Guilt-free Gourmet
Wine lunches need not be indulgent – as healthy eating celebrity chef Daniel Green brings a whole new meaning to wining and dining with his philosophy of guilt-free gourmet foods. A regular on TV shows like Asian Food Channel, Food Network and the BBC, Green was in Kuala Lumpur recently to host a private luncheon as the Petronas Wellness Ambassador, showcasing six gourmet dishes using only the cleanest and leanest of ingredients paired with six Italian sparkling wines.
The London-born, Minneapolis-based chef has carved a niche for himself as a healthy eating guru, and since shedding weight as an overweight teenager – losing almost 30 kilogrammes and keeping it off – his love for simple, healthy, great-tasting food has brought him all over the world to promote a lifestyle of clean-eating. His recent projects have included redesigning Cathay Pacific and the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong’s menu to healthier options.
“You can enjoy gourmet food without the fats, and that is how I’ve always designed my menus,” said Green, who is also the author of ten recipe books, including ‘Healthy Meals Under 30 Minutes’, ‘Healthy Eating for Lower Cholesterol’ and ‘Paleo Monday to Friday.’ He added: “My dishes are always low in carbohydrates, low in fats and high in protein. In devising my recipes I’ve also drawn upon my culinary experience to prove that healthy food need not be boring.”
And boring they are most certainly not, as the Crab and Avocado Tower proved to be creative, delectable and guilt-free all the same. The three-tier appetizer with a mashed avocado base and zero-fat crabmeat layer was topped with generous cuts of salmon sashimi and ikura, then garnished with scallions, fresh dill and a drizzle of lemon juice, paired with a glass of extra dry Valdobbiadene Prosecco.
Two entrées paved the way next – a light and creamy Australian butternut squash soup slow-cooked using all-natural ingredients of squash, onion puree, vegetable stock and olive oil resulting in a sweet and earthy flavour; and an Asian-inspired edamame salad with miso vinaigrette and a dash of dragonfruit. “I love using Asian ingredients and miso is a favourite as it’s low in saturated fats,“ said Green. “If you can’t get dragonfruit, you can always substitute it with beetroot.”
The day’s highlight was the Australian Wagyu beef tartar served atop a bed of shredded Asian pear. Marinated in sesame oil, soy sauce, honey and Korean gochujang chilli paste, the Seoul-inspired dish was a flavourful medley of raw beef juices and sweet crunchy pear, matched with a red-fruited Reggiano Lambrusco DOC Amabile. The Seafood Bouillabaisse, a rich tomato-based stew of calamari, salmon and mussels finished off the mains beautifully.
A so-far guilt-free five course meal ended with a red diva cake, served with two scoops of luscious Maggie Beer ice-cream of Morello cherry and dark chocolate almond flavour. The South Australian ice-cream is available at the Culinary Concierge, a food-to-go kiosk located at Isetan Suria KLCC’s Concourse Level
