Food

Bright and vibrant, golden berries give this fruity salsa fresca a tart and tangy crunch that pairs well with mango. Serve with a salad of mixed greens, and these salsa and skewers are transformed into an eye-pleasing meal that is flavour filled and delicious!

Each year, beginning in late spring until the fall, nature rewards us with an array of sweet and delicious berries in an assortment of beautiful hues of yellow, orange, red, blue, and black. Found on backyard bushes, at local farmers’ markets, or growing wild in nature (if you’re fortunate to find them), summer berries are bountiful, beautiful, and delicious, with flavour and sweetness that by far surpass their transported-in counterparts of winter months!

So smooth, so rich, and so creamy, you’ll find it hard to believe it’s not dairy! Toasted hazelnuts and coconut are bound together by sweet dates, creating the perfect nutty and gluten-free base that’s then topped with a dreamy layer of tangy blackberry decadence. These bars are easy to make and store well in the freezer for up to a week. Enjoy at room temperature or frozen—they’re delicious either way!

Purple-stained and pillowy soft, these ricotta balls are delicate and delicious with a hint of blueberry. Once assembled, they cook quickly, so prep gnudi ahead of time for a quick and satisfying meal! Instead of olive oil, finish this dish off with a drizzle of honey and transform this dish from savoury to sweet! Gnudi are best enjoyed the day they’re made.

Swap out balsamic glaze in crostata topping with this balsamic reduction with a strawberry kick!

A fruity spinach salad spinoff tops a hearty crostata packed full of juicy and sweet roasted summer strawberries. Served warm or cold, this beautiful rustic tart is plenty sophisticated for any afternoon brunch. In a pinch, you could substitute frozen pie dough to make the crust.

This smoothie bowl is not just for smoothie lovers! Thick and creamy, this tangy bowl of goodness is high in protein and fibre and a perfect way to include berries at breakfast. Sweetened with banana and completely customizable, top it with your favourite nuts and seeds to help you stay energized. Try adding a teaspoon of beetroot powder when blending and watch the colour pop!

The simplicity of this layered dessert hides its deeper and more complex aromatic flavours. A cherry compote subtly scented with rose makes an exquisite combination with cardamom yogurt and a topping of ground pistachios and dried rose petals. When buying rose petals, look for dried ones grown for edible use.

Just as lavender grows alongside thyme and rosemary, it is often included with these herbs in the French dried herb mix called herbes de Provence, a classic seasoning for lamb. This recipe gets a double dose of lavender by using it first in a similarly inspired fresh herb rub to season lamb prior to cooking and then with the addition of a blueberry jus amped up with fragrant lavender. Dried lavender works best in this recipe; find it in your local specialty grocery and make sure to look for products marked “culinary grade.”

There’s one flower you may already have in your pantry. The thin red threads we know as saffron are the stigmas pulled from the centre of the saffron crocus. Saffron brings bright colour and subtle earthy and slightly grassy floral flavours to dishes and is frequently used in rice dishes of all kinds—from biryani to paella and risotto. Here, saffron is used with cinnamon, cloves, and orange to lend flavour and colour to quinoa along with a classic combination of almonds and currants.

These mussels make an elegant and alluring cold appetizer that will stretch to feed a crowd. The classic combination of fennel and tomatoes is enlivened with a floral vinegar, prepared in advance. Alyssum has a peppery, aniselike flavour and, like fennel, pairs well with tomatoes.

When the heat of summer has you ready to wilt, this refreshing summer gazpacho with watermelon, tomatoes, and almond is guaranteed to cool you down. Marigold petals are used to make a slightly spicy, peppery oil with mild notes of citrus; it’s used in the soup and as a beautiful edible garnish. Avoid the bases or “heels” of marigold flowers, as they can be quite bitter.

