SmarterFitter Daily

Let's get something out in the open straight off the bat: the pizza base was abysmal. I attempted to make a sourdough pizza base using this recipe and it was waaaay too sour. The toppings were good, though - I took some inspiration from smitten kitchen's shaved asparagus pizza and did ricotta, mushrooms, asparagus, spring onions and a light sprinkle of parmesan. A really nice combo, especially with some rocket salad lightly dressed with lemon and olive oil. Oh but that crust was so bad. Confession: I ended up scraping off the toppings onto a piece of toast. 

Essentially last night's leftovers.

A slight take on Ottolenghi's chermoula aubergine with bulgar and yoghurt recipe.

&My new favourite omelet? Maybe. Here's the gist: sauteed red onion, cauliflower, garlic and peas with lemon zest, parsley and mint. Pour in the egg and swirl it around. Top with feta. Put under the broiler / grill for a few minutes. Service with more parsley and mint, rocket, avocado, sourdough toast and a lemon wedge. Rocked my world!

Oh yeah, this omelet is open-faced.

Adapted from my recipe for Cauliflower and Broccoli Omelet with Feta and Parsley.

Recipe: Red Lentil Veggie Burger

The burger was FINE but it wasn't very interesting. No texture. A bit mushy. Fairly bland. But good fodder for chutneys and sauces. I had this with Gloria Nicol's Rhubarb Ketchup and some African Volcano Peri Peri. Not sure if it's a crime to combine those two but I don't care: it worked. Still, the quest for the ultimate veggie burger continues. 

Roasted cauliflower on the side, seasoned with fragrant curry powder, paprika and garlic salt. Better than french fries - seriously!

One of my favourite easy lunches: take leftover grains (today it was bulgur) and mix it up with some pesto and any other veg you fancy: I really like red pepper and sweetcorn. Stuff it in an oiled portobello and bake til the top starts getting a little crispy. I really like it with rocket and avocado on the side. Something about the flavour of the pesto with the texture of the grain is so nice with the avocado. 

P.S. The mushrooms were found in the hedgerows near my house. Not sure of the variety, but they haven't killed me yet.

Delightful lunch today at Brunswick House Cafe in Vauxhaul, London. I was there for a Christmas celebration with one of my clients. This wasn't your usual stuff-your-face Christmas party. Just nice light salads, soups, stews and sandwiches - I went for a roasted vegetable and bulgar salad, plus a beetroot and mackeral salad. Their bread is also very nice. And we all shared two bottles of Prosecco - it is Christmas, after all!

Worth noting: Brunswick House Cafe is a really cool architectural salvage house and I could resist taking lots of pics. You can them on Flickr.

Topped with rocket and avocado. Kind of like a frittata pizza.

Side note: I'm digging the combination of feta and avocado lately. That is all.

Green lentils from the freezer tossed with last night's tofu scramble, shredded carrots, avocado, rocket and a bit of balsamic and oil. Pretty good.