Weekend food with Darina Allen: Food trends for 2017
By this I mean unprocessed, unpasteurised organic, chemical free, vegetables from our garden or from a real farmer or gardener in your local Farmers or Country Market.
Today I want to give a glimpse into trends and the food scene for 2017.
There is a significant rise in the number of part-time vegetarians — people who are reducing their meat consumption because of health, sustainability and animal welfare concerns.
This continues to gain market share, even among those who do not have allergies or intolerances.
This is moving mainstream – from energy balls to power drinks. The virtuous triangle of great food, exercise and great sleep rings true.
Bone broths are huge. Turmeric, climbs and climbs, it contains curcumin, a super healthy compound, you see it in health sports drinks as well as food. Flavoured waters are exploding.
Watermelon water is set to take over from coconut water in 2017. Kombucha, water and milk kefir and raw organic jersey milk and cream are virtually mainstream but there are increasingly bizarre flavours – birch water, cactus water and then there are drinkable meals and regional cocktails.
Consumer demand for less processed foods is forcing companies to remove artificial ingredients and to reduce sugar and salt in their products.
Traffic chaos in towns and cities is fuelling the phenomenal increase in home deliveries.
Demand is steadily rising as consumers become more aware and educated through the internet, media, films and You Tube. Healthy Kids Meals is attracting a huge R&D budget.
The trend for ‘dining in’ instead of ‘dining out’ is beginning to cause concern to restaurateurs.
Meal Kits with all the ingredients prepped in a box complete with step-by-step instructions for how to finish the dish at home ticks all the boxes for busy commuters and parents.
Drones may soon be delivering our meal kits and takeaway food. Both Google and Virginia Tech are trialling this in the US.
Chefs are either buying or renting land themselves or partnering with farmers so they can use what’s freshest and best in season and have the option to use all parts of the plant or animal.
Artisan Butchery – house made charcuterie; chefs are using more unsung cuts of meat and experimenting with grass fed jerky, seafood jerky, pickles, artisan condiments. Fermented foods will get even bigger.
Food manufacturers are scrambling to produce simpler products with fewer more natural sounding ingredients and greater transparency. The clean food frenzy is also running out of puff and credibility. Low fat, carbohydrates and sugar-rich foods are the villains of 2016 and 2017.
Perhaps the strongest food trend of all, expect to see more and more fungi and algae (low cal, high in nutrients). Yoghurt – with vegetables of course.
Brussel Sprouts are having their moment; move over kale, beets are all the rage – the flavour of 2017.
Kaleina, a mini version of kale and swede turnip chips are already with us. Meat and fish substitutes abound. A veggie burger that bleeds launched in 2016 is only the beginning.
The term ‘plant butcher’ has already been coined according to the sustainable food focused media.
Bugs will be the next big thing in protein. I’ve eaten ants in Copenhagen, grasshoppers in Mexico and tarantulas in Laos but I can’t see it coming ‘mainstream’ in this decade.
We can’t get enough of charred, blackened, torched and smoked food, not just fish but meat, vegetables, even cordials and cocktails…
The new juicing. Soup contains the fibre, seeds, rind and pulp that juicing often discards.
Our appetite for heat continues. Sri Racha is now virtually looked on as a sauce for wimps but we are also loving and having fun with Shichimi ogarashi from Japan.
Sweet and spicy, there’s Gochujang from Korea, Sambal Oelek from Indonesia, Harrissa from North Africa, Tsire, a spice mixture from West Africa, Zhoug a Yemeni green chilli sauce and spicy Berbere from Ethiopia.
Ancient grains, chilies and pulses – Kamut, Einkorn, Teff from Ethopia, Amaranth the ancient grain of the Aztec. Sorghum is the new quinoa. Regarded as the fifth most important cereal crop in the world, some of the health benefits include its ability to prevent certain types of cancer, help control diabetes, improve digestive health. And who knew that porridge would become so cool.
Street inspired foods – authentic ethnic both in cafés, restaurants and in food truck, pierogi, boa buns, multi ethnic dumplings, Japanese crepes (Okonomi yaki).
Seeds, nuts, beans and grains increases the nutritional value and create enzymes that make plant proteins, essential fatty acids, starches and vitamins more available to the body.
Check out Bowls of Goodness by Nina Olsson published by Kyle Books
Pizzerias are inviting customers to build their own pizza from a range of toppings .
Expect to see more Eastern European food, Georgian, Middle Eastern, African flavours.
Watermelon Lemonade
4 ozs (110 g) sugar
4 fl oz (110 ml) water
600 g (20 ozs) cubed watermelon
675 ml (24 fl ozs) cold water
110 ml (4 fl oz) fresh lemon juice
Place the watermelon into a blender. Cover and puree until smooth, then strain through a fine mesh sieve.
Next bring the sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves — about five minutes. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the cold water and lemon juice.
