Following an urge to see the sea – such as it is – the Baltic Sea is an inner water, if you ask me, but the North Sea is a little bit too far away for a daytrip.

Warnemünde is very easy to reach, via Rostock and several direct trains daily, and a nice, cozy town to visit and walk around in, and the beach is kind of OK too :-). But the North Sea it ain’t.

There was occasional drizzly rain on this day, which also became increasingly foggy.

IN PROGRESS

• 100 g chickpea flour
• 80 g oat flour
• 80 g almond flour
• 50 g coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon gingerbread spice mix
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 small bananas You’ll need 2 small ripe bananas (approx. 160 g). It’s important to mash bananas well before adding it to the batter. You can use a fork to mash it.
• 150 g coconut cream Always use full-fat canned coconut milk. Chill it in the refrigerator overnight so that you can easily separate cream from the liquid. The cream should be firm enough so that you can scoop it out with a spoon.
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple cut into mini cubes

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat oven to 180° C. Grease muffin tins with coconut oil.
• In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: chickpea flour, oat flour, almond flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, and spices.
• Add mashed bananas and coconut cream, and mix everything together with a hand mixer until well combined. Adjust sweetness if needed.
• Gently fold the diced apples into the batter, making sure the apples are evenly distributed.
• Spread the batter into prepared muffin tins and bake for approx. 23-25 minutes.
• Make sure you let your muffins cool for at least 20 minutes and then gently loosen the edges of the muffins before removing them from the tins.

Format should be one by three, or something like that. I can’t deal with numbers (a brain defect – a bit like being dyslexic but with numbers, I think is the best way to describe it) – numbers mean nothing to me and I hate to even look at them.

I have gotten through a fourty-year working life doing office jobs without it being too much of a handicap, except there were jobs I could not apply for. Now I am retired, and I prefer to ignore this disability, and most things to do with numbers, not let any of all that frustrate me any more, and refuse to let it ruin my day :-).

By the way, when I went to school in the 1950s and -60s, being completely useless at subjects such as arithmetic and maths (including a complete inability to memorise one’s own house number, let alone phone number) was quickly dismissed as stupidity – by teachers as well as parents. I was quite good at languages, grammar and spelling, but that did not count. It is only in very recent years that I have begun thinking that perhaps I am not quite as stupid as everybody thought back then that I was.

But I was not alone. Back then, they had not quite discovered dyslexia as a thing, so those with that learning disability were also considered dimwitted, perhaps much more so than I was.

Where was I – yes, so I just crop more intuitively and pretend that I am looking for formats suitable as Facebook cover photos :-).

However, this time I shall have no trouble weeding photos out. On the contrary, I doubt I will be able to submit more than six or seven.

I am not able to achieve the “panoramic” look, but I doubt that has anything to do with my inability to understand numbers.

IN PROGRESS

• 15 ml avocado oil (or any other vegetable oil)
• ▢2 g cumin seeds
• ▢4 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢1 jalapeno pepper (or any moderately spiced green chili pepper, finely chopped)
• ▢1 large red onion (finely chopped)
• ▢5 g amchar masala
• ▢1 g turmeric (optional)
• ▢454 g green beans (Use fresh or frozen beans. Cut into 1-inch pieces)
• ▢Juice of ½ lemon
• ▢120 ml vegetable stock (or water)
• ▢4 g curry powder
• ▢Salt to taste

Cook Mode

Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Heat oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, garlic and green chili peppers and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the onions and add a hefty pinch of salt. Saute the onions until they start to brown.
• Add the amchar masala and the turmeric, if using. Mix well for a few seconds until the spices coat the onions.
• Stir in the green beans and lemon juice, then pour in ½ cup of vegetable broth or water. Mix well, cover and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the green beans have absorbed most of the water and are tender.
• Stir in the curry powder and mix well. Add salt as needed. Serve the green beans hot, warm or at room temperature.

Recipe notes

Storage instructions

• Refrigerate: Store the Trinidadian green beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
• Freeze: Freeze the beans for up to three months in a freezer-safe container.
• Reheat: Thaw and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

• 20 g coriander seeds
• ▢8 g cumin seeds
• ▢9 g black peppercorns
• ▢2 g fennel seeds
• ▢3 g brown mustard seeds
• ▢4 g fenugreek seeds

Instructions

• Place all the spices in a skillet. Turn heat to medium low and toast the spices, stirring frequently, for five minutes or until the spices are very aromatic. The coriander seeds should have turned a couple of shades darker.
• Remove the spices to a bowl or plate and let them cool to room temperature. Place the spices in a spice grinder or blender and blend into a fine powder.

Recipe notes

• Recipe adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian

Storage instructions

• Store the amchar masala in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard. You can also store the spice blend in the fridge or the freezer. Use within a year. This recipe makes about half a cup or 8 tablespoons.

