Avocado and Marmite on toast (a homage to the black stuff)

Ok, so I can't call this cooking, it is more of an amalgamation of a handful of ingredients (well, isn't all cooking, really?). If you have never tried avocado and Marmite together, DO IT NOW! Alright, so Marmite has the whole love/hate thing going on, therefore it may not be to everyone's taste. But if you are a lover as I am, then the creamy taste of avocado compliments the umami (savory), salty taste of Marmite incredibly well.

I read a while ago about a professor coming up with the theory that if we send Marmite to the Middle East, it could bring peace to the Arab-Israeli conflict due to the high zinc content it possesses. You can find the article HERE. It was also on the BBC show QI if you prefer Stephen Fry to charm you with the story (as I unequivocally do).

Whilst on my hunt for Marmite trivia, I also stumbled across THIS very interesting article. After the March 2012 earthquake in Christchurch NZ, one of the cooling towers in the only Marmite factory in New Zealand got damaged, forcing the factory to close. This in turn caused a shortage in Marmite, causing panic buying, with the media sparking the term 'MARMAGEDDON'. They offered advice such as only rationing your Marmite usage to once a day, and only using it on toast so it spreads thinner and ultimately lasts longer. Oh Marmite, what a life it would be without you.

Anyway... try this recipe, it's yummy!

Avocado and Marmite on toast

Serves 1 
2 x good quality wholemeal/ multi seeded bread
Butter (or dairy free alternative)
Marmite (to taste)
1/2 ripe avocado
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil leaves, torn
Spinach
Cherry tomatoes

1. Toast the bread 
2. Once toasted, butter one side of the toast and spread the Marmite to you taste. Due to the creaminess of the avocado, you can definitely apply a little more Marmite than usual, as the avocado neutrilises the strong flavour of the Marmite.
3. Split the avocado into half, and mash it up to make a kind of spread.
4. Spread the avocado onto the toast.
5. Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper on top and scatter the basil leaves on top.
6. Wash the spinach and quarter the cherry tomatoes, and add as a side salad.

TST (tofu, spinach and tomato) sandwich

There is nothing better than a hot breakfast sandwich on a Sunday morning. I came up with this recipe whilst I was a student in Leeds, so it is uncomplicated and cheap to make. I have seen many different recipes for vegetarian "bacon", but this recipe is the simplest with only 3 ingredients. I think it saves a lot of faffing around and still produces a yummy result.

If you're expecting it to taste anything like bacon you are sorely mistaken, but it does give you the smokey, salty goodness that a good breakfast sandwich should. I load it up with spinach and tomato, and maybe even some brown sauce if I'm feeling a little daring.

TST sandwich

Serves 1
Olive oil
Extra firm tofu, sliced thinly into 4-5 slices
Dark soy sauce (better for colour but light is fine if you have that)
Half tsp sweet smoked paprika
2 slices wholemeal bread (or a roll)
Handful spinach, washed
1 beef tomato or 3 cherry tomatoes, sliced thinly
Brown sauce (optional)

1. Heat a griddle pan on a high heat and add a splash of olive oil
2. Add the sliced tofu, and sprinkle on the soy sauce and half of the smoked paprika on top
3. With the back of a spoon, spread the smoked paprika over the tofu to cover the top side
4. After 3-4 minutes, flip the tofu. It should be nicely browned on one side
5. Add some more soy sauce and the rest of the paprika, covering the tofu again
6. Meanwhile, toast your bread or warm your roll
7. After another 3-4 minutes, flip the tofu and cook on each side for around 1 minute to ensure it has taken on enough colour
8. Add a squeeze of brown sauce (if using) to your toast and layer your tofu up on top
9. Add your tomato and spinach, cut in half and serve with a lovely mug of Earl Grey

Super green mango smoothie

I have amazingly kept up my new years resolutions and have been going to the gym. When I get home from work I'm usually pretty hungry, so I have started making smoothies to have before going to a class later in the evening. Now some of you may think a green smoothie is taking the health thing a little too far, but I love the colour and it makes me feel good to know I'm packing in a hell of a nutritional punch into that little glass of green joy.

