I haven't cooked anything worth sharing in a long while. I can't say it's because I've been busy because I usually am and there hasn't been a drastic change in my life as of late. I think it had a lot to do with my 4-month
pescatarian stint which I have bid sayonara to a couple of weeks back. Yep, some things are not meant to last in this life. So I ignored the kitchen for months and ate canned tuna, tofu and boiled sweet potatoes for days on end. Abusing some things can really ruin it for you. Possibly forever.
I was starving having finished work at 2pm yesterday so I wanted a quick fix. Normally that would mean popping open a can of tuna, tearing some leaves and toasting some bread at home. Instant sambo. Then self-pity crawled in and made me think to myself: This has to stop. So I popped by a fruit and veg grocer, two delis and a bakery before cycling back home in the heat. Not the smartest plan of action but was it worth all the trouble?
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Oh, hey, beautiful
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- baby leaves (you may use arugula/rocket if you can find any)
- one medium-sized fig (about the size of a girl's palm, okay, my palm)
- smoked salmon in thin slices
- sliced black olives (I used the bottled ones)
- sliced baguette
- cream cheese
If you want to skip the bread, I suggest you throw in some Gorgonzola or any other hard cheese to the salad. The saltiness of the cheese works as such a great contrast to the sweetness of the figs!
I still think preparing your own food at home is the best and healthiest way to go. You get to maximize your resources and stretch your pocket's worth. Though buying take-away is certainly more convenient, you can't be assured of the ingredients being put in. For all you know, you could be ingesting Mad Cow or Anthrax or something. Okay, not really but these dangers are
very real. The key is preparedness.
Sorry for sounding preachy but I'm still horrified by the things I've learned from watching
The Perfect Bite on Yahoo! last night.
In other news, though I've returned to eating red meat again, I limit it to only on weekends when I'm at folks'. I don't know how it is for everyone else but I found giving up red meat surprisingly easy. Not once did I feel deprived, but that may have been offset by my carb and tuna-inhalation. I honestly wish it were just as easy to give up sweets . That or self-esteem. Jokes!
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| Throw on top of a toasted slice of baguette and enjoy as a bruschetta |
Pay no mind to my chipped nail polish but fixate yourself on the beauty that is the bruschetta. I don't mean to blow my own horn but it's one of the best salads/bruschetta I've ever had and I have Masterchef Australia's Kelty to thank for giving me the idea of figs and cheese going great together.
Enjoy!
*iPhone snaps
