A freekeh good salad

Right, so for the bulk (‘bulk’ being the operative word) of December/January/February, it seems all I did was eat. And I’m not talking tofu and tahini – think brandy sauce, mince pies, shortbread, and more recently, plain old toast with lashings of butter and homemade jam.

I fear that this way of living will very soon, if it hasn’t already – prove problematic. I won’t be able to even fit inside the door of those uber cool tiny Melbourne bars, let alone attract that broody muso/actor type (Axle!!! Give up Summer Bay and come back to Melbourne!!). No amount of cocktails and mood lighting will be able to save my social life. Wait… who am I kidding? I rarely frequent those places anyway! But the fact remains, it’s time for a food overhaul.

Yesterday I strolled the streets of my home suburb, which happens to be overrun by skinny rich people most of the time but whom blessedly are still away at their divine beach houses, pretending to care about their children while the nanny also has a holiday.

So, I strolled the tumbleweed streets in search of a skinny latte and some skinny bread. Spelt loaves on special! Rejoice! Oh no, they were mouldy. Is the ghost of the dead lady from the two fat ladies trying to tell me something? “Embrace your inner minke!!!”. “NOOOOOO!!!!!” She cried. My fledgling determination maintained its hold and luckily I found a penicillin free loaf at the back of the shelf.

I kept strolling, bought a pair of sandals to match my new I-promise-I’m-not-wearing-this-just-to-hide-my-new-Michelin’s maxi dress, and headed for home. Pondering what to have for lunch. Hmm…cream is out, butter is out, yummy mayonnaise is out… where have all the good foods gone???!!!

I settled on this: 

Cook some freekeh (or other virtuous grain, like burghal), according to packet instructions. Then toss in a bowl with some grated fresh beetroot, chopped preserved lemon, chopped rocket and mint, and some salt and pepper. Mix in a vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, and a little sugar, and you’re done. Of course, you could use any herbs you like.

Put a pile in a bowl and crack open a tin of tuna to have with it. Yum.

I like to think my nutritious lunch made up for the bread, butter and creamy potato salad I wolfed down later for dinner. Hey, I was at a birthday party. What was I to do?

This morning I was back on the band wagon. I polished off a bowl of my favourite muesli – untoasted of course – with fruit and yoghurt. Go me.

Have to run, I’ve got these brown bananas in the fruit bowl just itching to go into a cake. Hold the cream cheese icing.