A Diary of the Events Team

New Years’ Resolutions; we all make them and we all break them. If you’ve made a resolution to eat healthier or more environmentally-friendly food, these tips and predictions for 2014, might make keeping your resolutions  easier then you first thought!

After tempting your taste buds late last year with our various Christmas menus, we’ve asked our caterers for their take on healthy eating and trends that they believe will make 2014 a fabulous year for food!

found that 2013 was a year where we wanted to know a lot more about our food, particularly where it is sourced from, and they anticipate that this will gather more attention in 2014. To comply with their values of sourcing food locally, and the produce being seasonal and  sustainable, Penni Black have created four seasonal dinner menus - delicious and delicate dishes for spring; light and fresh for summer; robust and wholesome for autumn; and hearty dishes for winter. Dishes include mini parmesan crumbled kiev with roasted tomato compote and rosemary scented squash.

also believe that 2014 is the year where suppliers will need to be even more environmentally aware, both regarding the ingredients that are being used and the eco-friendly practices that they commit to. Bubble have always been about making eating not just an experience for the palate but one for all the senses and they predict that this year will see a move towards sensory experiences, where smells and sounds are used to create drama.

our in-house caterer are a big believer in kick-starting your day with healthy option breakfasts. Schmoose your guests with smoothies- banana and summer berry are among some of the favourites. Or if you have a full day ahead of you, keep going with slow release carbs from a muesli and yogurt bar or porridge, topped with fruits, seeds and nuts.

Chartwells strive to use the highest quality, freshest ingredients, incorporating seasonal, local, sustainable produce where possible. They are committed to reducing the fat, salt and sugar levels in our food whilst minimising and eliminating, where possible, the use of artificial additives. 

So avoid the peaks and troughs of the caffeine curve and sugar rush brigade, stay focussed for longer and deliver better results.

Food is fuel. Fill up with the right stuff and enjoy your day ahead.

believe healthy food doesn’t have to mean bland food.  Check out the  recipe below to see if they’re  right!

This month they’ve used seasonal ingredients to create a healthy salad, that’s bursting with flavour. The blood orange isn’t in season for very long but it is packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Calcium, Folic Acid and Anthocyanins so get your hands on it while you still can and make a delicious blood orange, fennel and prawn salad.

Serves 4

Prawns Marinade                                Dressing                                                                                                         Salad     

2 blood oranges - zest only                  ½ medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped                                           2 blood oranges

1 tbsp fennel seeds - toasted               80g palm sugar (use honey or Agave Nector if you don't have any palm sugar)       1 large bulb fennel – very finely shaved

Pinch saffron                                     60ml fish sauce                                                                                               ½ cucumber peeled and finely shaved

2 tbsp. olive oil                                 ¼ cup fresh blood orange juice (about 1 orange)                                                ¼ red onion, peeled and finely shaved

16 Tiger prawns – peeled & deveined   ½ tbsp. fresh lemon juice                                                                                2 large handfuls wild rocket & watercress

                                                        Salt and freshly ground black pepper                                                                Chopped green fennel tops                                                                                                                                                                                                      4 tsp. shredded mint leaves

Method

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Marinate the raw prawns overnight or for at least 4 hours.

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing.

Fry the prawns in a pan until cooked – approx. 1 minute on each side. Set aside.

Peel and segment the oranges from the pith.

Slice the fennel, cucumber and red onion using a mandolin if you have one. Otherwise carefully slice to slithers with a sharp knife. Toss with half of the dressing and reserve the rest for garnish.

Add the orange segments and all the leaves to the fennel salad just before serving.

Arrange 4 prawns on each plate with the fennel salad. 

Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Notes:

You can replace the prawns with 125g soft curd or goat’s cheese for a different option.

When blood oranges are out of season, you can replace with regular oranges which are a little larger or seeds from 1 pomegranate and use 2 tbsp. cider vinegar instead of the juice.

We hope the above have been an encouragement to your healthy eating resolutions. If you make the Blue Strawberry recipe, please tweet us pictures of your efforts @parksteadhouse.

To book your healthy, sustainable and all-round tasty catering and events, please call the Conference Office on 020 8392 3505 or email conferences@roehampton.ac.uk.