Put lots of ice cubes into 12 glasses, scoop two or three tablespoons of watermelon puree over the ice, then top with the lemonade.
Gently stir before serving.
Miso soup with ginger, tofu, soba noodles and shiitake mushrooms
This easy-to-make soup is the perfect, light comfort food all year around.
Miso is a big deal in Japan where it’s a staple of daily life. The uses for it are endless and its rich flavour makes it a great addition to any kitchen.
Miso paste is made from fermented soya beans and is available in different varieties — lighter miso is milder in taste and has been fermented for less time than the darker variety.
Miso soup is popular for fasting and weight loss as it contains very few calories.
It’s also a perfect restorative soup when you want to recharge with something light.
This recipe delivers the lightness of miso soup while adding a little extra texture and flavour.
Serves 4
Dashi (Makes 1 litre)
1 strip of kombu seaweed
1 litre water
Miso Soup
250g soba noodles
drizzle of rapeseed oil
75g shiitake mushrooms
150g firm tofu, cut into small cubes
salt
few pinches of shichimi togarashi or chilli flakes
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons shoyu
75g broccolini or broccoli florets
75g miso paste (I use white or yellow)
1 tablespoon lime juice
drizzle of sesame oil
Toppings (Optional)
cucumber, cut in thin sticks
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
handful of sesame seeds
handful of fresh herbs (chives or coriander fit perfectly)
To make the dashi, soak the kombu in the water overnight in the fridge, or for a minimum of 1 hour.
Transfer to a large saucepan, bring to a simmer then remove the kombu. Strain the liquid through a sieve and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Cook the soba noodles according to the packet instructions. Rinse in cold water and drain.
Heat a frying pan over a medium–high heat and add a drizzle of rapeseed oil. Stir-fry the shiitake mushrooms over a medium-high heat for a couple of minutes then remove from the pan.
Clean the pan and add another drizzle of rapeseed oil, then stir-fry the tofu cubes until golden and sprinkle with salt and a little shichimi togarashi. Remove from the heat.
Bring the dashi to the boil in a soup pot, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Add the ginger, shoyu, mushrooms and broccolini and simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Separate 200ml of the dashi broth and dissolve the miso in it. Pour the concentrated miso dashi back into the pot with the rest of the dashi and add the lime juice and sesame oil.
Taste and adjust the flavour with additional miso paste, if needed.
Pour the miso soup into four bowls then add the tofu cubes and soba noodles.
Top with cucumber, spring onions and sesame seeds, chives or coriander.
Taken from Nina Olsson’s Bowls of Goodness
Butchine’s Buttermilk Chicken Bun
Serves 6
350 ml buttermilk
500g chicken thighs, boneless (6 pieces)
Oil for frying or beef dripping
100 g plain white flour
1 teaspoon oregano or marjoram
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Mix the buttermilk and chicken in a bowl. Cover and allow to marinade for at least two hours, better still overnight.
When ready to cook: heat the oil in a deep fry to 175C.
Mix the flour, oregano, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, sea salt, freshly ground pepper in a shallow dish.
Remove the chicken pieces, one at a time, shake off excess buttermilk.
Quickly coat in seasoned flour.
Fry in the oil until fully cooked through and golden brown, 10-12 minutes.
Meanwhile, split a bun, spread a good dollop of guacamole and a leaf of lettuce on the side and some chipotle mayonnaise on the other, some shredded lettuce, plus a crisp streaky rasher on the other.
When the chicken is cooked through, drain on kitchen paper.
Lay on top of the bacon and top with the other bun. Press together and enjoy right away.
Hot tips
Ballymaloe Good Living Day and Ballymaloe Relish 5k Lucky Run, Sunday February 5: Join us for a day-long event devoted to wellness of mind, body and spirit.
The objective of the Ballymaloe Good Living Day is for visitors to learn at least one new life enhancing ide or thought to carry through 2017 and beyond.
Don’t miss many inspiring talks - Communicating the Sugar Message, Life Begins in the Garden, Mindfulness and Stress Management, Change your Food, Change your Life with myself at 11am. www.ballymaloegrainstore.com/portfolio/ballymaloe-good-living-day
Imagine, the perfect pizza.
Its base is made from a delicious sourdough with a thin bottom and a crunchy crust.
Its topping is homemade tomato sauce, the freshest buffalo mozzarella and a few leaves of basil or perhaps wild mushrooms.
This three-hour masterclass will take you through all the basics to modern gourmet masterpieces.
Friday, February 10, from 2.30-5pm. www.cookingisfun.ie
: Join us today at 2pm for an afternoon inspired by food and movement.
It’s a unique opportunity to participate in a fitness workshop at the Ballymaloe Cookery School. There are energy snacks on arrival, a Fit Foodie favourites demo, Movement Hour and Fit Foodie Philosphy chat.
Topics include shopping for the healthy pantry, how to eat like an Olympian, plus a Q&A with Derval O’Rourke.
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