10/03/12 - 0 Comments
Power Food Pairs
Compatibility is the key to a healthy relationship, and the same goes for food. When two combinations of food match in taste and texture, you are bound to have a health-happy dish, receive compliments at your next party and discover untapped flavors and foods. Check out our favorite power food pairs.
The Healthy Combination
Banana and Strawberry: A common pairing for smoothies, bananas and strawberries are also great on a yogurt parfait or as a sorbet flavor. Just snacking on a few slices of these fruits alone is also a healthy idea. Both fruits share the benefit of having plenty of fiber, protein and nutrients. Bananas and strawberries also make great desserts and are delicious in muffins, sundaes or even in this unique strawberry-banana cream pie!
Avocado and Mango: You are most likely to find this combination in a restaurant chutney, or maybe on a fancy sushi platter. Or, you could find it in your own kitchen! These power fruits can easily create delicious smoothie, a homemade salad or even a simple salsa. Although you may hear the buzz about the fat content in these fruits, the fats are actually beneficial and provide your body with good fat and ample protein.
Raisins and Oats: Just add a hint of cinnamon and this healthy combination is good to go! Raisins and oats can marry in a bowl of yogurt, oatmeal or cereal. They can form the basis to some classic oatmeal-raisin cookies and are ingredients to provide in other baking adventures, too! Together, raisins and oats have high fiber, are packed with vitamins and will keep your heart happy.
The Party Couple
Salmon and Cucumbers: This combination is the perfect appetizer. Salmon and cucumbers can be used in sushi or bite-sized sandwiches. Appetizers like this can also easily be eaten together without any extra ingredients—just stack a piece of salmon on top of the cucumber and nosh away! This power pair also makes for a great main course. Make some tzatziki (cucumber sauce) and pour it over some grilled salmon—this will definitely leave your guests impressed.
Pork and Peaches: The spotlight of a party is right in this dynamic duo. The juices and sugars from the peaches melt well into lightly seasoned pork, making a dish with incredible taste. This party dish could make the ideal recipe for an outdoor summer grill or for an indoor winter oven. Either way, pork and peaches are a power pair that can make creative dishes all year round.
Ginger and Sparkling Water: This powerful combination can be the base to any drink you want to make. Sparkling water is basically tasteless, but has a strong fizz, which will heighten the ginger’s spiciness. A hint of alcohol could also kick it up a notch, and you will be left with a nuanced and refreshing drink to serve at a party. A ginger-sparkling water beverage is also tasty without alcohol—indeed, adding a little creativity, such as the ingredients used in this Ginger-Tea Lemonade recipe, will also compliment this power couple.
The Unexpected Duo
Cheddar Cheese and Pumpkin: Surprisingly, this savory-fruity combination goes well together. Cheddar cheese and pumpkin both have a thick texture, which makes for a creamy and hearty macaroni and cheese. Baking with these ingredients is also a good idea, as they go well with any kind of flour and can be used to make delicious scones and muffins.
Chocolate and Chili: Sweet and spicy go well together in Asian cuisine. However, shifting this taste over to a dessert may sound a little bizarre. A culinary tip when making a spicy dessert is to use dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate in order to enhance the bitterness of the cocoa. Lindt’s Chili Chocolate bar is the perfect example. In Mexican cuisine, the combination of chocolate and chili is used in cakes and other desserts too. If you want to combine the two in a savory dish, check out David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Bean Chili.
Maple and Bacon: This unexpected duo is quite common in Canada, and is beginning to grow in popularity in the United States and the rest of the world as well. Since pork goes well with sweetness, mixing maple and bacon will bring out a lot of taste. Even Tori Spelling loves this combination, as you can see from this maple bacon cupcake recipe. Another sweet and savory treat that uses maple and bacon is mini maple bacon doughnuts, for the more daring cooks out there!
Photo credit: Pinterest, Clean Eating Mag
