Flavor Trends, Strategies and Solutions for Menu Development

Cauliflower on the Cutting Edge Cauliflower rice serves up a world of menu possibilities

TRY THIS: Grilled Chicken Adobo buddies up to a savory cilantro-lime cauliflower rice with black beans, fire roasted corn and peppers. Dark-roasted chile de arbol salsa, citrus-pickled onions and queso fresco finish this thoroughly modern dish.

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Whether operators are looking for a gluten-free, low-carb menu solution or they simply want to introduce an on-trend plant-based item to the mix, cauliflower rice is poised to answer a number of demands. Familiarity and adoption in the retail space has helped propel cauliflower rice into the limelight. Chefs can take that familiarity and run with it, adding creative flavor touches to make it both craveable and memorable.

“The cauliflower’s flavor is nice and mild, so it’s an open canvas to introduce unique and authentic flavor profiles, adapting to custom concepts.”
Mike Leccese, Director of Culinary and R&D for Haliburton International Foods

“The texture of Haliburton’s cauliflower rice serves up a delicate mouthfeel with just the right amount of firmness for body,” says Mike Leccese, Director of Culinary and R&D for Haliburton International Foods, a specialty foods processor. “The cauliflower’s flavor is nice and mild, so it’s an open canvas to introduce unique and authentic flavor profiles, adapting to custom concepts. From sit-down to fast casual to quick service, this multi-faceted ingredient can cover all areas of menu needs.”

Cauliflower rice works beautifully in a number of trend-forward applications, helping with plant-forward messaging and adding satiety to a menu item:

  • base of a bowl build
  • gluten-free pizza crust
  • salad topper
  • vegan taco/burrito filling
  • base of a grain salad
  • global fried rice dishes
  • cauliflower-rice California rolls — grits
  • soup add-in

Cauliflower rice provides a perfectly neutral canvas that invites high-impact flavor touches, turning it into a signature experience. These flavor builds aim at inspiring on-trend combinations that are informing menus today:

  • green or red Thai chile sauce with ginger, garlic, lemongrass and toasted coriander
  • harissa-spiked sauce with roasted red peppers, chiles, lemon and cilantro
  • citrus-sherry vinaigrette with orange, lemon, honey and sherry vinegar
  • tomato sauce enhanced with ancho chile for a Spanish-style rice
  • pomegranate-orange reduction
  • miso ginger-garlic sauce
  • Madras curry powder and Greek yogurt

Cauliflower rice subs in for bulgur wheat in this Middle Eastern Tabbouleh Cauliflower, dressed with a lemon-mint vinaigrette that highlights citrus, garlic, shallot and bright herbal notes.

Haliburton’s Cauliflower Rice — ready-to-eat

  • gluten-free
  • low-calorie and low-carb
  • good versatility
  • operationally friendly

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