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Maple Roasted Beet Salad

While this may seem like just another simple salad, I assure you that the combination of warm beets, creamy avocado, and zippy grapefruit will have you coming back for seconds. Maple syrup does double duty in this recipe as a glaze for the beets and as a balancing sweet element in the vinaigrette.

Tips

For a more substantial meal, serve this alongside a piece of pan-seared salmon or tofu.
Za’atar is an eastern Mediterranean seasoning blend used for everything from grilling to garnishing. There are many variations of za’atar, but a few key components are thyme, sesame seeds, sumac, and sea salt.

Maple Chipotle Chicken Fajitas

This is the perfect weeknight family meal as it allows everyone to assemble their own fajita just the way they like it. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs cook up nice and juicy under the broiler, but feel free to substitute butterflied chicken breasts if you prefer.

Tip

Make up a double batch of the maple chipotle sauce and use leftovers to brush on baked tofu or tempeh, drizzle over seared fish, or toss into sautéed vegetables.

Maple Seared Scallops with Green Buckwheat Risotto

This show-stopping dish is just as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the palate. The vivid green “risotto” is grain free thanks to the use of buckwheat. Buckwheat is actually a seed and a very good source of plant-based protein.

Tip

You can easily make this recipe vegan by substituting scallops for king oyster mushrooms cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) thick rounds.

Maple Syrup Ice Cream

Simple and delicious, this easy-to-prepare ice cream makes a wonderfully delicious dessert that allows our star ingredient, maple syrup, to shine.

Maple Syrup and Miso Black Cod with Fried Rice

Buttery, sumptuous, and full of omega-3 fatty acids, black cod (also known as sablefish) is healthy, rich, and full of flavour. Here, prepared with maple syrup, sake, and mirin, black cod is taken to the next level.

Did you know?

Black cod is also known as sablefish and is a forgiving choice for novice cooks due to its high fat content. It can be grilled, poached, smoked, roasted, or slow-cooked.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Maple Syrup and Chili Oil

Warming and satisfying, this delicious soup combines the nutty flavour of squash with the tangy sweetness of apples and maple syrup for a comforting combination of sweet and savoury.

Tip

For a sweeter soup, increase apple content; for a more savoury soup, increase amount of squash. Soup can be made up to three days ahead of time and stored in refrigerator. Heat before serving.

Cream Soda Parfait with Banana, Cantaloupe, and Vanilla Bean

This treat works for all diets, but it will only be as sweet as the fruit you use, so choose fully ripe and preferably organic fruit. You can add more banana for sweetness, except on a low-FODMAP diet where only half a banana per serving is recommended—use the juice of half a sweet navel orange for added sweetness. If your cantaloupe is too sweet (you get used to less sweet food on these diets), add more lemon juice.

Tip

Your banana should be ripe or slightly overripe, since underripe bananas aren’t permitted on SCD, AIP, and GAPS diets because of the high starch content. As bananas ripen, their starch transforms into sugar and they lose their astringency (the feeling of having peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth). Overripe bananas, however, are high in fructose and not low-FODMAP friendly, although they’re fine on the other diets. You can freeze bananas at the perfect ripeness and remove from the freezer 15 minutes before making this parfait, as with the cantaloupe— this will have the added benefit of creating a creamier texture.

Indian Eggplant and Tomatoes with Fennel and Cumin

Fennel seed and cumin add explosions of flavour for an Indian version of a lightened-up French ratatouille without the onions. Broiling the eggplant reduces the amount of oil needed to give the eggplant a soft interior while keeping the exterior firm enough to prevent it from falling apart.

Tip

If you can’t find black cumin seeds (also called nigella seeds), use 2 tsp (10 mL) regular cumin seeds instead.

