Food

This is one of my favourite comfort food dishes. It is so good that my friends now ask for it to be served at dinner parties!

Oat flour lends the crust of this tart a laudable texture. Thick Greek yogourt is a perfect substitution for heavy cream in desserts such as this, but it’s best not to use fat-free versions. You could swap out raspberries for blueberries in the filling if desired.

You can serve this salad as a main dinner course for a crowd, or toss it together on a lazy Sunday afternoon and you’ll be set for a week’s worth of healthy lunches.

Using oats and omega-3-rich salmon is a nutritional step up from the typical ground beef and bread crumb mixture. The pomegranate glaze adds a sophisticated touch.

When sweater weather arrives, a cold smoothie may not be what you crave. So turn up the temperature and whirl together this mixture to beat the chill.

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

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.

Rice pudding is a dish that proves how incredibly versatile this grain is, as it can literally go from breakfast to dessert.

This colourful dish is sure to thrill sushi lovers. Arctic char is considered one of the more sustainable seafood options, but you can also use rainbow trout or wild salmon for this recipe. Wasabi powder and nori can be found in health food stores or the Asian section of many grocers.

Wild rice and ground oats add tempting texture to these pancakes, while lemon zest is the secret ingredient that puts them over the top.

Toasting the rice grains before adding the liquid will coax out extra aroma and a nutty flavour, making this recipe an excellent addition to a Thanksgiving feast.

Here’s a dish that makes perfect leftovers for busy weeknight dinners. Any extra filling is also excellent on its own for a quick lunch.

Little known outside of Greece, this fisherman’s soup is lighter than its French counterparts bouillabaisse and bourride.

In the Middle East, this soup is a staple and is served in most households.

From Malaysia, this wonderfully spicy and creamy soup is a well-kept secret. This soup can also be made with chicken only.

From China, this soup made from scratch bears little resemblance to commercially prepared soup. It is fast, easy, and sure to bring everyone to the table. Since I always want to eat both, I combine the hot and sour with the wonton soup.

From Italy, zuppa di fagioli is often overlooked in favour of its more illustrious cousin, minestrone. This peasant soup, however, is full of flavour and can be vegetarian or not, depending on your preference.

Lassi is a popular Indian drink made with yogourt. Prepared sweet, as shown below, lassi is also tasty when prepared with salt and turmeric. It is traditionally served chilled as a lunch accompaniment.

Most seasoned kimchi eaters love it as is, without anything else. But if the flavour is a little too strong for you, here’s an excellent way to pretty up a rice dish while capitalizing on the healthy probiotic properties that kimchi has to offer.

Fall vegetables are vibrantly featured in this healthy rendition of a yellow beet salad. The addition of kombucha marks a new trend in the probiotic and detox diet crazes that are all the rage.

This delicious lunch special contains tempeh in place of chicken. And for an extra probiotic kick, the dressing can be made with either kefir or plain yogourt.

A meal in a bowl is comfort food at its finest. Chances of leftovers are rare, but this delicious meal is equally excellent for lunch the following day.

Forget baking an apple pie. The nutrients are so much higher if you keep it raw. This is such a healthy gourmet recipe that you won’t miss the flour, sugar, or butter. The quercetin content in the apple skin has the ability to reduce the histamine response, a cause of painful inflammation. Cinnamon reduces inflammation and balances blood sugar, but few recipes call for a medicinal dose! When you eat one slice of this pie, you get 1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon, more than the minimum dose that has been clinically shown to reduce blood sugar when taken daily. Filling 4 large apples 1/4 cup (60 mL) lemon juice 1 Tbsp (15 mL) cinnamon 2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup or honey 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground ginger 1/2 tsp (2 mL) nutmeg Pie crust 1 cup (250 mL) dried coconut 1 cup (250 mL) hempseed 1/2 cup (125 mL) Medjool dates 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract 1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon Crumble topping 2/3 cup (160 mL) pie crust 1/4 cup (60 mL) quinoa flakes 1/4 cup (60 mL) dried cranberries Dash grey or pink sea salt Slice apples with mandoline or food processor with the slicing attachment on fine setting. Set aside. In mixing bowl, blend lemon juice, cinnamon, honey, ginger, and nutmeg. Transfer apples to mixing bowl and marinate for 20 minutes. Place pie crust ingredients in food processor. Pulse until texture is fine and it sticks together. Remove 2/3 cup (160 mL) of crust and set aside. Mould pie crust into bottom of pie plate. For topping, put the set-aside pie crust back into food processor with quinoa flakes, cranberries, and sea salt and pulse. Drain extra liquid from pie filling and reserve. Layer apples into pie crust and sprinkle crumble on top. Serve cold within 48 hours of making. Drizzle reserved cinnamon sauce on top of each piece, if desired. Serves 8. Each serving contains: 353 calories; 23 g protein; 17 g total fat (7 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 50 g total carbohydrates (27 g sugars, 8 g fibre); 18 mg sodium source: "Whole Foods to Repair and Renew", alive #360, October 2012

Purple onions and other alliums contain high levels of disease-fighting organosulphur compounds as well as the flavonoid quercetin. Together, these compounds have been shown to decrease inflammation. Amaranth is a tiny, yellow grain that is rich in magnesium, which reduces painful muscle cramps. Apple cider vinegar slows the release of sugar (from foods) into the bloodstream. When blood sugar is balanced, inflammation is reduced.