"Eating the rainbow" might be a great way to get a variety of nutrients into your diet, but let's not forget the foods that find themselves a little less colourful. White foods often get a bad rap as they are considered boring, unhealthy and sometimes quite literally "vanilla".
But they do form the basis of much of what we eat. We start our days with milk in cereal or coffees, or with dollops of yoghurt on fruit. And let's not forget rice, flour, potatoes and bread, staple foods for most of the world. But it's not just carbohydrates in white foods that are good for us. In terms of nutrient desity and bioavailability, foods like Chinese cabbage (wombok) are true superfoods. Kale might get a lot of good press, but the humble Chinese cabbage has more than double the nutrients gram for gram.
![Salmon and potato chowder.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170807193420im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/5/x/z/q/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gw5xv2.png/1495155241604.jpg)
Chinese cabbage is also high in umami-producing amino acids, giving dishes like this salmon and potato chowder a rich savoury flavour in just minutes. Here are a couple of white-food recipes that are both healthy and delicious.
SALMON AND POTATO CHOWDER
Serves 4
One-pot dishes like this often need to be cooked slowly for hours. This one is ready in just 20 minutes.
• 3 sebago potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion, peeled, halved and cut into 1cm slices
• ¼ Chinese cabbage, cut into 5cm lengths
• 150g oyster mushrooms
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup plain flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 2-3 (600g) salmon fillets, skin and pin bones removed, cut into thirds lengthways
• ½ cup pouring cream
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ¼ cup finely chopped chives, to serve
Boil the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes until nearly tender. Drain and set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium heat add the butter and oil and fry the onion, cabbage, oyster mushrooms and salt and stir until the vegetables are softened and have released their liquid. Add the flour and stir through.
Fry for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture thickens. Add the milk and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Add the cooked potatoes and chicken stock and bring back to a simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer for about 5 minutes until the chowder takes on a thick, stew-like consistency, then add the salmon and simmer for a further 5 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the vegetables are soft. Gently stir through the pouring cream. Season with salt to taste, scatter with white pepper and chives, and serve.
CREAMY YOGHURT MOUSSE WITH FROZEN KIWI FRUIT
Serves 6
A fluffy yoghurt mousse gets a boost from the simplest granita you'll ever make.
![Creamy yoghurt mousse with frozen kiwi fruit.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170807193420im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/5/y/0/3/image.imgtype.articleLeadwide.620x0.png/1494909206723.png)
Creamy yoghurt mousse with frozen kiwi fruit. Photo: William Meppem
• 6 kiwi fruit, peeled
• 1½ cups Greek- style yoghurt
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
• pinch salt
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tsp gelatine powder
• ⅓ cup caster sugar
• ½ cup thickened cream
Mash the kiwi fruit in a shallow container, then place in the freezer until partially frozen, about 1 hour. Break up crystals by scraping the surface with a fork and repeat process until frozen. Line a sieve with a paper towel or muslin cloth and place over a bowl large enough to collect any liquid from the yoghurt. Combine the yoghurt with the lemon rind and salt, then transfer to the sieve. Refrigerate for 1 hour and discard any liquid collected, reserving the strained yoghurt.
Place the egg whites in a heatproof bowl. Sprinkle over the gelatine powder and set aside for 3 minutes to allow the gelatine to bloom. Using electric beaters or a whisk, beat in the sugar, then set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, beating until the sugar just dissolves. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold in the yoghurt to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk the cream until stiff peaks form, then fold into the yoghurt and egg-white mixture. Transfer the mousse mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until set. Spoon the mousse into bowls and serve with the kiwi fruit granita.
Adam's tip Whenever you're using raw eggs, such as the whites in uncooked meringues or yolks in aioli or mayonnaise, you need to treat those foods as you would any raw product to ensure they're safe. This means keeping them refrigerated right up until the time you're ready to eat them.