It’s January. Now all the final remnants of turkey are gone and the last beer has been drunk, its time to fix up and shake off those ‘soft’ bits with some seriously healthy, seriously tasty food. To make this gruelling prospect as easy as possible- and to avoid any potential rabbit food disasters- The Manual caught up with three progressive eateries from around the globe to bring you three delicious dishes that won’t pile on the pounds. Happy Manuary detoxing.
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts Salad by The Dalloway, NYC
“This dish combines healthy eating with delicious flavors, and manages to highlight the quality of the ingredients. The overpowering bitterness people tend to associate with brussels sprouts is cut by the sweetness of the grapes, allowing the flavor to really shine through. It’s a light and healthy salad that will fill you up without weighing you down.” – The Dalloway
To serve four-
1 cup Quinoa
2 cups red grapes, quartered
2 cups brussels sprouts, quartered
2 whole peeled shallots, sliced thinly
1 bag baby arugula
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1. To start, thoroughly rinse quinoa (at least 5 minutes, until water runs clear). Cover with 2 cups of cold water in small saucepan and bring to simmer. Reduce heat and cover until all the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is cooked through (about 20 minutes). Leave to cool.
2. Toss brussel sprouts and shallots with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread out on baking sheet. Cook in oven at 400°C for 15 minutes, or until well caramelized and cooked through. Leave to cool.
3. To serve: mix arugula, grapes, quinoa, shallots and brussel sprouts together in mixing bowl. Drizzle with high quality olive oil (to give an extra burst of flavor, use truffle oil), and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy.
Lorena salad by Sodo, London
“This is a great salad for this time of year as it’s hearty, full of antioxidants, vitamin A, iron, good oils and a combination of carbohydrates to keep you energised. It can be enjoyed cold or with the squash, beans and pine kernels heated. You could even replace the spinach with curly kale if you really wanted to maximise the seasonal varieties.” – Sodo
To serve one-
40g spinach
80g butter beans, tinnned is ok or soak and cool yourself
50g crumbled feta
Sprig of rosemary, leaves chopped up
10g toasted pine nuts
1 roast butternut squash, 1cm cube chunks roasted in oven for 20-25 minutes at 180°C (or until golden brown)
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl drizzling the olive oil over at the end.
2. Toss a few times to mix up. The olive oil should glaze the leaves and encourage the rosemary, pine nuts and feta to stick to it.
3. As a general format for its creation, pour out onto the plate/bowl so the spinach creates a bed for everything else, but feel free to experiment!
Hot Smoked salmon salad by Cucina Urbana, San Diego
“This dish is a refreshing option that perfectly melds flavors, temperatures and textures into a delicious and healthy dish. Smokey, salty and sweet notes blend in a way that is complementary and not overpowering, and the colors of the dish make for beautiful presentation; it’s always a crowd pleaser.” – Cucina Urbana
To serve six-
Salmon brine:
1 qt purified water
1 qt ice
¼ c brown sugar
¼ c salt
2 ea star anise
2 ea cloves
3 ea bay leaf
12-3 oz pieces of salmon fillets (skin on if you prefer)
1. Bring water, brown sugar, salt, star anise, cloves, and bay leaf to a boil for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Take off of the stove and allow to cool for a couple of minutes, and then add the ice to it. When the brine is completely cold pour it over the salmon fillets. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
2. The next day remove from the brine and place on a dry towel and pat dry. NOTE: If you do not have a smoker you can use a pan with a perforated pan on top.
3. Spray the perforated pan with pan spray and place the salmon fillets skin side up. Soak wood chips in water for 20 min and place them in the pan below. Place the pan with salmon on top and cover with foil. Place on a medium flame and once the chips have started to smoke let them go for 10 to 15 min. Remove and allow to cool.
Gala apple agri dulce:
½ qt rice wine vinegar
½ c orange blossom honey
½ c small diced shallots
2 tsp chopped tarragon
2 tsp chopped parsley
salt to taste
Mix all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and set aside for at least 1 hour, and up to 2 weeks.
Walnut chardonnay vinaigrette:
1/2 c chardonnay
1/2 c champagne vinegar
1/2 c candied walnuts
¼ c chopped shallots
1 c blended oil
salt to taste
Start by reducing the chardonnay over low heat to 1/3 its volume, and allow to cool. In a food processor, mix the chardonnay, vinegar, shallots, and candied walnuts. Slowly add the oil a little at a time. When all of the oil is emulsified, season and taste, and season again if needed.
To plate:
Warm the salmon just a bit in a 325 degree oven. Toss some salad greens with the chardonnay vinaigrette and season with salt. Place the greens and the salmon next to each other on a plate. Slice some gala apples very thin on a Japanese mandolin, or with a knife. Toss with the agri dulce and season. Place the apples on top of the salmon fillets. Drizzle with a small amount of the left over vinegar. Top the salad with some toasted walnuts and enjoy..
