also a museum across the street with more facts, information and pictures.  we didn't get to it because of our schedule, but i'm sure it's interesting.  on the adjacent corner of the museum is a waffle and crepe stand.  the aroma alone will lure you in, not to mention how cute and quaint it is. 

we stayed between Tiergarten and Mitte, in the downtown part of Berlin so that Frank could be close to work.  it was a great way to get acquainted with a large chunk of historic buildings and sites, while also being close to a smaller section of the city.  above are some shots of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag Building.  both were massive and larger than life types of monuments.  definitely not to be missed!

um, Harry Potter called and he wants his train station back!  seriously, the Berlin train station is bananas! it's like the most epic train station i've ever been in.  so clean, straightforward, and not to mention gorgeous.  the design is brilliant, as there are walls and ceilings of glass that allow the sun's rays to stream through, making the most wonderful visual display of shadows and light.  Frank and i were totally blown away - as i'm sure you can tell : )  and haribo gummies for good measure because they're my favorite candy in the entire world!!   thanks, Berlin, you're awesome!

heirloom pumpkin bread w/ sesame seeds + orange zest (and some chocolate chips too!) by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

 

a lot has happened in only a short week.  we booked plane tickets, train tickets, hotels, b&b's and did some research on places we would like to visit if time permitted.  within that week we were on our way to our first destination: berlin, germany.  frank needed to travel for work, so we scrounged around and made it possible for me to join him.  berlin has completely exceeded my expectations and the little that we have seen has totally altered my opinion of this city.  as a history major in college, i studied a lot about european history as well as the world wars.  so my idea of germany and berlin was somewhat couched in a historical context.  the first half of our day was devoted to getting some sleep (as we did not sleep at all on the plane ride over, enter monster-lindsey) and explore a bit.  after a power nap and a shower we took to finding some lunch.  i went off the recommendation of ashley from oh, ladycakes and her fiance who are currently travelling europe.  on their travel blog they recommended factory girl!, and it did not disappoint.  it was just the kind of lunch one needs after a long travel: a salad with torn romaine, bitter arugula leaves, pinto beans for protein and sustenance, sweet, crunchy pomegranate seeds, grapes, tomatoes, walnuts, with splashes of aged balsamic vinaigrette.  is was quite the mashup salad but it totally hit the spot!  from there we walked through the mitte section of berlin, and to the berlin wall memorial - quite overwhelming given its important role in recent history.  from there we visited the brandenburg gate, the reichstag building, and the holocaust memorial.  i'm not sure i have words yet to really describe the importance of seeing these landmarks and monuments, all while sharing these moments with my sweet husband.  i'm excited for the next few days and our european journey ahead of us.   

so, from europe i bring you an heirloom pumpkin bread.  a few weeks ago a shop (saipua, you may have heard of them before - seriously talented florist, floral designer, and soap maker!) down the street from us had an heirloom pumpkin sidewalk sale (say that 5 times fast).  frank and i stopped by and picked up a few little beauties to make the apartment feel all autumnal and festive.  not knowing what i would do with them, i asked if they were edible.  they indeed were, but i had no intention of using them for anything specific.  a couple weeks later i decided to use up a can of pumpkin puree i had in the cabinet for a banana bread recipe that i wanted to adapt for pumpkin bread.  the bread came out nicely, but i was looking to make a few adjustments to the recipe and tried a second time.  this time i spotted that beautiful knobby pumpkin with the most perfect wooden stem sitting in our windowsill and i went to chopping it up. she gave me quite the workout - my wrist and forearm was sore for a good 5 days after.  in the end it was all worth it as the homemade pumpkin puree made the second version of the pumpkin bread insanely moist - not dense - with a super velvety texture.  can i say, that this by far, has been my most favoritest pumpkin bread ever?  seriously people, give homemade pumpkin puree a shot!  


heirloom pumpkin bread w/ sesame seeds + orange zest (and some chocolate chips too!) - gluten free + dairy free

 | makes 1 loaf |

ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups heirloom pumpkin puree (instructions below) or canned pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup almond oil (or another vegetable oil)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 organic free range eggs
  • 1 cup coconut palm sugar
  • zest from 1 orange
  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/4 cup oat flour
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup enjoy life chocolate chips (optional) 

 


instructions

  • preheat oven to 350° and grease and line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper, extending edges up and over the sides of the pan
  • in a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, olive oil, vanilla, eggs, sugar and zest.  in a separate, and also large bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, arrowroot powder, baking powder, salt and spices.  using a spatula, mix the wet ingredients into the dry - stir until combined.  fold in walnuts, sesame seeds (reserve ~1 tablespoon for sprinkling the top of loaf) and chocolate chips if using 
  • transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake in the center of your oven for 60-75 minutes (rotating halfway through), until a cake tester inserted comes out clean
  • remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to let the loaf cool completely
  • loaf will stay fresh at room temperature under a sheet of parchment paper for 3-4 days

slice and enjoy!  