Pretty on the plate, this salad of delicate greens contains bright, juicy, tart sorrel; crisp radish; and delicate bachelor’s buttons. Despite the blue, pink, and purple hues of bachelor’s buttons, also known as cornflowers, their flavour is fresh and green. The dressing comes together with a bachelor’s button vinegar made in advance by infusing the flower heads into apple cider vinegar for a bright, subtly sweet flavour. If you can’t find bachelor’s buttons, you can use nasturtium or violas.

Fresh, light, and a little zingy, this beverage is a wonderful nonalcoholic option to serve at game-day festivities.

Burgers are a perennial game-day favourite, but not always a nutritional win. Root for the healthier team by swapping out beef for salmon and cheese slices for a velvety feta yogurt sauce. And then finish everything off with a stack of veggies. To let all the other flavours and textures shine through, consider subtracting the bun. For burgers, panko bread crumbs or quick-cooking oat flakes can be used as a replacement for almond flour.

Despite its traditional game-day look, this glorious spread is not your average stack of nachos. In a huge win for vegetarian sports fans, we swapped ground beef for meaty tempeh stewed with tomatoes and a winning mix of seasonings. Black beans, punchy radish, creamy avocado, and melty cheese round out a dish that could not be more fun to eat. If you want these nachos to be fully plant-based you can use shredded dairy-free cheese. To go a little more traditional, regular tortilla chips can be used instead of the sweet potato variety.

Meatballs without the meat, and fiery buffalo sauce without the pool of butter—this is a satisfying plant-based alternative to a game-day classic that everyone is sure to declare a winner. Both the sauce and meatballs can be made up to two days in advance. If you’re serving people who like things spicy, go ahead and blend in even more of the hot sauce.

Top a small pita with mozzarella, chicken, and other pizza favourites, then broil, and you have a fun and breezy meal that’ll satisfy any sports fan—even during periods of defeat. No need to tip the delivery guy. And the ingredients can easily be scaled up to feed a big crowd. Small naan bread or even split English muffins can also be used as a pizza base.

This all-plant sheet-pan fajita spread made with tofu is the ultimate in easy dishes to serve a crowd. It requires minimal prep time and minimal kitchen tools, which also makes for minimal (a.k.a. quick) cleanup. Be sure to serve it with an array of different accompaniments. Good ideas include corn tortillas, refried beans, mashed avocado, diced tomato, salsa, cilantro, and sour cream.

Inspired by the fresh fruits used in traditional Mexican paletas, these ice pops with an unexpected twist are full of antioxidant-rich red raspberries. Not so spicy that kids can’t try them, the fruity heat of habaneros lends an unexpected, intense, and exciting flavour with a warm lingering finish.

This take on “Texas Caviar” with the addition of quinoa lends an added punch of protein. It’s full of antioxidant-rich red vegetables and is a great source of iron, potassium, and dietary fibre. Savour it like a salad, spoon it over tacos, or scoop it like salsa; the variety of textures, flavours, and subtle spice makes this a party-perfect dish.

Refreshing flavours with a spicy zing—and, at 15 g per serving, a whopping load of protein—come together in this classic ceviche. Rockfish, often sold under the name Pacific snapper, is high in selenium—an 85 g serving provides 44 percent of the recommended daily value of the mineral, which has a role in preventing infection and cell damage, as well as in the proper functioning of the thyroid. Rockfish is also a good source of healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fats.

Crunchy, with sharp and satisfying flavour, this hearty salad is a great accompaniment to tacos (including the ones in the next recipe). Cabbage is high in fibre and vitamins C and K. Higher consumption of cruciferous vegetables such as radishes and cabbage is linked to lower rates of cancer.

These taco-inspired lettuce wraps are full of vibrant flavour tempered by subtle heat, all topped off with a zingy tomatillo salsa. Shredding the chicken helps to make a small quantity of chicken feed a crowd, and the texture pairs well with the light wrapper. The bright salsa features heart-healthy tomatillos, which contain phytochemicals called withanolides, which studies have found can help inhibit cancer cell growth.