Pan-fried Oatmeal

Eating healthy can be likened to a journey. One discovers new and inspiring things along the way. This morning as I sat at the dining table reading and enjoying my morning coffee, the thought of breakfast popped into my mind. I’ve been on an oatmeal kick lately but being that it was the weekend, I wanted something a bit more decadent and my regular oatmeal sounded boring. 

Pancakes or waffles sounded more like weekend breakfast but I really wanted to maintain my healthy breakfast streak. Then the idea came to me to use oatmeal instead of regular flour. I would simply grind up the oats in my food processor and sub the “flour” for regular flour. It would be a breakfast adventure. It would still be my regular oatmeal, just doctored up a bit and pan-fried. That sounded decadent enough to appease my weekend breakfast yearning. 

Recipe adapted from this one found on Pinterest: 

Ingredients: 

3/4 cup oat flour (approximately 1 heaping cup of regular oats, ground in a food processor or blender)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk (I used almond milk)

2 tablespoons agave syrup 

1 teaspoon vanilla

Butter for griddle

Raspberry jam (or other fruit jam of choice)

100% pure maple syrup

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk dry ingredients 

In a separate bowl add wet ingredients and whisk lightly to combine

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Adjust mixture with more flour or milk to reach desired consistency, one tablespoon at a time.

Place skillet over medium heat and add a couple of tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has stopped sizzling, ladle 1/4 cup of batter for each oatcake. Pan-fry on each side approximately 3-4 minutes. Repeat until batter is gone. Makes approximately 6 medium-sized oatcakes.

Serve with equal parts raspberry jam and maple syrup, blended together and heated.

They turned out delicious! 

The pan-fried oatmeal cakes were slightly more dry than regular pancakes, possibly due to the lack of a fat or oil used in the recipe, but topped with the raspberry jam and maple syrup they hit the spot. 

Within Walking Distance

When I was a kid, places that were within “walking distance” had a different meaning. There was the convenience store at the end of our street and then the one at the corner of Highland Ave. and Florida Ave., and there was the university campus, even if it was only the outskirts where the freshmen dorms resided. And I was not allowed to go to any of these places. I was, of course, too young to venture out that far and into the dangers of the world.

Eventually I was allowed to ride my bike to the store at Highland and Florida but that was only if I came directly home afterward. Today I live in a completely different world. Over the years I have lived in many different places, all different and unique in their own ways. Some of them were on quiet, residential streets, well most of them were, but some were secretly tucked away in residential pockets with restaurants, grocery stores, and various other shops and businesses on bustling streets within a short walking distance away.

Today I live smack dab in the middle of the hustling and bustling city of Stockholm. I live on the island of Södermalm on Hornsgatan, which is one the the busiest streets in the city. We are surrounded by the sounds, smells, and sights of city life. And we love it. Literally, a two minute walk in three directions and I can find five different grocery stores. Three are conventional while two of them specialize in organic products. Granted, I usually cannot find every ingredient I need in just one store, the variety available in such a short walking distance from our apartment is amazing and convenient in its own way.

In addition, there are several wonderful bakeries, a hardware store, clothing boutiques, restaurants, pubs, cafes, and on one stretch of our street there is an entire length of art galleries and shops that on several occasions each year stay open late into the evening for art gallery walks.

Unfortunately every thing we might need is not in our immediate vicinity but we could easily get by for days, even weeks, in our little neighborhood bubble. When we moved to Stockholm we chose to live without a car and for the most part I have not missed it in the just over five years that we have lived here. There are no oil changes to remember, insurance to pay, or other worries that having a car entails.

It is a wonderfully different way of life. And we love it.

Creamy Kale with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

I have been a bit uninspired lately when it comes to blogging, in case you didn't notice. I am in the process of finding myself, blog-wise, and so posts may be a bit sporadic in days to come. My hope is that I not only find my inspiration again but also a more specific and focused blog goal. Things are definitely brewing....

As is this delicious recipe I recently came across, thanks to one of my lovely sisters-in-law, Maria. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. If you are trying to avoid dairy, I am sure this would still be delicious without the cream. You could try substituting a broth of your choice instead and skip the Parmesan altogether, but that would be difficult unless you cannot tolerate cheese or you are a vegan. Perhaps a sprinkling of nutritional yeast could be a good vegan alternative? 

Creamy Kale with Parmesan and Pine Nuts 

Adapted and translated from ICA, a Swedish grocery store

Ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic

1/3-1/2 cup pine nuts 

2 oz Parmesan cheese, whole 

300 g chopped black kale (approx 4 cups)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/3 cup cream (heavy whipping cream, or half and half, your choice)

1/8-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Roast pine nuts in a hot, dry pan until toasted. Set aside.

Chop or mince garlic. Set aside. 

Clean & chop kale, removing the thick, inner ribs. 

Shave Parmesan & set aside. 

Heat your skillet to medium heat & add oil. Sauté garlic & kale, adding a little salt & pepper as you go (approx 1/4 teaspoon of each).  

Add crushed red pepper & cream and allow to simmer until the liquid reduces and starts to take on a greenish tint. Stir often. Taste to see if more salt is needed but bear in mind the saltiness of the cheese. 

