My passion for travel and designing healthy menus has come together once again. And I couldn’t be happier.
As a Chef nothing has inspired more than discovering food in its country of origin. I have traveled across the globe from Europe to the Americas, much of Asia and Australia and everywhere in between. And everywhere I go it’s been about enjoying the local cuisine.
Recently I joined forces with Kaskaid Hospitality. They are based in Minneapolis and have fantastic food outlets like Crave which has locations all over the Twin Cities, Ohio, Austin, Bethesda and Vegas. This is steak and sushi at its best and a menu that will appeal to everyone. They also own the Trendy Muse, Union, Zio and Burger Burger in Mall of America to name but a few.
Kaskaid are ahead of the times. They brought me on board to develop some menu items that would appeal to people who want the great flavor of food but without the carbs and fat. So that’s exactly what I did.
Take salads for example; they are often a choice people make to have a healthier, lighter option. Well many restaurants ruin it with cheese, croutons, bacon and a fatty dressing. But I wanted to create a menu where people don’t feel that they have to take things off the dish and so I came up with my Ahi Tuna Sashimi Salad with red onion, edamame and Japanese soy ginger dressing.
I have tried to create dishes that reflect my years of travel. In May 2014 I was taken around Seoul, South Korea and it was a foodie’s dream. I was blown away with Korean Beef Tartar. This French classic was always my favorite but I had never experienced it like this. In Seoul it was made with soy, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. It was amazing, and it followed my low fat low carb way of living. So this was # 1 on the menu.
Then I also recreated the Korean dish Bibimbap which is rice in the center of a hot pot, various vegetables, beef, chicken or shrimp cooking in Korean sweat chili sauce and then mixed together when served. Delicious.
Next up was to create a dish that turned out to be a big hit with the taste panel; Avocado, Crab and Salmon Tower. This showcased the European approach of pairing simple but great ingredients which taste brilliant despite being low fat and low carb. In fact it works as part of my latest mission, PALEO.
Then I added my signature dish which I have cooked for over 2 million people. Well it was with the help of KLM (when I designed this dish for their US routes). It’s my Miso Salmon, inspired from Nobu’s classic black cod.
Being a frequent traveler to Thailand, I always love the Thai Curries . So I created a lower fat version with light coconut milk, huge tiger shrimps and sautéed egg plant to eliminate the rice. This curry is dynamite.
Next up was a tweak on Miso Soup by adding a little tempura edamame. It boasts a small twist to show people that Crave really is different.
Finally let me disprove a common food MYTH – Chefs sometimes say fat is flavour but that’s just not only untrue, it’s also an easy way to camouflage bad cooking. It doesn’t need to be this way at all.
I really enjoyed working on the menu at Crave because they serve the food you love, without the guilt. And that’s always been a hallmark of my cooking.
Daniel Green, the Model Cook is a Celebrity Chef known for his healthy approach to food and living well. With TV, books, magazines and live appearances, Daniel spends his time helping fans to cook better, feel better and live better. He’s also an avid traveler and a self-confessed Foodie.
To contact Daniel or learn more visit www.themodelcook.com or follow on Twitter and Facebook.
