weekend bites

THIS WEEK I’LL BE EATING...

... beef tagliata, as the Italians call it. This is a light and refreshing way to eat steak. I make a salad from rocket, radicchio, radishes, scallions and anything else I have to hand, dress with a vinaigrette of olive oil, sherry vinegar and a little mustard and spread it over an oval platter. Then I cook two striploins pretty rare, slice them, scatter over the salad and finish with shaved Parmesan and a few drops of really good balsamic and plenty of black pepper.

I’LL MEAT YOU HALFWAY

Veganuary looks like being bigger than ever this year and while I won’t be eschewing meat I will certainly enjoy the Mori-Nu Silken Tofu from Aldi (€1.49 for 349g) in the form of ma po dofu. Heinz has launched a vegan salad cream and three vegan mayonnaises while Lidl has vegan coleslaw and a vegan pizza. If you do take a totally vegan approach to 2021, make sure you supplement with vitamin B12, especially important for young people who are still growing.

A CHEESY CONCLUSION

A study from the University of Iowa, involving 1,500 people and conducted over a decade, suggests that ‘responsible consumption of cheese and red wine’ is very good for cognitive function, ie brain health. Published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, it also suggests eating lamb once a week can be beneficial. One of the researchers concluded that the right diet could prevent the disease but it appears that much more research is needed. As to what ‘responsible consumption’ actually is, they seem a bit hazy!

THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM?

I see a ‘leading’ nutritionist — are they ever just bog standard? — says that eating an apple before a meal ‘could be the easiest way to shift those Covid and Christmas pounds’. It could, but I doubt it. Eating less and, especially, avoiding sugar, are much more dependable ways of losing weight. This job description is not regulated in Ireland, so I have decided to declare myself a nutritionist. Stand by for the Doorley Diet.