Recipe Friday: Feel Good Food

This year is all about the feel-good factor. “Healthy options” are about to be transformed.

By thinking outside of the box, we can dream up divine and unexpected dishes that are rich in nutrients, beautiful to look at and tasty too! The lettuce-based salad is out, and alternative veg and nutritional grains are in – like the millet used by Chef Jimena Solis in her signature Millet Malfatti dish. It’s important to develop a wellrounded understanding of nutrition and wellbeing. We all have a responsibility to safeguard all aspects of human health, and that starts with the food we eat! 

Check out these recipes from Unilever Food Solutions 2024 Future Menus trend report for inspiration on how to incorporate this 2024 food trend. 

Tapioca Gnocchi, Tucupi Bechamel, and Banana Skin Caramel Grilledd Coalho Cheese

Recipe courtesy Chef Thaís Gimenez, Brazil

Yield: 10

Ingredients for Tapioca Gnocchi

Method

1. Boil the milk and add to a bowl with the tapioca granulada and ground cheese.
2. Let it hydrate for about 15 mins.
3. Prepare the potato puree: Add Knorr Professional Potato Puree to hot water, mix well and let it rest.
4. Add the puree to the hydrated, warm tapioca and mix well.
5. Dust the work surface with Maizena and divide the dough into 5 portions. Working with one piece at a time, use your hands and roll it out from the center into a rope that is about 2-cm wide.
6. Transfer the gnocchi to a baking sheet dusted with Maizena.
7. In a skillet, heat the olive oil. • Add the gnocchi and fry until golden.

Tip: Work with the tapioca dough while still warm so it’s easier to roll.

Ingredients for Tucupi Béchamel

Method

1. In a saucepan, boil the tucupi until reduced into half over low heat. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat the milk then add turmeric and Knorr Béchamel Sauce.
3. Whisk the mixture until smooth and thickened.
4. Add the reduced tucupi to the saucepan and bring to the boil. Set aside.

Ingredients for Banana Skin Caramel

Method

1. Peel bananas. Store the peels in a bag and freeze them for 24 hrs.
2. In a saucepan, caramelize the brown sugar.
3. Cut the banana peels into medium pieces and add to the sugar.
4. Mix well and add salt, half of the cream, and rum.
5. Bring it to the boil.
6. Add all the mixture to a blender with the lemon juice and the remaining cream.
7. In a skillet, grill all sides of the cheese.
8. Brush the grilled cheese with caramel.

Ingredients for Banana Tapioca Popcorn

Method

1. Slice the peeled bananas then arrange them on a silicon mat.
2. Bake them for 20 mins at 160°C.
3. Remove from the oven then let them cool. Set aside.
4. In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Add tapioca flakes and fry them for 1 minute, covering all the flakes.
5. Add the Knorr Meu Tempero and the banana chips.

Millet Malfatti in Smoked Vegetable Sauce

Recipe courrtesy Chef Jimena Solis, Argentina

Yield: 10

Ingredients for Malfatti

Method

1. Wash the millet and toast it slowly in a pan.
2. Cook the millet with the vegetable bouillon (1L water + 15g granulated bouillon).
3. For the puree: Boil 500g water, add the sunflower oil and incorporate very slowly the dehydrated potato flakes. The puree needs to be firm in texture.
4. Chop the chickpeas in a mixer.
5. Toast the walnuts in the oven.
6. Chill all the ingredients and combine them (cooked millet + chickpea + puree). Add the lemon zest, the spinach finely chopped and the salt and pepper.
7. Shape them into balls - around 35g each.
8. Preheat the oven 200°C. Roast the balls for 5 mins or until golden in color.
9. Whole Recipe Cooked: Combine 625g millet + 250g puree + 250g chickpea puree + 440g spinach + 150g walnuts + 5g lemon zest.

Ingredients for Smoked Sauce

Method

1. Smoke the fresh vegetables with the wood chips and charcoal.
2. Mix all the smoked veggies.
3. Sift and set aside the bagasse.
4. For the tomato sauce: boil 1500g water and add the dehydrated tomato flakes.
5. Combine the smoked vegetable puree and the tomato sauce.
6. Heat the sauce and add the agar-agar.
7. Mix well and pour the sauce into a siphon. Charge it.

Ingredients for Crackers

Method

1. Partially grind the seeds.
2. Add the bagasse to the seeds then add salt and crushed pepper.
3. Spread the mix on a silicone mat.
4. Bake at 90°C until dry and golden brown.