TASTY TRENDS TO BOOST YOUR KITCHEN CREATIVITY THIS YEAR
One thing that has helped me endure spending so much time at home during this pandemic is food. I love to bake and cook, so that became a great way to be productive and save money in 2020.
I'm proud to report that no weight was gained from last year's biggest kitchen activity: baking sourdough bread.
Although I'll keep baking sourdough bread, to keep my repertoire fresh in the kitchen I'm going to introduce some of 2021's fun and exciting kitchen trends.
These include virtual cooking classes and planning interesting menus to give me that restaurant experience at home.
Whether you're a committed foodie looking for inspiration or you're tired of settling for cereal at dinner and want help with meal planning, these food trends will keep you satisfied in 2021.
TASTY TRENDS
One of my goals is to expand my diet by introducing new food groups. I'm researching new cookbooks that focus on food trends for the coming year.
Plant-based options like tofu, soy proteins and beans are part of a trend that will continue for 2021 (admittedly, I am slow to get on this bandwagon). I'll incorporate those new-to-me ingredients into traditional meat dishes to reduce my meat consumption.
I'll start with spaghetti sauces and chili as they seem like easy ways to “hide” the new protein sources, before getting braver and using them in stir fries or salads.
Other food trends to try this year will be natural sugar substitutes and milk alternatives for my specialty coffee beverages.
Eating crickets for protein will probably be a food trend I will stay away from.
A TASTE OF INSPIRATION
Having help in the kitchen is always a great incentive to do more cooking at home.
One such helper is the Thermomix
TM6. It replaces 17 countertop appliances and connects online to the Cookidoo.ca website to access over 50,000 recipes.
Need an idea for a dish using tofu, or an excess food item in your fridge?
This countertop sous chef will look up a range of recipe options in seconds.
The vast number of available recipes are updated monthly and come from all over the world (such as Italian biscotti and Moroccan lamb), and include themed collections like “Keto Friendly,” “Painted Green” and “Fresh Start Detox,” which incentivize changing eating habits by introducing new dietary options.
WASTE NOT, WANT MORE
One of my bad cooking habits I want to fix is buying too much food during weekly grocery orders. Last year, I would order fresh foods as if I was feeding a family of 12, and it was just me to cook for.
If food wastage is a habit you'd like to end, try meal subscription services, which send the exact amount of ingredients you'll need for preplanned meals. Hellofresh is one such company that delivers pre-portioned, quality ingredients along with easy-to-follow recipe cards.
By pre-portioning, you can reduce household food waste by more than 35 per cent.
SHARING IS CARING
Shake up your cooking in 2021 by sharing with others.
1. Share your creations. If you excel at baking, find someone good at cooking and do a trade: my banana bread for some of your lasagna?
2. Consider yourself a great at-home chef ? Look for online publishing services to help you upload your tried-and-true recipes, with photos, of course!
3. Create a virtual cooking school with family and friends that helps everyone keep in touch. Each week someone shares their culinary creativity by hosting and teaching how to make a dish they've perfected. The best parties always end up in the kitchen.