Thai Green Curry with Chicken or Chickpeas and Oyster Mushrooms

Diet alterations

Vegan-friendly SCD: Omit chicken and replace with more oyster mushrooms or young jackfruit. Low-FODMAP: Use less than 1/3 cup (80 mL) squash per person and yellow zucchini or summer squash instead of green winter zucchini, or use less than 1/3 cup (80 mL) of the green version per person. Vegetarians and vegans following a low-FODMAP diet can add a drained and rinsed can of chickpeas. AIP: Omit cumin, coriander seeds, and hot peppers; replace with 1/2 cup (125 mL) more chopped cilantro stems and a pinch of asafetida powder. GAPS: Omit squash.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Toasted Almonds and Ginger-Turmeric Vinaigrette

While the GAPS diet doesn’t recommend combining fruit with other foods, a cup of halved grapes (either raw or roasted with the cauliflower) adds a comfortingly sweet and juicy touch that goes a long way toward balancing the lemony vinaigrette. Use as much nose-tickling ginger and anti-inflammatory turmeric as you like.

Diet alterations

Low-FODMAP: Replace roasted cauliflower with cooked quinoa and let it cool slightly before adding quinoa to remaining ingredients, along with fresh tarragon and oregano. AIP: Replace nuts and peppers with shredded orange or purple beets and 1/2 cup (125 mL) unpasteurized sauerkraut.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are a favourite of grown-ups and kids alike, especially in my home! I love these cookies because I always have the ingredients on hand to make them. Plus, since they’re so easy to make, they’re a great way to get my daughter involved in the cooking. They taste just as yummy with raisins if you don’t want the refined sugar in chocolate chips.

Creamy Avocado Pasta Salad

This creamy avocado pasta salad is a favourite for lunches in my home or for quick and easy dinners. It’s packed with flavour, and it’s both creamy and crunchy. If you plan on making this for the whole family, just double the recipe.

Tip

If you don’t have frozen corn on hand, you can swap in frozen peas instead. In a hurry and don’t have time to let the corn thaw? Place the frozen corn in a small bowl, boil some water in the kettle, and pour it overtop; remove the water as soon as the corn is thawed.

Cozy Vegetable Soup

This soup is the perfect tool to get your kids to eat a variety of vegetables, because it’s chock full of so many of them. The combination together provides an earthy, yet not overpowering flavour. You’ll feel good knowing your kids are getting a megadose of vitamins and minerals essential to ward off the common cold and flu, and fibre for a healthy digestive system. If you don’t have butternut squash on hand just swap in sweet potato instead.

Tip

If you have little ones who are just learning to eat or kids who love puréed soups, simply pop the whole soup into a high-power blender until smooth and creamy. If you plan on doing this, just remember to remove the bay leaf as it’s meant just to simmer in the soup.

Smoky Lentil and Walnut Stuffed Cabbage

Plenty of yum here! Enjoy a delicious vegan loaf that will satisfy even the most dedicated meat eaters in the group. The texture coupled with a combination of smoky flavours, apple and lemon, gives it a delicious fulfilling note that’s perfect for all taste buds. Enjoy it with a drizzle of creamy mustard sauce and a side order of slaw.

Tip

Looking to add a little side dish? A shredded colourful slaw with apple fits the bill. Toss with a light oil and vinegar dressing and sprinkle with toasted walnuts. Let sit and marinate while loaf bakes.

Perfect Savoury Pot Pies Au Gratin

The flavour is in the dice. The smaller the dice, the more exacting the flavour. In this tasty concoction, the gentle sautéing of the finely diced vegetables, also known as soffritto, coupled with a splash of white wine and fresh herbs is just the base needed to carry this lovely vegan dish to flavourful heights.

Tip

Mini pot pies can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. To bake from frozen, remove from freezer and place in refrigerator overnight. Then bake as instructed.

Khorasan Tabbouleh Timbales with Roasted Garlic Tahini Sauce

Tabbouleh recipes come in all different forms. We love this one with its blending of Middle-Eastern cultural flavours: a blended and creamy tahini dressing enhanced with roasted garlic flavours and drizzled over an interesting ancient grain with fresh herbs. All totalled? Refreshingly chill as a main or a side dish.

