EHL’s Institute of Nutrition R&D presents the spring season on a plate with a nutritious and delicious vegetarian menu to delight foodie fans of all types. As Hippocrates famously said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”, here we are reminded that behind many seasonal recipes lie specific healing properties to help us best align with the time of year. Enjoy your meal as well as your health!
Long live spring! Nature is waking up and so is the menu!
Asparagus and other crunchy vegetables, carefully cooked, are awakening our taste buds while the color green abounds. Rich in lutein, an antioxidant that protects the brain, asparagus is also full of vitamin B9 and folic acid which are necessary for the maintenance, repair, and production of our cells.
In terms of raw, living food, there are young sprouts, germinated seeds and small colored flowers that bring freshness and dynamism with their vitamins and micronutrients - real energy boosters! Not forgetting the hint of wild garlic, whose green leaves and white flowers stimulate our well-being, especially urinary. Garlic has many virtues: it is detoxifying for the liver, protective for the cardiovascular system and contributes to a healthy microbiota.
Local ham, without nitrite preservatives (increasingly available with small producers) adds more color to this dish.
In case you haven’t heard of tempura, it’s a light batter, (whose recipe is kept secret by Japanese cooks), made of a delicate blend of several flours and oils, such as cottonseed, whose viscosity guarantees the lightness of the batter. Although the details remain a mystery, this tempura brings to the beautiful Valais asparagus a softness inside and a crispness outside which delights the palate due to its unctuousness.
Then there’s the lassi - a fermented drink made from raw milk. It is precisely these ferments which produce a new source of life in the gut. The carbohydrates are transformed into lactic acid which help our intestinal well-being and participate in the reseeding of our microbiota with good bacteria. It is also rich in calcium, which is good for our bones. Accompanied by a preserved lemon in brine, another fermentation principle, the acidic flavor gives a boost and titillates our taste buds. Thanks to its richness in flavonoids – the reason for its yellow color - the lemon optimizes the cardiovascular system and reduces the risk of diabetes.
Fat, yes, good fat is key to life. To embellish the arctic char lake fish, we recommend a dash of walnut oil, rich in omega 3 fatty acids with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, as well as cardiovascular and cerebral protectors. These properties are also found in cruciferous vegetables, thanks to the sulforaphanes that are activated when they are cut or chewed.
As for ground ivy, its expectorant properties will calm down the last aches of the winter season!
Let's finish this meal by stocking up on vitamin C with kiwis from Morges, rich in soluble and insoluble fibers. The soluble fibers will be fermented by your microbiota and the insoluble fibers will ensure a better transit.
A menu rich in nutrition and health with guaranteed gustatory pleasure!
This menu was co-authored by Karine Dubrit, micro-nutrition doctor, Marianne Vellieux, micro-nutritionist, and Cédric Bourassin, Lecturer Practical Arts and Head Chef at the Berceau Des Sens (BDS), Michelin-starred teaching restaurant of EHL.
All the recipes and ingredients are for 4 people. Have a great summer and bon appétit!