Food

Apples or pears are a delicious seasonal fruit and an easy way to eat more heart healthy soluble fibre. Rather than bake a pie with a fatty crust, make a whole grain crumble. You can use a homemade topping or a natural muesli, as in this recipe.

This recipe is so incredibly versatile. Try substituting applesauce or pumpkin pur?for the mashed banana and carrots for the zucchini. Raisins and walnuts can be used instead of dates and pecans - it’s all up to you!

Rooibos tea is high in an array of different antioxidants that may slow aging and help prevent disease. It also contains nine essential minerals, which can help optimize body function during detoxification. Try red rooibos or the unfermented “green” rooibos, which is even more healthful.

A fantastic brunch or quick dinner option, these pancakes are easy to throw together and provide a powerhouse of nutrition. They combine grains and vegetables for fibre with goat cheese for fantastic flavour.

This dinner is simple and deceptively filling. Sweeter than baked potatoes, yams are a favourite with both children and adults, who will love this variation. Adding a spicy Mexican topping provides a pleasant contrast and the natural fats in the avocado help make you feel full.

Try this dish as a topping for whole grain pasta. This pesto contains valuable essential omega-3 fatty acids because we use walnuts instead of pine nuts. Ensure walnuts are fresh before use; many packaged walnuts go rancid when stored for a long period of time.

This soup is really a meal in one: vegetables, grains, beans, and heart-healthy, monounsaturated olive oil. The traditional grain used would be faro, an Italian staple that can be found in most gourmet and natural food stores.

The ginger in this juice helps put a little pep in your step! Ginger is high in antioxidants and has been shown to be more potent than vitamin E. It helps fight cancer and is also a remedy for nausea. The garlic is also a potent ingredient, but you may want to reduce the amount used. Even half a clove will help boost immunity.

Buckwheat groats are available from health food stores and have a distinct flavour. For a milder taste, substitute oat groats or steel-cut oats. Whole grains provide essential amino acids and B vitamins to help with stress. The dates provide plenty of sweetness along with fibre and minerals.

This is a delicious way to add more fruit servings to your day. Frozen fruit, such as peaches can bring a taste of summer. Alternatively, use seasonal fruits and experiment with adding dried fruits, too.

Ideal for breakfast or as a post-workout snack, this drink provides complex carbohydrates, electrolytes, antioxidants, and easily digested protein. It is high in fibre and provides a small amount of essential fatty acids to help in cellular repair and function. Look for green rooibos tea at your health food store.

1 cup (250 mL) kiwi fruit juice or green rooibos tea, chilled
2 pears, peeled and diced
2 kiwi fruit, peeled
2 Tbsp (30 mL) hemp nut seeds
1 banana
1/2 cup (125 mL) ice cubes
Natural sweetener to taste

In a blender, add juice, fruit, and hemp nut seeds. Pulse several times to chop fruit. Add ice and sweetener if desired and blend until smooth.Serves 1.

This cooked cereal stores well covered in the refrigerator and reheats easily on the stovetop in 3 or 4 minutes. Enhance this basic recipe with applesauce, seasonal fruit compotes, and cinnamon. The walnuts provide minerals such as calcium, as well as essential omega-3 fats that are vital for immunity, cardiovascular health, and brain function.

3/4 cup (175 mL) pearl barley
3 cups (750 mL) water
1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt
1/4 cup (60 mL) honey
1 cup (250 mL) walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup (60 mL) brown sugar or maple syrup
1/4 cup (60 mL) currants

Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add salt and barley, turn heat to low, cover, and cook 45 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). In a mixing bowl stir together honey and walnuts. Spread on a baking tray and toast 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

When barley is cooked, stir in sugar and currants. Divide among four serving bowls and top each with 1/4 cup (60 mL) of walnuts. Serves 4.

Note: If you only use one or two servings you can reserve leftovers for other breakfasts. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for two or three days.

To reheat cereal, place a 1/4 cup (60 mL) of soymilk in a saucepan. Heat on medium heat and add barley mixture. Warm through and top with reserved walnuts.

Sinfully simple and refreshingly herbaceous, this is a brûlée to remember...and get you thinking about other savoury/sweet spins on this classic final course.

Feel free to vary your fish fillets with whatever is seasonal and available. Keep in mind that whitefish is best taken off direct heat while medium rare to ensure it is not overcooked at the table.

While this seasonal celebratory salad is certainly best enjoyed with the flavour and variety provided only by heirloom tomatoes, it can be enjoyed with more standard varieties as well. If an aged balsamic is beyond your pantry’s reach, try reducing an inexpensive balsamic in a pan until it reaches a consistency that coats a spoon.

If you live in the Niagara region, you can source out Pinques of Niagara for locally produced prosciutto and Persall for a cold-pressed canola that is rapidly winning over nutritionists and gourmands alike. Otherwise, find a good Italian import shop for your meat and pick up a good quality extra-virgin olive oil to substitute.

1 cup (250 mL) egg white (about 8 large egg whites)
2 cups (500 mL) granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) cream of tartar
3/4 cup (200 mL) whipping cream
1 cup fresh fruit, diced
1/3 cup (75 mL) icing sugar (optional)

Organic Vegetables

Bean Cassoulet

Anise-Poached Oranges

A last lingering look at the fresh fruits of summer, this dish works with any fruit.

Roasted Bison Tenderloin with Merlot Sauce

Fresh-tasting and forward-thinking, this is an ideal dish for tapping into the final seasonal crop of heirloom tomatoes.

This rich and creamy gravy is both hearty and healing. Pour over vegetarian patties or loaves, sautéed vegetables, noodles, squash, or potatoes.