Top with shaved cheese & pine nuts. 

Serve with grilled sausages, vegetarian or otherwise, or toss with pasta for a delicious alternative. :-)

Ode to Winter

Orsa Grönklitt - A snow oasis in the “fjällen” (mountains) of Dalarna.  

After surviving winters in Sweden for the first couple of years, we decided that we should embrace all of that cold white stuff and get skis. Cross-country skis, that is. Two years ago we embarked on our very first cross-country ski experience. Let me just say a couple of things about that:

Uncooked spaghetti.

Bambi.

I felt like Bambi trying to walk with skinny pieces of uncooked spaghetti strapped to my feet. How in the world would I be able to do this? I think I skied a total of three times that first winter. “Skied” being a generous description. The following year, for some insane reason, I decided to complete the Tjej Klassik, comprised of a 100km bike ride, a 1km swim, a 10km run, and a 30km ski. 

By winter, I had completed everything except for the ski portion. So I was, you could say, committed. We never got much snow that winter in Stockholm but with my determination to complete this “Tjej Klassik" feat, we rented a car on two different occasions to drive up to more snow so I could practice my “ski techniques". I also took a private lesson, which helped tremendously. By the time the actual race came along, I was, what I thought, adequately prepared. 

I completed the 30km race in just under 5 hours. If you aren’t sure, that is pretty slow. However, I did complete it faster than many of the participants so I did not consider my own time so bad. In fact, I felt a bit like a super hero and imagined myself somewhat of a cross-country ski buff. Ha.

Fast forward to this year. We still did not get much snow in Stockholm. What little snow we did get, our skis, which we discovered on the last morning skiing in Stockholm would be possible, were not in “ski condition.” Meaning, the klister I had put on my skis the previous year (yes, we did not clean them following the race) was pretty much baked on and had formed a hard, plastic-y layer. We were forced to take our skis in to be serviced. 

(Fredagsmys (cozy Friday) in the cabin)

The following weekend, I suppose we could have gone grass-skiing but it just felt fake. There was essentially no snow. FYI, we had a ski trip booked for mid March with my husband’s sister and her husband, who had skied several times already this winter, not to mention that they are pretty much, serious ski buffs. Like for real. We had not been “on” our skis one time this winter.

(Cobalt sky + snow + pine trees = Happy)

Fast forward again, and there we were on that Friday morning, at Orsa Grönklitt, standing precariously on our skis for the first time in a year, about to embark upon a cross-country ski adventure. It felt surprisingly like the very first time I stood on my skis. Uncooked spaghetti. Bambi. It was not so much like “riding a bike” where once you have achieved “balance” it all sort of falls into place. 

(Looking like a pro)

We managed to ski 14km the first day and despite being so sore we could barely walk and if I was sitting on the couch and wanted to cross my legs, I had to physically pick up my leg and cross it over the other leg, we went out again the next day! (I know this was a long, run-on sentence, but it felt necessary to say it that way). 

(Every day was absolutely gorgeous)

Despite our soreness and my feeling like I wouldn’t make it 1km on the skis, we managed to ski almost the same distance the second day. And DESPITE the fact that I had skied the Tjej Klassik the previous year, my husband, who I was almost skiing circles around the previous year, was passing me and skiing circles around ME this year. 

(A tiny snowman)

I don’t know what happened. Maybe my memories of the difficulty of completing the 30km the previous year were blocking my ski abilities this year. I must have suppressed that because I remembered myself to be somewhat of a super hero cross-country skier. Which was not so much the case. 

(Taken with my husband's new GoPro camera)

Even so, Orsa Grönklitt was amazingly beautiful. Out on the trails, if you stopped skiing, you could hear absolutely nothing, with the exception of a bird chirping on occasion. There was cobalt blue sky as far as the eye could see and sunshine, loud and clear, beating her warm rays down on our deprived, winter bodies. It was heavenly.

(A well-earned Happy Hour)

Our cabin itself was a sacred sanctuary, complete with every modern convenience one could possible want. It was a two bedroom cabin with bunk beds. For reasons that may not seem obvious at first, be sure to claim the bottom bunk immediately. After the first day of skiing you will understand. The adorable (tiny) little built-in ladder that you loved earlier that day will suddenly seem like an insult.

(During skiing...)

(After skiing...) 

But all in all and soreness aside, I would highly recommend a cross-country ski trip here in the winter. It was the perfect active getaway. And if you plan for a cabin close to the ski trails, there is little need for leaving the cabin or getting in your car again until your departure date (unless you need to make an emergency ice cream run :-p).

The Greasy Spoon

Along a lone street on Södermalm lies a quaint, little restaurant called The Greasy Spoon. This lovely little gem serves English-styled breakfast and, in my opinion, the best breakfast in Stockholm, that I’ve had so far that is. For such a small, somewhat hole-in-the-wall, The Greasy Spoon is big on flavor and options. My breakfast partner in crime tried the Full Veggie and a pot of English tea while I chose the Scottish Pancakes, with option 1. blueberries and mascarpone, and a freshly-squeezed, grapefruit juice. 