How to make curry powder:

• ½ cup coriander seeds
• ▢2 tablespoon cumin seeds
• ▢2 tablespoon mustard seeds
• ▢2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• ▢24 curry leaves (about two sprigs)
• ▢4 dry red chili peppers (use less or more. I like to control the heat in my recipes so I used less than other recipes might)
• ▢2 tablespoon black peppercorns
• ▢¼ cup chana dal (Bengal gram dal)
• ▢1 teaspoon asafetida (hing)
• ▢2 tablespoon turmeric
• ▢2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

Cook Mode

Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Lower heat to medium-low and add all of the ingredients, except the asafetida and turmeric (and ginger, if using).
• Dry-roast the ingredients until the coriander seeds and lentils take on a reddish hue and are really fragrant, about five minutes. The curry leaves should be crispy and dry with no moisture, and should crumble easily when you touch them. If using dry curry leaves, do not add them with the other spices. Instead stir them in when you add the turmeric in the next step.
• Turn off the heat and stir the asafetida and the turmeric (and ginger, if using) into the other spices in the skillet. Mix well and remove all of the spices to a plate or bowl. Set them aside to cool.
• Once the spices have cooled down, place them in a blender or spice grinder. Blend into a powder that’s coarse but does not have any whole or large pieces of spices.
• Store in an air-tight jar in a cool, dark place.

With Rob Couch and VHS Pankow. Including a couple of whacky photos for a photography course assignment (monochrome ICM).

More ICM photos here for those interested.

IN PROGRESS

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 red onions, diced
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 8 cup fresh pumpkin, peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 3 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 6 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tins tomato
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• 2 15 oz can pinto beans (low sodium), drained and rinsed (I hate the American obsession with canned beans so will have to figure out how many dried (uncooked) beans are needed.)
• 2 15 oz can red kidney beans (low sodium), drained and rinsed (I hate the American obsession with canned beans so will have to figure out how many dried (uncooked) beans are needed.)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce (optional) (again – canned – I will investigate what can be used instead – or just drop it).
• 6 cup chopped kale
• Toppings: vegan sour cream, vegan cheddar cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds, avocado, tortilla strips, cilantro, etc

---

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes, then add garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. 
2. Add in pumpkin, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, salt and smoked paprika. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring well. Add in kidney and pinto beans, broth, fire roasted tomatoes, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and adobo sauce. 
3. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. 
4. Add in kale and cook for additional 10 minutes. 
5. Serve topped with vegan sour cream, vegan cheese, cilantro, avocado, or any other desired toppings!

IN PROGRESS

1 can of black beans, drained (I hate the American obsession with canned food, so have to figure out how many g dried beans)
100g quinoa, cooked and cooled
2 tsp white miso paste
2 garlic cloves
2 shallots
1 tbsp tomato puree

For the sauce:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch mixed into a slurry with 1 tbsp water
1 tbsp maple syrup

Per portion served with:
75g rice, dried basmati
100g broccoli
1 tsp sesame seeds

Method
1. Cook your quinoa according to packet instructions and allow to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
3. Add the black beans to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until dry
and cracked.
4. Finely chop garlic and shallots and sauté until cooked.
5. Add the beans, garlic and shallots, miso and tomato puree to a food processor
and mix. Add the cooked and cooled quinoa and mix again.
6. Scoop out even amounts of the meatballs using a tablespoon, roll between
your hands to form a neat ball and add to a lined baking tray.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes.
8. Whilst the meatballs are cooking prepare the sauce by adding extra virgin
olive oil to a pan on a low-medium heat.
9. Add the chopped garlic and ginger and the remaining sauce ingredients and
cook until bubbling and sticky, stirring frequently.
10. Boil your rice as per packaging instructions.
11. Chop, wash and boil your broccoli.
12. Remove the meatballs from the oven and add to the sticky ginger sauce. Toss
with sesame seeds.
13. Plate up your rice, broccoli and meatballs, drizzling over any remaining sauce
and topping with sesame seeds.

IN PROGRESS

The route on MapMyWalk here.

Bonus tip: Very good sushi restaurant in Johannistal (yes, really …. :-)): Sho ga nai.

Taking up a pre-pandemic tradition.

POST IN PROGRESS

For now, long story short, my place from about 21.00 till about 01.00.

More details later.

Black lime tofu – IN PROGRESS

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp caster sugar
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rounds on a mandolin, if you have one, or by hand (60g)
600ml sunflower oil, for deep-frying
2 blocks of extra-firm tofu (560g), patted dry and cut into 2cm cubes
2 tbsp cornflour
2 onions (300g), roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
60ml olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed in a pestle and mortar
2–3 dried black limes, blitzed in a spice grinder to get 2 tbsp (10g – use a food processor if you don’t have a grinder, and pass through a sieve) (if you can’t get any black limes, substitute with 1 tbsp lime juice and 1 tbsp lime zest)
2 tbsp tomato paste
20g parsley, roughly chopped
250g baby spinach
salt and black pepper

METHOD

1. Put the vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sugar, the red onion and ⅛ teaspoon of salt into a small bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside to pickle while you continue with the rest.

2. Heat the sunflower oil in a medium high-sided sauté pan on a medium-high heat. Toss the tofu in a bowl with the cornflour until well coated. Once hot, fry the tofu (in two batches) until crispy and lightly browned, about 6 minutes per batch, then transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and set aside.

3. While the tofu is frying, prepare the sauce. Put the onions and garlic into a food processor and pulse a few times until very finely minced but not puréed. Put the olive oil into a large sauté pan on a medium-high heat. Add the onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin, black limes (or regular lime zest and juice) and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more. Add 400ml of water, the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1¼ teaspoons of salt and a generous grind of pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and rich. Add the crispy tofu, parsley and another grind of pepper and stir to coat. Add the spinach in increments, stirring until just wilted, about 3 minutes.

4. To serve, transfer the mixture to a shallow serving platter and top with the pickled red onion (or serve straight from the pan).