Food File: Low-fat burgers, milk book for children and seasonal taste of Germany

Healthy burgers

Paul and Siobhán Byrne of BodyByrne fitness studio and Michael Bermingham of The Market Butchers have collaborated on a range of high protein, low fat meat products, some with added chia, flax seeds and quinoa. There are a variety of burgers, kebabs and meatballs in the range, made with lean Irish beef and turkey.

The burgers are described as being “fibre-aligned”, which means that instead of being put through a normal mincer, the beef is cut in a certain way by a machine costing €150,000 that Bermingham purchased in Germany. The result is that the meat can be bound together without fat, resulting in a burger that Bermingham says is 99.9 per cent fat-free and as tender as one that has had ground fat added.

The Healthy Eating range can be purchased online at themarketbutchers.ie as well as in Market Butcher shops in Rathcoole, Newbridge, Swords and Prussia Street, Dublin 7.

New children’s book from Goodwillie

Olivia Goodwillie has followed up her lovely children's book featuring Kevin and Kate learning all about bread, with a milk book. You can follow the adventures of the twosome, and their dog Charlie and pony Oscar, as they contemplate teatime without dairy.

“They had plenty of bread, but they hardly dared utter,

No milk and no cheese and worse still no butter.”

Daisy the cow comes to the rescue and of course there are a few adventures along the way as they turn her milk into butter and cheese. Recipes for making both are included. Kevin and Kate's Milk Book by Olivia Goodwillie, illustrated by Anne McLeod, is available from lavistownhouse.ie, €12 including p&p.

Stacks of style

Rosemarie Durr has recently added a range of stacking pots, plates and cups to the hand-thrown pottery she makes in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny. The stacking range (prices from €10) comes in a new soft white buttermilk-coloured glaze, and can be ordered online from rosemariedurr.com or purchased in her studio shop at The Discovery Park in Castlecomer.

Taste of German Christmas

Dietmar and Eric Weiss make a range of stollen and traditional German Christmas biscuits using butter, chocolate, dried fruit and spices at their family hotel in Germany every year and send some of it to Ireland for sale.

The Weiss confectionery range can now be found on the shelves of independent food stores including Fallon & Byrne, Dublin 2; Morton's of Ranelagh; Caviston's, Sandycove; Liston's, Camden Street; Magill's, Clarendon Street; McCambridge's, Galway and Mannings Emporium, Bantry, Co Cork.

Dietmar, who lives in Dublin 8 and is reading for a PhD in Culinary Arts, also runs a company, yourknife.net, which customises kitchen knives with engravings.