I’m a big fan of pushing the culinary nutrition boundaries with new flavour fusions. No one likes to get flavour fatigue and shaking it up keeps healthy foods, interesting foods. The same goes with fitness. So a recent invite to a food and fitness fusion event in Sydney had me excited. Have you heard about Barre Body? Do you want the scoop on new flavour fusions? We sent Rachelle Lacroix Mallik to investigate (just because she was in Sydney and super keen, and maybe just a little bit because she has better ballerina legs than me!)
About our expert
Rachelle LaCroix Mallik is a US-trained Registered Dietitian who had been living in Melbourne for over a year before recently moving to Sydney with her husband. With an additional Masters in Food Studies, Rachelle is an expert on food culture and sustainability. She enjoys cooking at home as much as eating out, and balances her foodie lifestyle with city walks, bike rides and yoga. Rachelle would love to grow her Sydney connections – chat to her on twitter @RMLaCroix and follow her Facebook page the Food Therapist.
Flavour fusions
Fusion, bringing two or more things together to form one whole, is a method that can create unique and delicious results in cuisine. I love using using spice blends like Indian garam masala or Middle Eastern za’atar to take the guesswork out if you’re new to certain flavour combinations. Some of my other favourite flavour combos are popcorn with orange zest and rosemary, mango with chilli and lime (a popular Mexican street food), and avocado with lemon and Vegemite. Oh yes a New Yorker who eats Vegemite. The Aussie yeast-extract is rich in umami, the fifth basic taste which is best described as savoury and meaty or “glutamatey”. In recent years, umami has become a buzzword in the culinary world as chefs prepare and foodies seek out dishes that feature and fuse this elusive and captivating flavour. You can add umami into the mix in home cooking with ingredients like soy sauce, mushrooms and parmesan.
Have you tried embracing fusions to shake up your workout and have fun with healthy food? By pairing something familiar with something novel, you may be more likely to try it and like it. Research has shown that pairing familiar flavours with novel foods increases willingness to give it a taste.
Cooking up flavour
Dan Churchill, aka the Healthy Cook, does not believe in the word “diet” and encourages lifestyle changes, like eating healthy food that tastes amazing. I’m with him on that! Dan’s pairing of Activia Fusions Lychee and Pink Grapefruit yoghurt with quinoa granola and strawberries hit all the right notes – creamy, crunchy, fruity, acidic – but his use of a sweetened yoghurt in a savoury dish really impressed me. When developing the recipes, Dan considered yoghurt-marinated tandoori chicken but chose a raw zucchini “pasta” dish to highlight bright, fresh flavours. With this dish, Dan could also show off the “Spiralizer,” a kitchen appliance that rapidly transforms whole vegies into spaghetti-like strands. In a large bowl, he tossed together spiralized zucchini, a few dollops of Activia Fusions Lemon & Ginger yoghurt, a big handful of roughly chopped coriander and flat-leaf parsley, a pinch of sea salt, and fresh lemon juice. I helped demonstrate how rolling a lemon before cutting it releases more of its juices. Dan topped the dish off with sliced smoked salmon for a boost of omega-3s in this simple and satisfying meal (see plated dish above – all event photos by APL Photography with thanks to Anthony Licuria).
Fusion on the barre
Just as fusion flavours create interest and uniqueness, fusion fitness classes mix up workout routines for improved fitness and tone. Barre Body is an exciting new offer that fuses ballet barre conditioning with yoga and pilates. After founder Emma Siebold led us through an abbreviated 30-minute Barre class (classes are usually one hour), my glutes and quads were on fire! Emma attributes Barre Body to helping her regain her muscle strength post-baby.
Launching Activia’s new Fusion Yoghurt Range
Scoop Nutrition were guests at the event and launch of Activia Fusions yoghurt range, which offers blended flavours with its exclusive probiotic, Bifidus Actiregularis. The first flavour fusions are Lemon & Ginger and Lychee & Pink Grapefruit in a low fat yoghurt that beautifully balance acidic and sweet tastes. Activia Fusions are tasty on their own or when used in other dishes like Chef Dan demonstrated. Available exclusively at Coles RRP $4.49 for 4 x 125g pack.
Editor’s comment
Thanks Rachelle, for bringing us the Scoop. Excellent to see that Scoop Contributor dietitian Caitlin Reid was there too! I’d love to hear about your fusion ideas lovely readers? What have you tried recently that has shaken up your taste buds or your….*ahem*….. booty?
