With eating habits changing and wallets tightening, small plates are increasingly common on menus. This month, Paul Dickson explores ways to offer more choice when it comes to side dishes.
Splitting a main dish into smaller components can look a lot more affordable on the menu whilst giving customers more choice and enabling diners to feel more in control of their meal. This also provides you with the perfect upsell opportunity. The key is ensuring there is a good balance between indulgent sides, such as loaded fries, and catering for the more health-conscious consumers looking for the perfect balance of protein, fibre and healthy carbohydrates. Here are some ideas to add more of the latter to your offering.
On the Pulse
Chick peas tick all of the boxes when it comes to protein and fibre, and when paired with fresh, vibrant ingredients, they turn into a bowl of sunshine that will equally pair with fish, meat or as part of a vegetable mezze. You could offer this as a side dish
or with optional protein add-ons to make it a main meal.
Wholegrain Goodness
Wholegrain rice is a great choice for added fibre and its nuttiness stands up well to bold flavours. Here I’ve tossed it with cumin, paprika, and roasted seasonal vegetables. Finish with a drizzle of tahini or yogurt dressing or even keep your dressings as an add-on so that diners have the option to go with or without.
Keep it Seasonal
We’re currently in the best time of year for seasonal salad ingredients, but this dish works well because you can keep the core ingredient the same but change up the fresh elements depending on what is available. I use Country Range Five Bean Salad which is a powerhouse of protein, fibre and nutrients, then layer up with seasonal ingredients, making it a versatile accompaniment for all seasons.
Recipe Inspiration
Find the full recipe inspiration as well as other on-trend recipe ideas.