 

homemade pumpkin puree

 

| makes about 3 cups | 

  • 1 medium sized pumpkin or 2 small
  • coconut oil to coat pumpkin pieces

preheat oven to 350° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.  carefully, cut the top off the pumpkin.  then slice pumpkin in half, cut in half once more until you have 4 pieces.  slice each of the 4 pieces into one-inch pieces.  using a pastry brush, lightly coat the flesh of each pumpkin piece.  transfer to oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, until the flesh is fork-tender.   let the pumpkin cool, about 10 minutes, before cutting.  slice or peel the skin from the flesh, and transfer to a food processor.  pulse the pumpkin, stopping a few times to scrape down the sides, until the mixture is smooth.  transfer to an airtight container or use immediately

 


(baked) purple kale, cilantro + spaghetti squash cakes by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal


my spaghetti squash was lying on the kitchen counter for a little over a week before i knew what i wanted to do with it. sure i could have made some recipes that are the usual suspects around here when fall come into town, but i wanted to use the squash strands for something different this season.  spaghetti squash is my absolute favorite of the squash family.  yes, on the exterior it's a quite underwhelming: it has muted yellow skin, and a smooth and mundane surface.  i guess one could surmise that spaghetti squash, despite it's cool name, it somewhat lackluster judging from the outside.  but as soon as you cut them open, you recognize how major they are!  what plant or vegetable out there gives you perfectly shaped, noodle-like strands without the use of any sort of tool (unless a fork counts as a tool?  are tools and utensils the same?).   most. genius. veggie. everrr!  

like i said, i wanted to make something with the squash i never had.  so with a little exploring of what my mouth likes to taste and what my belly likes to eat, i decided to go the route of some form of burger, patty, cake, or fritter of some sort.  this made me think of my great-grandmother's german potato latkes that my mom would make around hanukkah.  my favorite thing about them was always the lone strands of potato that would make up the edges of the latke - those little crunchies alone were my inspiration for these squash cakes.  i thought the squash strands would be perfect to give the edges that crisp and crunch i was longing for, and they did just that!  the rest of the cake mixture is made up of some tasty seasonings as i was going for a latin-light vibe here.  i toyed around with pan frying them and making them thinner (much like my mom's latkes) but i opted for a lighter interpretation that cuts down the use of oil and keeps your kitchen free of frying-oil odor.  so in they went into the oven.  and they were some form of perfection - super crunchy on the outside, with a billowy, sog-free center.  there's a little bit of prep work involved in these, but once everything is chopped, they're a cinch to just throw in the oven.  and with just frank and i, we had plenty of leftovers for lunch and dinner throughout the week.

 

 



(baked) purple kale, cilantro + spaghetti squash cakes w/ sriracha avocado sauce | gf + dairy free |

 

| makes 10 cakes |   

inspired by Sprouted Kitchen

ingredients

for the cakes

  • 1 spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise 
  • 1 cup purple kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped   
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 small-medium shallots, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup oat flour (ground from gluten free rolled oats in a food processor)
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) 
  • neutral oil for greasing baking pan (grapeseed works the best here)

*also needed: a clean tea towel or cheesecloth to wring out squash

for the avocado sriracha sauce

 

  • 1 ripe avocado, pitted
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro
  • 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (more or less depending on how creamy you want it) 
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 medium shallot (or ~2 tablespoons chopped red onion) 
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
  • salt to taste
  • ~3-4 tablespoons water, to thin consistency


instructions

make the cakes

  • preheat oven to 400° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  cut the squash in half, lengthwise and scrape out the seeds (reserve seeds for toasting! totally optional, but also totally yum).  brush the flesh with olive oil and place face down onto the baking sheet.  bake for 35-40 minutes until knife-tender.  remove squash from oven and let it cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes.  this is a good time to prep the rest of your ingredients)
  • preheat the oven back to 400°.  once the squash is cool, use a fork to scrape the flesh into long strands.  one half at a time, place the scraped squash strands into a clean tea towel (or cheesecloth) and wring out as much liquid as possible (i was actually amzed how much liquid the spaghetti squash contains!).  place wrung out squash in a large bowl and repeat with the other half.  place chopped kale, cilantro, shallots and garlic in the bowl with the squash and mix until thoroughly combined.  add egg and combine once more. set aside
  • in a separate bowl, combine the oat flour, ground flaxseed, salt, baking powder, chili powder, cumin and cayenne (if using) .  pour the dry ingredients into the kale and squash mixture, and mix.  set aside
  • oil a large rimmed baking sheet.  using a 1/4 cup measure, pack it almost to the top and press the cake mixture into the cup measure to make compact.  turn measure over and tap out onto the palm of your hand.  place on oiled baking sheet, use the back of the measure, or your fingers, and press the cake down just a bit (it should be just under an inch thick).  repeat with the rest of the mixture until you have 10 cakes  
  • place baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through.  at the end of 20 minutes take cakes out of oven and flip them over to brown the other side.  place back in the oven for 5 additional minutes.  remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.  let the cakes cool for about 5 minutes, or eat them at room temperature.  top with avocado sriracha sauce and garnish with cilantro
  • store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

 

 

 

 

 


make the avocado sriracha sauce

  • place all ingredients in a small food processor and blend until desired consistency.  (you made need more water depending on how thin you want the sauce.)

enjoy!