Food

serves 4

We suggest you make this a day or two ahead for flavours to marinate and then top with arugula just before serving.

Our focaccia is made in the traditional style with a yeasty, crusty base topped with pungent olives, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, and fleur de sel.

Chock full of healthy cheer with an option of either sparkling soda or champagne, this holiday treat is a nose tickler for everyone. The lovely pomegranate juice blushes from the bottom of the glass for a dramatic effect.

The classic French name is oeufs en cocotte and is traditionally eggs baked in little ramekins very simply or with a choice of little mixtures and cream. We’ve stepped up the mix by adding festive colours of vegetables and crème fraîche.

2 navel oranges
6 large apples such as Gala
3 Tbsp (45 mL) pure maple syrup
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise 
1 cup (250 mL) blueberries
1 cup (250 mL) fresh raspberries
1/2 cup (125 mL) thick Greek-style plain yogourt
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped pecans, toasted

Crisp baby greens are lightly coated with a raspberry dressing. Fabulous colour. Fabulous flavours. And something everyone can eat. Assemble the salad ahead and toss with dressing minutes before you’re ready to serve.

Wrapping up our festive brunch are the delicious Chocolate Date Truffles and Warm Fruit Compote. A little bite of chocolatey sweet—a little bit of marinated fruits. Perfect with lattes or tea to finish the event.

Sweet tasting butternut squash gives this hearty dip a seasonal flair. It’s best served warm, and crispy jicama or kohlrabi are stellar sidekicks to this dip.

This earthy-sweet riff on hummus will add a vibrant touch to an appetizer table. Extras can be frozen for future get-togethers.

Using thick Greek yogourt and low-fat sour cream means there is nothing fishy about the calorie count of this dip. Serve alongside cucumber slices or pieces of toasted rye or pumpernickel bread.

3 whole wheat pitas cut into 6 triangles each
2 Tbsp (30 mL) grapeseed or extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each garlic powder, salt, and black pepper
1/4 cup (60 mL) grated Parmesan cheese

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin strips
1 Tbsp (15 mL) grapeseed or extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh thyme
1/2 tsp (2 mL) chili powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper

If a plate of crudités could speak, they would say to this garlicky dip: “You complete me.”

Avocado and smoked paprika team up to give this dip a smoky creamy goodness. If desired, you can replace sour cream with plain Greek yogourt. It’s also delicious strewn over bread for a sandwich spread.

No holiday gathering should be without a chocolate dip. The blended cashews add creamy goodness (but with significantly less saturated fat than heavy cream). Serve with a platter of fruit such as cherries, strawberries, and sliced apple and mango. If the dip hardens upon sitting, simply warm it over low heat in a saucepan before serving.

This dip has great flavour hooks: sweet, spicy, salty. The coconut milk adds a tropical kick while fish sauce provides depth of flavour. Try serving with cooked shrimp or chicken strips.

Made without butter but with lots of eggs, nuts, and figs, these biscotti are densely flavourful. More savoury than sweet, they pair well with a glass of wine or cup of coffee.

Don’t be alarmed by the texture of this cookie’s dough. It’s very wet and moist yet the cookies bake up with a crispy crumble. Cookies taste best the next day once all the flavours meld.

The mild flavour from the coconut oil and flour heightens the richness of the ginger and other spices. Reuse the parchment paper when baking batches.

The combo of buckwheat and coconut plus all the toasted nuttiness from walnuts and pecans makes this a full-flavoured cookie. It’s a fun recipe for kids, as they can help squish the dough and roll into balls. 

The creation of Swiss physician and raw food proponent Maximilian Bircher-Benner, Bircher muesli (a.k.a. overnight oats) is the perfect option for hectic mornings when you don’t have time to prepare a pot of cooked oatmeal. Soaking steel-cut oats overnight results in a satiating bowl of chewy goodness. The banana-pecan mixture, which can be prepared ahead of time, is a delicious topping for any oatmeal, but a simple garnish of berries, pomegranate seeds, or chopped apples will also work wonderfully. You can keep the oat mixture in the fridge for a couple of days.

This recipe takes oatmeal outside of the bowl and into the muffin cup. Bake up a batch of these and you’re set for a few quick breakfast meals. If you want to use rolled oats, simply swap them for steel-cut oats and skip the soaking step. 1 cup (250 mL) steel-cut oats 1/2 cup (125 mL) oat bran 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped walnuts 1 tsp (5 mL) allspice 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt 2 large free-range eggs 1 cup (250 mL) pumpkin purée 3/4 cup (180 mL) low-fat milk or unsweetened nondairy alternative of choice 1/4 cup (60 mL) plus 2 Tbsp (30 mL) pure maple syrup 2 cups (500 mL) fresh or frozen blueberries 1/3 cup (80 mL) water 1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon 1/2 tsp (2 mL) almond extract 2 tsp (10 mL) cornstarch In bowl, cover oats with water and soak overnight or for several hours in refrigerator. The following day, preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Drain oats and add to large bowl along with oat bran, walnuts, allspice, and salt. In separate bowl, lightly beat eggs and mix with pumpkin, milk, and 2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Divide oat mixture among 12 medium-sized paper-lined or greased muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes, or until set. Let cool before unmoulding. To make compote, place blueberries, water, remaining maple syrup, cinnamon, and almond extract in medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 Tbsp (15 mL) water, stir into blueberry mixture, and heat for 1 minute. Serve baked oatmeal cups warm with blueberry compote. Serves 6. Each serving contains: 310 calories; 11 g protein; 10 g total fat (2 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 50 g total carbohydrates (19 g sugars, 7 g fibre); 138 mg sodium source: "Oats", alive #361, November 2012