green shakshuka w/ smoky socca /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

the other day i was up at some crazy hour in the morning thinking about this cute, wobbly old table i had purchased a few years ago.  the table made a brief appearance here in our new(er) apartment, but was sent to my parents basement - or as we call it, storage - for a day when we have a large enough place to fit cute, non-essential furniture.  anyway, the other day i was thinking that i missed that table's cheerful turquoise hue, and its random chips of paint.  i told my dad that i was thinking of a way to utilize the table and asked if there was a way to trim the legs and make a tray.  my dad, being a pretty smart (and rad) guy, transformed this once not so very functional piece of furniture into not only a large serving tray, but was also able to save other parts of the dismantled table for wall shelves!  the tray now sits comfortably on our ottoman in the living room, and makes a pretty backdrop for photographs ;)

on to this shakshuka.  like most people i eat a red shakshuka, and sometimes a reddish-green shakshuka.  that was until i ate green shakshuka at my most favorite restaurant, jack's wife freda.  the base of their green sauce is tomatillos, green peppers, cilantro, onion and garlic.  the shakshuka here is a riff off of theirs.  not knowing exactly how they prepare it, i took to making it how i would prepare a regular red shakshuka and frank and i love it!  the sauce isn't as sweet and i definitely make it spicier when it's green, and i LOVE the taste of the cilantro mixed with the heartiness of kale!  and whenever there's a runny egg in town be sure that there's a piece of bread around to sop up all its runny, yellow yolk goodness! enter: socca. essentially a flatbread, and super easy to make, plus, you can add virtually any spice or herb to it and make it to your liking.  some of my favorite additions include: tons of garlic and herbs, za'atar, and smoked paprika! 

green shakshuka w/ smoky socca 

serves 2

ingredients

  • 8 medium tomatillos (~1 pound), trimmed and cut in half
  • 5 large lacinto kale leaves, ribs removed
  • 1 cup cilantro
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, stem removed (i added some seeds for spice)
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 3 large free range eggs
  • olive oil, for sauteing  

smoky socca

  • 1 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  •  1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

directions

make the socca

  • in a medium bowl, whisk the garbanzo bean flour, salt and smoked paprika.  add the warm water while whisking.  add 2 tablespoons olive oil and minced garlic, whisk to combine.  cover mixture with plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour - or up to 12 hours
  • place a 12" cast iron skillet (or oven safe baking dish of same size) in oven and preheat to 450° 
  • once heated, remove from oven and add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan; swirl to cover the surface and edges.  give the socca batter one more whisk and add to hot skillet, return to oven and bake for about 13-15 minutes.  turn oven to broil and bake until edges and top of socca bread are lightly browned and crisp - about 3-5 minutes
  • carefully transfer the bread to a large plate or pizza pan and cut into wedges.  serve hot

make the shakshuka

  • combine halved tomatillos, kale, 3/4 cup cilantro, cumin and salt in a food processor, and pulse until contents are blended.  set aside
  • heat a 10" skillet over medium heat, add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the onions until soft and translucent - about 3 minutes.  add the garlic and saute until garlic is soft and fragrant - about 2 minutes.  add the tomatillo mixture and bring sauce to a light simmer.  cook over medium-low heat for about 12-15 minutes, until half the liquid has cooked off
  • make divots in the sauce for the eggs.  one at a time, crack the eggs into a small bowl and gently transfer to the green sauce.  repeat with remaining eggs.  cook eggs until whites have set (i generally use a cover to speed this process up) about 6-8 minutes.    
  • garnish with leftover cilantro and serve with the socca...enjoy!

overnight oat waffles w/ lemon zest + poppy seeds (+ pomegranate honey!) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

breakfast meals are somewhat of a big deal around here...on the weekends.  first of all, it's probably my favorite meal of the day, and the most fun to think about and prepare.  i love running through the various morning recipes i've collected (and pinned, hello technology) and thinking up a really killer breakfast.  there's something super about weekend breakfasts - the relaxation with a perfect hot cup of coffee all while chowing down on a morning meal!

breakfast is also the only couple days where frank and i get to slowly welcome the day, have coffee in bed, curl up on the couch with the newspaper, and eat a breakfast that's a bit more complex than instant oatmeal.  more likely than not, we go the savory route and have something consisting of eggs (lately, we've been super into eggie burritos with guac and sriracha - sooo good!), but every so often we find a need for something a little sweet.  these waffles were perfect, hearty and full of (vegan) buttermilk-soaked oats, lemon zest - both its scent and flavor, and poppy seeds which provided small flecks of crunch! all of that topped with a syrupy pomegranate honey i made last week.  

