Using Seasonal Vegetables to add Comfort and Nutrition to your Menu this Winter

When the cold hits, so do our cravings for comfort foods - rich, heated, filling dishes that leave us feeling as if we’d just had a warm embrace from a loving grandmother.

29/06/2022

 

 

 

 

When this craving hits and we ladle our second helping of homemade macaroni cheese, any thoughts about nutrition and vitamins go out the window for most of us. However, at a time when our bodies need an extra boost of vitamins and minerals, it’s probably better that we look for comforting foods and recipes that serve both our need for extra nutrition as well as satisfy our cravings.

Fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables are items that we can count on to be available at supermarkets all year round. But just because something is on the shelf all of the year, doesn't mean that you should buy it all year. Avocados, for example, cost more at certain times of the year because they are out-of-season and they now have to be imported from other regions. For winter, in-season vegetables include root produce like onions, carrots, potatoes, and beetroot, and fruits like apples and bananas.

While it’s great that a range of produce is available all year round, chefs and agriculturalists say that the best time to get all the nutrition from produce is when an item is in season.

 

 

 

 

This notion is echoed by Chef Norman Heath of Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront who notes: “There are numerous reasons for using produce in season. Generally, in-season produce tastes better as it has ripened in the conditions it is used to and has done so naturally, without any artificial interference. A second reason is that the produce is fresher and likely sourced from local farmers. Buying produce in-season therefore aids in supporting our national agricultural market. Non-imported foods also leave a much smaller carbon footprint in comparison to imported foods.”

 

 

 

 

In winter, local farmers across South Africa harvest vegetables like broccoli, beetroot and spring onions, and fruits like pawpaw, tomatoes and citrus. In June, July and August these fruits and vegetables are packed with flavour and essential nutrients to keep us strong and healthy.

As Chef Norman says “We use in-season produce to educate our kitchen staff about what is available in their surrounding area at a particular time of the year. And, while the cost is also a factor as produce is more affordable while in season, our main focus is to educate our staff about how to create dishes that are deliciously nutritious and packed with full-bodied flavour from everyday fruits and vegetables.”

If you currently find yourself with an abundance of beetroot because of the season we’re in, here is chef’s sinfully delicious and nutritious recipe for gluten-free rose and beetroot brownies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gluten Free Rose Beetroot Brownie

 

YOU WILL NEED:

• 200 g Dark chocolate Dairy-free chocolate can be used to make dairy-free brownies
• 300 g Cooked beetroot, blended
• 3 Eggs
• 60 ml Olive oil
• 2 ½ tsp Rose water
• 1 tsp Vanilla essence
• 250 g Light brown sugar
• 150g Ground almonds Almonds can be omitted for nut allergies
• 1 tsp Baking powder

 

 

HERE'S HOW:

 

1. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Once on 200C, bring the temp down to 180C
2. Line a 23cm square baking tin with baking paper and set aside.
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate by stopping and stirring at 15-second intervals, until smooth. Set aside for a few minutes. Alternatively, melt chocolate in a double boiler.
4. Transfer the beetroot into a food processor and process until you obtain a smooth puree consistency.
5. In a large bowl, add the pureed beetroot, chocolate, eggs, olive oil, rose water, vanilla extract and mix all the ingredients together until smooth.
6. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the sugar, ground almonds and baking powder. Transfer this dry mixture into the wet mixture and combine all the ingredients together until smooth.
7. Transfer the brownie mixture into the lined baking tin and place in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the top of the brownie feels spongy to the fingertips. When inserted in the middle of the cake, a skewer should come out a little moist.
8. Once baked, remove from the oven and leave until the brownies are completely cooled down before removing them from the tin. Once cooled and removed from the tin, cut into 16 squares. Decorate with melted chocolate and dried edible rose petals if desired. Double boiler. Place a pot of water on the stove and fill it quarter way up; be sure that the bowl you are using to melt the chocolate in does not touch the water in the pot.

 

GOOD TO KNOW:

Be sure to keep some of the beetroot water to aid in the blending process in the food processor. It helps smooth out the beetroot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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