Food

In this incarnation of slaw, the mild flavour of celery root pairs nicely with tart green apples and an umami-laced miso dressing. If you’d like an extra pop of sweetness, try tossing in some dried cherries or raisins. While this slaw is best served soon after preparing, it can be made up to two days in advance and chilled.

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This feast of flavours, textures, and colours is sure to garner praise from any lucky eaters. Full of energizing carbs, it’s an especially great dish to serve on days when you’ve had a vigorous workout. The sorghum, roasted sweet potato, and tahini sauce can be made up to three days in advance and chilled.

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Black, pearly lentils serve as a springboard for these satisfying tacos that are stuffed with all sorts of attention grabbers: ultra-sweet mango, buttery avocado, and crunchy pumpkin seeds. And lining your tortillas with spinach is an easy way to up the nutritional ante. The key is not to overcook the lentils, as you still want them to have some bite.

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An Asian-influenced creamy sunflower butter sauce that’s strewn over seared slabs of tofu is a recipe for a hearty vegan main dish. For a complete meal, serve alongside a salad and cooked whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa.

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Here’s proof that sometimes bucking tradition in the kitchen can be a delicious adventure. Meaty and rich in protein, tempeh is a wonderful alternative to meat when preparing a veg-heavy Bolognese sauce to be draped over nutty soba. Any extra tempeh sauce is excellent when stuffed into baked sweet potato.

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With a couple of cellar vegetables, some spices, and a little added freshness, you have the most restorative, feel-good stew imaginable. The coconut milk adds just the right amount of richness to tame the sharp ginger and spices. There’s so much flavour going on here, but this warming pot of nourishment couldn’t be simpler to make. I list spinach for the greens here, but chopped kale, chard, collards, or mustard greens would all be excellent in its place.

The walnuts in the sauce and topping of this creamy gratin make for a satisfying dose of good fats and protein. This cozy dish is perfect with a little side salad. My gratin method here works with all kinds of thinly sliced vegetables, including potatoes and sweet potatoes, and even small florets of broccoli and cauliflower. Nutritional yeast (an inactive yeast) is what brings the slightly cheesy and savoury flavour. It can be found in spice aisles of supermarkets.

This is a gorgeous winter salad with some textural interest from cooked lentils that are roasted until crispy and chewy. I turn to root vegetable and cabbage-based salads and slaws in the cold months because I find I’m less likely to crave a leafy, water-heavy salad. It seems that the body naturally craves foods that will help it to seasonally adapt. You can use any mix of root vegetables you like or have on hand.

On a trip to Montreal with friends, we shared a broccoli-based “Caesar” salad as a starter plate. It featured a whole broccoli stalk that had been charred on a grill, finished in the oven, and then smothered in Caesar dressing. It was so good that I would have fought everyone at the table for the last bite. The smoky tempeh makes this a more filling vegetable course, too. I blanch the broccoli here, but I’ve also prepared this salad with roasted broccoli florets as a warm salad. Just place the florets on a baking sheet, toss with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast in a 400 F (200 C) oven for about 20 minutes or so.

I find vegan pastry particularly hard to master without the use of vegetable shortening, vegan margarine, and the like. I stay away from these ingredients, and an oil-based crust can be tricky, messy beast. I skip the whole thing here and just slice sweet and regular potatoes into thin coins, fan them out on top of this vegetable and bean pot pie, and roast them until crispy and crust-like. The result has all of the effect of a traditional pot pie with much less effort.  

Nurturing, ultra-cozy warm grains are the base of this creamy, mellow vegan breakfast that can be made in the moment for a tableful, or in advance for single servings throughout the work week.

Blanching hazelnuts

Bright, inviting winter citrus punctuates creamy dairy-free coconut yogurt imbued with vanilla. It’s a sophisticated treat that can be dialled up in presentation or kept rustic, retaining its homespun vibe.

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This meal is an incredible investment piece. Both the eggplant burgers and tomato jam freeze well, so you can heat and eat at a moment’s notice.

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Homemade power snacks that require neither a laundry list of ingredients nor an oven can be whipped up in a flash. This flavour combo of coconut, coffee, chocolate, and banana makes the everyday snack feel a bit more adult.

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Take inspiration from your local salad bar to turn your take-along or at-home lunches into a cafeteria-style feast—hold the hefty price tag.

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The chances of finding someone who hasn’t unapologetically devoured a package of chocolate peanut butter morsels at some point in time is as likely as a snowstorm in the Sahara. And, yes, making a batch of homemade better-for-you cups filled with creamy peanut butter goodness is far from a high-flying feat. Plus, you get the chance to elevate them with exciting add-ins such as spices, crunchy cacao nibs, and a whisper of salt. If you don’t want to use peanut butter, almond butter works great too. Or if you want these to be nut free, employ sunflower butter. For the most antioxidant goodness, choose chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cocoa.

