This week, I have been mostly eating... everything. After spending the whole of last week miserable with a kidney infection, I have recovered and my apetite is well and truly on the loose. Hence a very, very expensive trip to Sainsbury's yesterday to get supplies, having missed out on a Borough trip last week. Of course, I went with a list, as I try to plan my weekly menu ahead to avoid wasted ingredients. But then, as I wandered up and down the aisles, other foodstuffs just seemed to jump into my basket without my knowing it. After a while, I had to go and change for a trolley, giving the cheeky manchego cheese, passion fruits, cantuccini biscuits and speciality charcuterie even more space to loiter around until reaching the checkout. Most annoying.
I wanted fish last night, and the only thing that had not been previously frozen was a trout, with shiny eyes and gleaming, slimy skin. I am supposed to be 'cutting down' this week in preparation for a friend's night out (and mandatory minidress) at a club. Not my scene, but not my choice. As someone who is proud of never dieting - I feel what I eat is perfectly healthy enough - it does go against the grain, but if eating less simple carbohydrates for a week gives me toned legs, then I suppose I'm on board.
With the fish, stuffed with some lemon and herbs and roasted, I had a roasted sweet potato and a simple tomat salad. I often find that colourful food on a plate gives the impression of richness that happily tricks the hungry mind. Really good, but I still can't fully reconcile with a sweet potato, not matter what sharp, chilli-spiked dressing I add to it.
Later, though, was a great big bake-in with my flatmate; her law society needed cakes for the stall, and I was happy to help, being able to turn out a batch of fairy cakes in around 20 minutes. We made short work of it all, but of course every chef needs to taste her food, and so my healthy 'plan' was ever so slightly knocked off kilter. I decided to make up for it today, with a lunch of vibrant salad and a bowl of miso soup - lively and, again, cheeringly colourful. I'm right back on track; a good job as I'm going outfit-shopping this evening. Another plus is that tomorrow is the last day of antibiotics for this episode, so alcohol will once again play a (small) role in my evening wind-down. Gin and tonics are fat-free, right?
Tomato, mozzarella and prosciutto salad
1-2 tomatoes, sliced
a ball of buffalo mozzarella, torn up into mouth-sized chunks
some salad leaves, such as baby spinach and peppery rocket
a few slices of prosciutto di Parma, or other cured ham, torn up
1/2 a red chilli, finely chopped
Dressing
extra virgin olive oil
a splash of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Arrange the ingredients on the plate. Make the dressing - 3 parts oil to one part vinegar, as always - in a jam jar; however much you make will keep happily in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Give it a shake and add lightly to the saad ingredients, tossing them all together gently. Serve simply with some crusty bread, and feel (almost) virtuous.