(*lead photo: Polaroid taken on Impossible 600 color film) 

overnight oat waffles w/ lemon zest + poppy seeds (+ pomegranate honey!)

| gluten free + dairy free |

makes 4 large waffles

adapted from Orangette's Oatmeal Pancakes

ingredients

  • 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour
  • 3 tablespoons brown rice flour
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
  • 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest 
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 cup almond milk 
  • 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 large free range eggs
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate honey for serving
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds for serving (optional)

instructions

the night before

  • combine almond milk with apple cider vinegar, let the mixture rest for about 10 minutes.  add the rolled oats and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the next morning

the morning of

  • heat your waffle iron on medium-high.  turn your on oven on low (to keep your waffles warm) and place a parchment lined baking sheet inside.  remove oat mixture from the refrigerator 
  • in a large bowl, combine almond flour, brown rice flour, arrowroot powder, sugar, salt and baking soda.  rub the lemon zest between your fingers as you add it to the dry mix (to release natural oils), mix with your hands to combine. set aside
  • in another large bowl, whisk the eggs, olive oil and vanilla.  add the soaked oats and mix.  add the wet mix to the dry, and stir until combined. add the poppy seeds and mix until combined
  • using a ladle, spoon roughly 2-3 tablespoons of batter onto iron and cook according to your preference and waffle maker's settings.  (my waffle iron has a 1-5 setting, i place the setting on 4, and cook it for 5 minutes.)  once waffle is done, use a spatula or fork to transfer it to the preheated baking sheet.  repeat with remaining batter
  • once finished, serve waffles and drizzle with pomegranate honey

enjoy!

homemade pomegranate honey /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i've recently made a small, personal resolution to take more photos, and by photos  i mean ones not taken on my iphone.  when i met my husband he was an assistant cameraman, part-time cinematographer, and a freelance film photographer.   as you can imagine i got schooled a bit on all things camera over the first few months we dated, and i loved hearing his firm stance on analog vs. digital.  a few months in, he took another part-time job at the Impossible Project (a company that bought and took over the Polaroid factory in the Netherlands.  if you haven't followed their story, they have formulated a new type of instant film to use in Polaroid cameras and their own device, the Instant Lab - Polaroid never gave Impossible the recipe for the film, so all the ingredients that went into the film had to be reformulated).  

on the weekends we would go out and shoot the instant film, totally making our dates together that much more fun and memorable.  over time (with frank's help) i started my own collection of film cameras and on trips we would often pack more cameras and film than clothes, but we loved it that way, and have a load of pictures that we're super thankful we took.  as life got busier we took less and less photos, we keep saying we need to get back out there, but i guess i'm starting without him.  i recently began using my facebook page as a space to post photos, it's been feeling way good to chill, and take a few minutes to watch a photo process and do its thing.  i'm really looking forward to sharing more with you all! xo

as for this pomegranate honey, i thought the two flavors would be lovely together, and that they totally are!  the sweetness of the honey gets cut a bit from the pomegranate's sour tones. it's also super fun and easy to make your own pom juice!however, if you're not into the pom-honey thang, i must urge you to blend up some pomegranate juice while these beautiful babies are still in season!

homemade pomegranate honey

makes 1/2 cup pomegranate honey

needed:

  • fine mesh sieve
  • blender or food processor
  • large spoon
  • 1 pomegranate (you will have pomegranate juice leftover)
  • 1/2 cup raw honey (or honey of choice)

directions

  • cut pomegranate open, move your fingers around the skin and pulp, pulling gently as to loosen the seeds
  • over a large bowl, flip pomegranate over into your palm and hit the skin with the back of a sturdy spoon.  the seeds should drop out, repeat with other half
  • place pomegranate seeds into your blender fit with a metal blade and blend until there are no longer any seeds with their flesh
  • over the same large bowl, take your fine mesh sieve and transfer pulsed pomegranate seeds into it.  use the back of your spoon once again to push down and extract as much pomegranate juice as possible; discard the leftover seeds
  • in a jar fitted with a lid, combine the honey and 1 tablespoon of pomegranate juice.  cover, and shake or stir contents until mixed together
  • keep pom-honey in your cabinet or pantry at room temp for a few months

enjoy as a savory glaze, on waffles, pancakes, in your morning porridge or oatmeal, or my favorite, in a cocktail!