The best thing about living in Reading was its
proximity to London.
Being a vibrant university town, Reading has
its own attractions and we enjoyed them during the week.
On most weekends, however, we would go to the
Reading Junction and board one of the many trains going to Paddington. From
there we charted our way to the various tube stations depending on what we had
planned for the day.
London made us feel overwhelmed by its crowds,
tourists, and sights. With so many historical landmarks to explore, we didn’t seem
to have enough hours in the day trip.
Add to that an austere budget and a toddler who
ate only homemade food.
So every Saturday morning, I would cut up some
fruit and make omelette sandwiches which would be our picnic brunch on our day
trip to the big city. Then loading these boxes into our backpacks along with
the drinks, we set out to the Reading Station pushing our toddler who was cushioned
up in her stroller.
We ate our omelette sandwiches on the steps of
the British museum, on the banks of the Thames as we viewed the comings and
goings at the Tower Bridge, outside the Tate Museum, at the gates of
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, in the gardens of Westminster Abbey, near
Trafalgar Square, in the shadow of Big Ben, and numerous other places.
We didn’t have to line up at the fast food
centres or wait for our orders to arrive. As our daughter hungrily munched her
sandwich, we gazed around and absorbed the essence of this beautiful city.
On the way back, it sometimes rained and we
rushed into Marks and Spencer at Reading for tea and cookies which was always a
highlight of the day. It gave us a warm moment to discuss all that we had seen
and done.
Here is the recipe of our ‘London Brunch’:
Ingredients:
½ tbsp cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 green chilli, finely chopped (optional)
1 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ tbsp coriander leaves, chopped (optional)
Slices of brown bread
Butter or tomato sauce (optional)
Method:
1.
Heat
1/4 tbsp of oil in a small pan.
2.
Add
onion and fry till it becomes golden brown.
3.
Add
tomato, ginger-garlic paste, and green chilli. Stir, cover the pan, and cook on
low heat for 2 minutes.
4.
Turn
off the heat and add turmeric powder, salt and pepper. Mix well and add this mixture
to the bowl of beaten eggs. Mix again.
5.
In
a non-stick frying pan, heat 1/4 tbsp oil, and spread the egg mixture evenly.
6.
Fry
uncovered for 7-8 minutes (or till your kitchen fills up with the omelette
aroma).
7.
Flip
it over and fry for 4-5 minutes.
8.
Garnish
with coriander. Cut into square portions and serve as sandwich fillings in
brown bread lined with butter or tomato sauce.
Happy picnicking!