Tips

For a speedier dish, soak grains for a couple hours before cooking.
If khorasan kernels are not available, substitute with wheat, rye, or spelt berries, or any type of gluten-free grain like buckwheat groats, millet, or quinoa.

Curried Split Pea Soup with Spicy Tempeh Croutons

When people think of split pea soup, they often think robust and hearty European fare that’s swimming with ham. Well, step out of that mindset. This split pea soup is a delicious vegan alternative with amazing Indian spices. We’ve given it an exceptional boost with crisped tempeh croutons. It can’t get any tastier—and the nutritional boost is worth making a massive batch to add to any recipe, salad, or stir-fry.

Tips

This delicious split pea soup is equally good with stirred in spinach, kale, or Swiss chard.
Soaking split peas overnight reduces your cooking time from almost 2 hours down to 40 minutes. Alternatively, you can substitute split peas with urad dal and further reduce your cooking time

Crispy Squash Wedges with Vegan Caesar

Half the family says chicken and the other half says, “No!” Here’s a delicious alternative that will please both vegans and the fussiest of carnivores: squash—crusted and baked to perfection—served with a vegan kale and romaine Caesar salad. Once they’ve tried it, it’ll be a go-to favourite for everyone on both sides of the food divide.

Tip

Top up salad with roasted chickpeas or croutons for added crunch, if you wish.

Creamy Alfredo with Sugar Snap Peas

Buttery fettuccine noodles, dubbed “alfredo,” laced with Parmesan and butter have been a fixture in Italian cuisine since 1914. Over the years, it became popular in America and increasingly richer with the addition of cream and eggs. Today, there’s a reversal stirring as people search for plant alternatives to rich, creamy dishes without compromising flavour. Enter a truly vegan pasta chock full of creamy garlicky flavour. The silky smooth tofu sauce coupled with garlic and cashew cheese is a delicious vegan alternative with the rich essence of traditional alfredo pasta.

Tip

Looking to add some healthy greens to this dish? Add baby spinach leaves, kale, or Swiss chard to the cooked pasta with the creamy tofu sauce, and fold in until wilted. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts for added crunch.

Cilantro Soy Relish

(pictured with Raw Tostadas with Spicy Strawberry Avocado Salad)

Raw Tostadas with Spicy Strawberry Avocado Salad and Cilantro Relish

Strawberries make a sweet splash against the spicy jalapeño and cooling jicama in this recipe, standing in for more traditional tostada flavors like avocado and lime. The raw tortillas make for a different texture than the usual crisped version—one that’s fun to try out.

Total 10 min

Butterfly Pea Flower Cheesecake Bites

These two-bite treats are just the right size to pop into your mouth for a delicious dessert or a sweet afternoon pick-me-up. (Valentine’s treat, anyone?) They dazzle with their brilliant blue color, courtesy of butterfly pea flower. Butterfly pea flower is a beautiful blue flower that’s dried and ground to be added to recipes for an ocean-like hue.

Matcha maker

These tasty little bites are just as delicious made with green matcha powder instead of butterfly pea flower powder.

Roasted Yam Cakes with Blackberry Ginger Salsa

Here, we pair opposite colors on the color wheel with flavors that perfectly match. These delicious patties topped with fresh berry salsa are chock full of vitamin C and fiber—perfect to kick off the new year! Serve them as a main course (they’re delicious on a bed of wild rice) or shape the patty mixture into small bites and serve as an appetizer.

Double down

Make a double batch and freeze the extra patties. You can quickly reheat frozen patties for an after-work supper when time is in short supply.

Blueberry Patch Salad with Curry Cashew Dressing

There’s a lot of umami going on in this salad. From the fresh taste of blueberries coupled with nutrient-rich greens to crispy toasted nuts paired with creamy tahini dressing, it’s flavorful and fresh. The added pungency of crumbled vegan blue cheese on top gives it that extra wow. Give your health an antioxidant blue boost this year.

Samey-samey

Blueberries that are frozen for six months still contain the same amount of healthy antioxidants as fresh—so, truly, either kind is fine for this recipe.