The more years I spend on this planet the more I realise everything comes back into fashion sooner or later. That ugly corduroy jacket that you only just threw out, after holding onto for 10 or more years… it’ll come back into fashion… just as you are getting used to the extra space in your closet. Roulade dishes from the past are coming back and I’m sharing this pretty Spinach & Feta Roulade!
Or perhaps the song that you loved as a teenager is back on the radio with a new tempo and new audience.
Even our taste buds are at the mercy of fashion. I’m loving the pork belly fad at the moment. For the last four years, every restaurant is guaranteed to have a pork belly dish on the menu. I know I will struggle to come to terms with the passing on this particular food trend when it’s over.
But history has shown that I will cope.
In the 1980’s it was deep fried camembert that had my love. I survived when the food fashion police declared the entree as passé, and not worth including on a menu anymore. I also survived the passing of chocolate fondant. Don’t get me wrong I still eat deep fried camembert and chocolate fondant. I love every moment of the guilty pleasure, but they are not likely to be the star of a restaurant menu. I cook them for myself when a craving hits.
Why all this talk of food trends?
I have been noticing something curious on the Pinterest food boards lately. Everything is getting rolled. The roulade is back! I’m happy to embrace this trend. The roulade looks impressive on a plate, and they’re easy to make.
Since this is my second time with this food trend, I wanted to share my recipe for a Spinach & Feta Roulade. The last time this food was in fashion I was a vegetarian, hence my choice of fillings. I flicked through some old cookbooks and found the suggested accompaniment to a roulade in the 80’s was crusty bread and an iceberg lettuce salad.
Spinach & Feta Roulade
Ingredients
- 2 cups spinach
- 4 eggs separated
- 200 gm Danish Feta
- 50 gm Cream Cheese
- 1/4 cup pesto sauce
- 1/2 cup marinated roasted capsicum
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Steam or boil spinach until just wilted. Squeeze all the moisture from the cooked spinach.
- Place spinach and egg yolks in a food processor. Process until pureed.
- Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form then fold through spinach mixture.
- Spread this mixture over the baking tray.
- Cook for 15 minutes or until set.
- Turn the roulade out onto a clean tea towel and roll the roulade up with the baking paper and tea towel in place.
- Leave the roulade to cool rolled.
Filling
- Place the roulade on a piece of plastic wrap the size of the baking dish. Carefully unroll the roulade and remove the tea towel and baking paper. Leaving the roulade on the plastic wrap.
- Combine the cream cheese and feta until smooth.
- Spread the pesto over the cooled roulade.
- Layer the feta mixture over the pesto leaving 1cm at the end of the roulade for rolling.
- Cover the feta filling with roasted capsicum.
- Roll up with the help of the plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate until needed.
The good thing about revolving food trends is they tend to be better the second time around. This time I am serving my roulade with a spicy chilli aioli and I have ditched the iceberg.
The roulade can be made with any filling selection. Smoked salmon is another favourite of mine. Now it might be time for me to tackle a swiss roll, or create a rolled meatloaf!
Thinking about food trends got me wondering… what food trend do you NEVER want to see reappear?