Food

Closely related to the Pacific salmon, steelhead has bright orange flesh and a taste that falls somewhere between trout and salmon. Most steelhead sold is sustainably farm-raised, making it a good choice to enjoy year round.

Tip

Savoury and meaty, sturgeon pairs perfectly with the bold flavours of this recipe. Fresh curry leaves have nothing to do with the powder that shares their name and are worth seeking out. An edible herb with a unique citrus aroma and a lightly bitter taste, curry leaves elevate this dish from delicious to sublime.

Tip

(pictured with Sidestripe Shrimp Salad and Pickled Apple) There are endless possibilities for this granola, other than just as a salad topper. Try it sprinkled over your morning eggs, stirred into yogurt, showered over roasted vegetables, or for garnishing a creamy root vegetable soup.

The majority of shrimp sold in grocery stores are farmed shrimp imported from Asia. Sidestripe shrimp are a cold-water species whose habitat goes from northern Oregon up to the Bering Sea in Alaska. A sustainable choice, they are prized for their distinctive sweet flavour, which is highlighted nicely in this salad.

Composed, warm salads bring Mediterranean sunshine to the plate any time of year. Sous vide cooking’s precise and steady temperature control in a water bath means sustainable, better-than-canned tuna, is easier than ever. Crisp, tender, and decadent all at once, this French “comfort food” meal is tied together with a zippy lemon-mustard vinaigrette.

Tip

Here’s a simple bowl of comfort food with a soothing flavour that employs both steaming and poaching techniques to gently cook and soften. Although wonderful on its own, this dish becomes even more bolstering when served in a light, lemony broth—itself another great use for water.

Tip

Straining yogurt is a two-for-one way to get both a tenderizing brining liquid with whey and a thick strained yogurt called labneh. Labneh can be used in dips and dressings, instead of your morning Greek yogurt, in place of cream cheese in desserts, and more.

Tips

• Extra whey and labneh can be kept in airtight container in refrigerator until yogurt’s expiry date.
• Use the salty, watery brine from feta cheese in place of the yogurt’s whey for a speedier alternative (skip the salt in this case).

This soup is sublimely spicy, floral, and balanced all at once. Hot boiling water is added right before serving, turning this into an “instant” soup option that travels well. Enjoy it for lunch at the office.

Tip

Do you love Thanksgiving—and dream of turkey dinners all year long? You’re in luck, because this recipe by The Gut Girl, Marlies Venier, is a quick and easy substitute. Not to mention, turkey is full of protein and a great source of iron, potassium, and zinc.

Recipe by Gut Girl, Marlies Venier, excerpted (adapted) from The Secret Life of Your Microbiome (New Society, 2017) by Alan C. Logan, ND, and Susan L. Prescott, MD, PhD.

It’s no secret that I’m a dessert for breakfast kinda girl. This baklava-flavoured breakfast bowl takes my treat-for-breakfast obsession to the next level. The chia seeds and quinoa really sing with the addition of rose water, orange juice, and maple syrup. Topped with pomegranate seeds, berries, fig, and pumpkin seeds, this is a fancy café-style breakfast waiting to be devoured. Divine!

This is not only a delicious warm-weather treat, but it’s also the nutritious answer to the call of the ice cream truck. Loaded with good-for-you almonds, dates, oats, and chia seeds, these ice cream bars will be tops on your truck stop list. But be warned: they won’t last long!

Tip

Tucked into a takeaway box, noodle salads are a delicious parkside meal to eat while gazing at sailboats on the ocean. Healthy and fresh, a noodle bowl doesn’t need to be eaten piping hot—perfect for a summer day!

Tips

• Substitute a handful of shelled prawns or a block of cubed extra-firm tofu for chicken, if you wish. Simply marinate for 30 minutes. For vegan, top noodle and vegetable bowls with chopped toasted peanuts.
• Lemongrass paste, garlic paste, and many puréed herbs are available in squeeze tubes in the refrigerated section of the produce department in most grocery stores. It’s convenient and perfect for using in marinades. It provides oodles of flavour without the worry of burning little bits when grilling.
• The beauty of noodle bowls is that they’re endlessly versatile. You can choose your own noodles or substitute with spiralized zucchini. You can select any number of toppings such as marinated chicken or shellfish, or make them vegetarian or vegan.

These simple favourites might be fiddly to make, but after a few tries you’ll quickly get the hang of it. It’s a delicious lunchtime snack to eat while on your feet at any event. We added prawns, but you can also pack them chock full of vegetables.

Tip

Eating a taco can be a challenge if you’re on the move. But something that’s appearing at takeout windows is the “walking taco”—all the ingredients of a taco tucked into a bag with a serving utensil. We lightened it up and tucked satisfying lentils into a lettuce wrap with some fresh toppings and guacamole with a jalapeno kick.

Tip

Roasted chickpeas are perfect for snacking—and you can toss them with different seasonings to suit anyone’s tastes. Crunchy, healthy, and satisfying, they’re a great alternative to popcorn! And they have less fat than toasted nuts. Grab a bag to-go and hit the boardwalk or the trails.

Tips

• Leftover chickpeas? Simply toss into a salad or sprinkle over a soup.
• Short on time? Drain and rinse a 14 oz (398 mL) can chickpeas and thoroughly blot dry. Toss with oil and a little salt, and spread out on baking sheet. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and crisp. Toss with desired seasonings and serve.

Mini salmon burgers are the ultimate for both small and large appetites. Great for little appetites, or two per person as a main course. The cool and creamy yogurt topping is a complementary addition to the smoky glazed salmon.

Tip

Based on the traditional French confection mendiants, the combination of chocolate-enrobed crunchy nuts and sweet dried fruit hits the dessert spot without the calorie overload.

Kids in action

After-school snacks offer an opportunity to add important nutrients to a child’s diet and also to curb appetites until the dinner bell rings. Peanut butter anoints hummus with a kid-approved flavour profile (and some extra protein) making this healthy dip something that little legs will run home for. Possible dippers include apple wedges, baby carrots, sliced red pepper, celery, and baked tortilla chips. It can also be spread on brown rice cakes.

Kids in action

There’s no reason to beet around the broccoli: veggies are what children should be eating more of during their midday meal. But if you’re sending them off with a lunch salad, it had better be more than a pile of limp greens. This Instagram-ready deconstructed taco salad has enough great textures and familiar flavours to guarantee lunch boxes will return home empty.

Kids in action

Who says granola has to be served in a bowl with spoon in hand? This whimsical make-ahead riff on a breakfast classic removes the woulda-coulda-shoulda about starting the day on a solid nutritional note. And it provides a nourishing mixture of quality carbs, protein, and healthy fats.

Kids in action

This one-pot wonder is a deliciously satisfying twist on family-favourite spaghetti and meatballs. A healthy way to spoon up pure comfort food, the meatballs can also be made with grass-fed ground beef. Serve with a side salad for a complete meal.

Kids in action

Top these versatile, polenta-inspired bites with your child’s favourite ingredients, such as tomato sauce, hummus, sliced cucumbers, or cheese.

Tip

In-season apples, sautéed and baked in an egg socca pancake batter, will fill your home with the aroma of apple pie, without the fuss. This warm and cozy dessert can be made and served in under an hour, and goes beautifully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or yogurt.

Tip

Homemade sushi is made doable for lunch the next day. Protein from tamago, “egg” in Japanese, is replaced here with a sliced socca omelette, giving it the look and feel of traditional tamago, while remaining entirely egg free.