I had eyed the pancakes as they were delivered to tables as we waited and at first I thought the scoop of unwavering cream was, in fact, ice cream. When I discovered that it was actually mascarpone I thought it was perhaps a bit overkill. It was a huge ball balanced atop the stack of pancakes. The English apparently know what they are doing however as it was actually the perfect amount of cream to compliment the blueberries and 'cakes.

And freshly-squeezed, grapefruit juice? I was in heaven. They also serve freshly-sqeezed orange juice and both are served with ice unless you request it without. The doors open at 7:30 am Monday-Friday and at 9:00 am on the weekends. My recommendation is to get there as close to 9:00 am as possible to avoid a long wait. I am not sure what their rules are on booking tables in advance but I do know that there was a party of 6 reserved at the front window table when we arrived, so large party bookings are a possibility.

So, if you find that you are in the mood for a tasty breakfast out this week, I highly recommend The Greasy Spoon. There was a yummy breakfast polenta that caught my eye, as well as a few other tasty-looking options that I would like to try, so I am sure I will be back in the near future. 

Maybe I will see you there?

Torskrom - A Not-So-Talked-About Swedish Delicacy

I can't remember if it was last year or the year before but suddenly my husband started talking about torskrom, or cod’s roe, in English. If you are not familiar with roe, that means caviar, or less fancy, fish eggs. He talked about how much he loved eating it when he was a kid, how delicious it was and "oh you have to try it" and "I'm going to get some and cook it for you.” I started getting excited myself. I mean, it sounded really interesting and I'm usually pretty open to trying new things. 

The next time we were at the fish market he asked if torskrom was available. Unfortunately it was not in season and wouldn't be available until the following April, nearly a year away. So time passed and the torskrom was put on the back shelf of our minds. Then, just a few weeks ago my mother-in-law mentioned that she had cooked torskrom for dinner. It was apparently in season already! The following weekend we headed to the market to hopefully buy some ourselves. Excitement brewing.

Now keep in mind, at this point all I know is that this stuff is delicious and the cat is going to go nuts for it. We walk up to the fish counter and my husband asks if they have any. The woman asks how much he wants and he says, “Ett par byxor,” which means “a pair of pants.” Pants? The woman reaches down and pulls up what looked to me like a pair of lungs. With dark veins running through them. Oh. My. God. Did I actually say I would try this? And what about these pants?

In addition to the torskrom we bought some fresh dill, boiled shrimp, a bottle of wine, and then made a stop by the gourmet cheese counter and bakery. As we made our way back to the apartment I wondered how he planned to cook our pants, er torskrom. Apparently very carefully. 

When we arrived home he got to work. The torskrom is very delicate, even though it is surrounded by a thin, skin-like membrane, so wrapping it in parchment paper protects it from exploding or leaking as you boil it in heavily salted water with lots of fresh dill. After it has boiled for about forty minutes you must allow it to cool in its brine.  

It is served in thick slices, outer membrane removed, with lemon wedges. The verdict? I liked it and I would eat it again but for me it wasn't going to replace my own favorite delicacies of shrimp and crab. And the cat? Well, she completely turned her prissy nose up at it. My husband said his childhood cat, Onödan (which means means "the unnecessary" in Swedish), went crazy for it. You never know with cats. 

Cod’s roe, is only available fresh at certain times of the year. It just so happens to be that time of year right now and, according to the guy at the Hötorget fish market, on our second visit to buy torskrom, it will be available from now on up until around April. (Lucky us!)

Will you run out and try it now? I’d love to hear what you think if and when you do. ;-)

It's Been A While...

It's been a while since my last post and I have to apologize for being away so long. It was not my intention and I've had several fun ideas for posts during that time... So much can happen in two months and I wish I had some amazing news about some fabulous thing that happened to keep me away, but mostly I have just been stuck under the thumb of a big, bad migraine. :-(

I am just now crawling out of that black hole. For those of you lucky enough to avoid headaches and migraines, it might be difficult to understand the sheer joy and happiness of that day when you finally do not have a headache. But let me just tell you, it feels, literally, amazing. Like you can conquer the world, or at least that you can conquer the daily commuters on the subway. I've been trying to commute to work by bike as much as possible so I can avoid all of the smells and sounds of the city that have a tendency to drill holes into my already sensitive head. Unfortunately it doesn't always work out for me to ride my bike and I just have to endure.

So what else have I been up to in two month's time? I started a graphic design class (grafisk design in Swedish) and I am absolutely loving it. Not only is it fun and invigorating but it has been a wonderful distraction from the headache suffering, and it is opening wonderful new creative paths to explore along my journey. It has only been a few weeks so far but I can already tell that the skills I am learning now will help open doors into a future full of creativity and joy. I can't wait!

Here are a couple of photos:

Well, tomorrow is my birthday and I hope to take some time to reflect on the past year, on my trials and tribulations, my joys, my sorrows, and just in general how the last year has been and who I've become as a result. I will also be flying to London with a friend for the weekend so I should have some interesting reviews (on our botanical afternoon tea at Intercontinental & dinner at NOPI) to report. :-D