People often welcome the New Year with open arms and embrace their inner belief that this year they will be healthy and get fit. On the back of this, 2014 is also seeing a trend into the education and use of seasonal food. With this in mind there is no better year than this to consider a healthier style wedding breakfast menu.
People are often reluctant to offer healthy options, but having a green menu does not mean your food won’t be delicious. There are some fantastic alternatives to the ordinarily unhealthy favourites, such as olive oil mash potatoes instead of buttered mash potatoes, crème fraiche to garnish that wonderfully smooth asparagus soup instead of cream, served with wholemeal bread rather than white. Replacing the bad with the good doesn’t mean compromising on flavour.
It’s not only the food that we indulge on during a wedding celebration; alcoholic beverages are often a partner in crime. You can also combat calorific cocktails and wine with fresh alternatives; there are so many options.
I have put together a wedding breakfast menu to inspire you to choose healthy yet delicious food options this year…
Canapés
- Rare roast fillet of beef served on watermelon cubes, with pickled ginger and coriander (pictured)
- Miso infused chicken rolled in nori paper and topped with cucumber and chilli salsa
- Ahi tuna with toasted black and white sesame seeds
- Mackerel and horseradish blinis with samphire
- Cucumber boxes filled with a fresh salad of feta, mint and parsley, topped with purple shiso
- Fresh pea tarts with minted crème fraiche and pea shoots
Starters
- Mezze platter of marinated aubergine, filo pastries with spinach and pine nuts, homemade hummus, Kalamata olives and warm flatbreads
- Fresh asparagus soup, crème fresh and sage, and parmesan bread
- Watercress blinis with smoked trout, cucumber vermicelli, salad of organic watercress and toasted walnuts
- Chermoula red mullet, roasted baby fennel, lemon yoghurt, and chive oil
Mains
- Sea bass, lemon mash, chargrilled Mediterranean vegetables, basil crisps and herb oil
- Breast of guinea fowl filled with spinach and ricotta, Megaderra lentils and wilted spring greens
- Breast of chicken marinated in lemon and thyme, olive oil mash and roasted vegetables
- Seared salmon, crushed new potato cakes, summer vegetables and a light lemon herb jus
Desserts
- Chilled mango soup, fresh berries, and raspberry sorbet
- Pink Champagne and raspberry jelly with a cassoulet of berries and a dark chocolate wonton
- Pistachio soufflé with almond biscotti and lime coulis
- Poached mini pear served with warm blackberry soup and a cinnamon shortbread
Healthy Cocktails and Mocktails
- Elderflower Cooler — Gin, elderflower cordial, ice, cucumber, soda, and mint to garnish
- Tennessee Rose — Whisky, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, crème de cassis and ice, garnished with edible petals
- Non Alcoholic Citrus Peach Cooler — Lemon juice, lime juice, peach nectar, cloudy lemonade, strawberries, sparkling water and mint
- Non Alcoholic Apple Fez — Apple, elderflower, and ginger ale, garnished with apple and mint
Read this post for more mocktail recipes and non alcoholic drink ideas.
Guest post by Julie Gray of Bovingdons
Image from Lloyd Dobbie