If a salad could speak, it would say to dressing: “You complete me.” But many store-bought bottled options are sullied with sugars, high sodium levels, and poor quality oils. Instead, set aside the few minutes necessary to whip up these better-tasting and healthier-for-you salad boosters.

Holiday feasts just don’t seem complete without the presence of a heaping bowlful of stuffing. And while it’s tempting to reach for the store-bought boxed variety during the festive season time crunch, what’s unappetizing is the refined carbs and laundry list of mystery items that most often populate ingredient lists. After all, who ever says, “Mmm, disodium inosinate”? This easy from-scratch version ditches the soggy white bread for much healthier quinoa and packs in plenty of satisfying herby flavour. Roasted sweet potatoes add creamy texture, and chunks of pear deliver seasonal sweetness to please a crowd. Nobody will be tempted to drown this stuffing in gravy.

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Pre-fab frozen pizza pockets have long been a guilty pleasure for anyone looking for a quick pizza fix. Now you can shelve those boxes with a lengthy ingredient list of whatchamacallits in favour of stocking your freezer with these healthier hand-held pizza bombs that will appeal to all generations of a household. Tortillas are a hack that streamlines the production and lets you save on doughy calories. Simply reheat and eat, or go upscale and serve pizza bundles on a plate draped in more warm tomato sauce, grated Parmesan, and sliced fresh basil. Or serve with dips such as guacamole, sour cream, or salsa. Look for jarred marinara sauces with no added sugars in their ingredient list and that are lower in sodium. Or for fresher flavour, rustle up your own red sauce for all your pizza and pasta needs. Simply place 2 lbs (1 kg) Roma (plum) tomatoes, 4 minced garlic cloves, 3 Tbsp (45 mL) balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp (30 mL) fresh thyme, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) red chili flakes, and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper in blender, and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into medium saucepan and stir in 3 Tbsp (45 mL) olive oil. Bring tomato mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and maintain a strong simmer until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

Packets of instant oatmeal can help you keep your sanity during hectic mornings, but their sky-high sugar levels are unappetizing. Instead, spoon up this DIY version of a classic instant oatmeal flavour that lets you still enjoy a warm breakfast in a flash but without the nutritional baggage. The addition of walnuts and flax provide heart-healthy fats.

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Your kids (and secretly, you!) love super-convenient frozen fish sticks, but you would likely prefer to put a more nutritious meal on the table that doesn’t come with a side of freezer burn. This makeover of the frozen finger-food delight takes them out of the nutrition doghouse by relying on higher quality ingredients to net a fresher tasting meal. And the tangy tartar sauce is seriously dunk-worthy.

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• Placing breaded fish on a metal rack in the oven helps them get extra crispy by allowing air to better circulate around the sticks.
• To make sure you’re reeling in sustainable fish for these sticks, choose from the best options listed on the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise Seafood Program (seafood.ocean.org). Other fish options include sustainable halibut, catfish, and cod.

Rich in cream and refined sugars, eggnog is a devilish seasonal treat if there ever was one. Take a pass on the additive-laden store-bought cartons in favour of this healthier version that proves eggnog with no eggs can still leave you in a festive mood. Blended cashews and toasted coconut give the drink its oh-so-good creaminess, while dates infuse the sweetness that good eggnog commands. Serve with a dusting of nutmeg.

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• For a finer drink, strain mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve or use a nut milk bag.
• The drink can also be warmed on the stovetop and a different seasonal flavour can be had by omitting vanilla in favour of 1/2 tsp (2 mL) peppermint extract. Or turn it into a grown-up drink with a splash of whisky.

Decorating sugar cookies at this time of year is a great family tradition. This protein-packed smoothie lets you have your cookie and eat it too, while fueling up for all the merriment of the season. This recipe will make more coconut sprinkles than needed, but they’re great for adding a festive touch to plenty of seasonal dishes.

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A classic holiday torte, the Linzer torte will often be featured on the tables of Austrian households at Christmas time. Made with a hazelnut or almond pastry, the torte is filled with a layer of red currant or raspberry jam. It’s traditionally topped with a decorative lattice of pastry. Taking inspiration from that decadent treat, this smoothie will curb your pastry cravings while still letting you fit into your holiday party wear. Tip If making the lattice design on top of these smoothies seems a bit fussy, try rolling the crust mixture into small balls and scattering them overtop the smoothie.