Another new years resolution was to start this blog. I have slowed my posting down in the past few weeks so sorry I haven't been updating it more. I will try to get back to a steady flow of a couple of posts a week.

Super green mango smoothie

 Serves 2
1/2 ripe mango, cubed into 1cm chunks
1 banana
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 large handful spinach
75ml soya milk (or alternative)
150ml water (or until you have the right consistency)
1 tbsp Agave nectar (or honey)

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend
2. Check consistency of smoothie and add more water/milk until you have the right consistency for you.

 NOTE: I did not measure the amount of milk/water I put into the blender, so these are only estimates. Use your own initiative when adding the liquids to get the consistency you wish for.

Homemade cheesy hash browns, fried egg and roasted tomato brunch

If I owned a cafe, I would strive to make the best breakfast in the area. Being a bit of a foodie, I am awful to eat out with as I just pick apart the meal and moan about how they could have done better. Breakfast is definitely a meal that I have rarely found a cafe that is close to the homemade meals my partner and I can cook. I'm not saying I am a better cook than the professionals, I just think that breakfast is often pushed to the side, and not given the limelight it deserves.

Homemade hash browns are one of the most wonderful additions to a breakfast. They are 100 times tastier than shop bought hash browns, and are well worth the little bit of effort. They will make an average breakfast something special, and you won't want to return to that over processed sorry state of a potato you thought were the don before.

Homemade cheesy hash browns, fried egg and roasted tomato brunch

Serves 3

4 small-medium potatoes

1/4 onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, finely diced

25g mature cheddar cheese, grated

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

25-50g plain flour

4 eggs

3 tomatoes

Olive oil

Spinach, rocket and watercress

Ciabatta

Butter

1. Heat the oven to 220 degrees.
2. Grate the potato into a colander over a mixing bowl. Press the potato and try to squeeze as much liquid out as possible.
3. Pour away any liquid extracted from the potato and add potato to the mixing bowl. Mix in the diced onion, garlic, cheddar cheese and 1 egg.
4. Season with plenty of salt and pepper (you need more than you think) and mix well.
5. Place the whole tomatoes onto a roasting tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season. Place in the preheated oven.
6. You may notice there is a fair bit of liquid now in the potato mixture. Drain off about 75% of this liquid. Sprinkle about 25g of flour on the potato mixture and mix well. The egg, liquid and flour should make a thin batter that should keep the hash browns together.
7. Heat about 4tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and mould the potato mixture into flat patties. Squeeze out any excess liquid so they keep their shape, and place into the hot pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to fry 3-4 at a time. Once the hash browns have browned on one side, flip to brown the other side, adding more oil if needed. If you are cooking them in batches, place the cooked hash browns in the oven with the tomatoes to keep warm.
8. Cut 6 slices of ciabatta and place in the oven to warm. Wash the salad and divide onto 3 plates.
9. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and crack the other 3 eggs into the pan. Once it has cooked on one side, season in the pan with salt and pepper, and flip to seal the eggs.
10. Place the hash browns, tomato and ciabatta on the plates, butter the ciabatta and place the eggs on the hash browns.

A very hippy happy breakfast smoothie

Saturday... a day for many that usually brings a sore head, and today I join the masses. That bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon in hindsight was a terrible idea. I would usually turn to a big British fry up right now, but after last night's Birthday cakes (yes, there were three) and a new blender, I thought I would start the day off with a nice healthy smoothie.

This kept me going for a fair while and was nicely satisfying. The ground flaxseed is added for extra protein. If you don't have any than I'd recommend buying a bag from your local healthfood store, it is about £4.50 but a bag lasts you ages and keeps well in the fridge. It is great in porridge/salads/soup/smoothies/sauces and is soooo good for you.

Blueberry breakfast smoothie

100g of blueberries
1 banana (if you don't like bananas, leave it out and add more oats to thicken)
Handful of oats
Soya milk (or dairy milk)
Squeeze of agave nectar (or honey)
1 tsp ground flaxseed
Dash of vanilla extract

1. Stick it all in a blender and blend
2. Add more milk until you get the right consistency
3. Serve over ice for a chillier start to the day