Food

Like other nuts and seeds, sesame seeds are known for containing phytosterols, which are known to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. If you want to try something extra special, drizzle these squares with some melted vegan dark chocolate.

Whole grain (and gluten-free) sorghum adds a nutty chew to this warm salad. You don’t have to sear the lettuce, but it adds a smoky char and elegance to make it a touch more extraordinary. A herbed, creamy coconut and tofu dressing holds it all together. If you’re crunched for time, use quinoa or cooked chickpeas in place of sorghum. Add any extra dressing to potato salad, crudité platters, and avocado toast.

Avocado adds a rich and creamy base to this pudding, which is rich in monounsaturated fat. Eaten in moderation, monounsaturated fats can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and may help decrease one’s risk of heart disease. Feel free to taste and add a touch of maple syrup if desired, or for natural sweetness, try adding a banana to the mixture before blending.  

While a cake is still a cake, simple substitutes such as whole grain flour, maple syrup, and olive oil help turn this traditional Wacky Cake recipe into a more heart-healthy treat. To make these extra special, chill a can of full-fat coconut milk overnight. The next day, open the can and scoop out all of the hard, solidified coconut cream (save the coconut water for a smoothie). Beat coconut cream with a little vanilla and maple syrup, as you would whipping cream. Top each cupcake with a dollop of coconut cream and sprinkles.

Roasting brings out the natural flavours of veggies in this vegan entertaining platter. Switch up beans and herbs to transform this dish into something new. Turn this platter into pizza: spread cooked flatbreads with hummus, chop vegetables to add on top, slice, and serve.

Adding beans to your baking is a great way to increase the fibre as well as adding a cholesterol-lowering ingredient to more of your meals. If you don’t have almond butter, try substituting any other type of nut butter.

A substantial, complete meal salad that’s as simple to plate as it is to pack: scoop and dive in. Perk up leftovers with a squeeze of fresh lime to bring back the just-made flavour. Tempeh is a high-protein fermented soybean cake with a nutty, slightly acidic flavour and hearty texture. Find it refrigerated or frozen at your natural food or grocery store.

Quick curries using a handful of fresh ingredients and pantry staples get dinner on the table in under an hour. Instead of apple and tofu, try peeled and diced sweet potato and chickpeas. A superb base recipe, this curry can be easily adapted to what’s available in your kitchen. For additional creaminess, a scoop of natural peanut butter or almond butter makes this curry taste even more luxurious.

Heart-healthy ingredients such as whole grain flour, oats, and olive oil easily replace the typical white flour, refined sugar, and butter often found in this classic cookie. Try making your own chia jam by mixing 2 cups (500 mL) cooked berries with 2 Tbsp (30 mL) chia seeds and some lemon and maple syrup, to taste.

Berries are rich in a particular type of antioxidant known as polyphenols. Studies have shown that eating these polyphenols (also found in red wine and dark chocolate) may lower one’s risk of heart disease. In the spring and summer, feel free to use any antioxidant-rich fresh berry in this recipe, from black currants to strawberries.

If you think pumpkin is best trotted out twice a year as a pie filling, think again. Chef Luptak prefers using Rouge vif d’Étampes pumpkin, a French heirloom variety, when he makes this salad. “Rouge vif d’Étampes” means “bright red from Étampes”—an old commune in France. These flat pumpkins were a fixture in Paris’s central market in the late 1800s. If you have ground spices on hand instead of seeds, they’ll work fine in the pumpkin seed crust as well. Toast them in the frying pan, but skip the grinding.

Too cold to have a salad? Here’s your answer in a cup of cozy soup. You can use any variety of baby greens in this Many Greens Soup—spinach, watercress, baby beet greens, et cetera. Just be sure not to include lettuces, which don’t heat well.

Did you know?

Long, long (I mean, like, embarrassingly long) before it hit the mainstream health scene in North America, quinoa enjoyed a storied history in Central and South American kitchens as an inexpensive, nourishing and environmentally friendly protein. One of quinoa’s many famous uses is in sopa de quinoa, a recipe that varies from region to region (and cook to cook), but is usually made with quinoa, potatoes, squash and any other vegetables that might be on hand.

Superfood boost

Apples and squash go hand in hand as BFFs (best flavor friends) … and of course curry makes everything just a little bit better. This is a wonderfully complex soup you’re bound to make time and time again.

The sweet, honey taste of fresh figs is magic when paired with caramelized onions and cashew cheese.

Figet about it

This is a veggie-powered, peanut-free version of the popular stir-fried Thai noodle dish. Experiment by preparing it with buckwheat noodles, black bean noodles, mung bean noodles, rice noodles or veggie noodles and a variety of veggies—but really, it’s all about the sauce here.

Psst …

Get saucy

Play with it

Sometimes the best way to spend a Sunday is making an incredible pot of homemade chili to serve with fresh bread. With each day that goes by throughout the week, the flavors meld, becoming better and better. This recipe requires a bit of effort, but it’s really worth it.

Bean there, done that

Up in smoke

When you look to Mexico for ingredient inspiration, what you bite into is a sandwich that is shockingly flavourful. Nutritionally speaking, chicken thighs only contain a tad more fat than breast meat, but their extra juiciness is most welcomed come the lunch bell. Look for brands of refried beans that are made without added fats.

It’s always a good idea to work the nutritional heroes known as lentils into a diet more often. And this pâté-like spread spiked with Mediterranean flair (not to mention an umami wallop) is a taste bud-rousing way to do so. The mild licorice-like flavour of fennel adds another surprising flavour element to the hand-held meal. You can also add a handful of arugula to the sandwich topping.

Red riot

Who says sushi should only be served with chopsticks? This Japanese-inspired sandwich delivers plenty of great texture along with a little sinus-clearing kick courtesy of a wasabi-infused cream cheese spread. If you have some on hand, go ahead and add a bit of pickled ginger to the sandwich. Rainbow trout or arctic char can be used in lieu of salmon.

Zest of life

Using chunks of sweet mango, mashed chickpeas, and garam masala, a spice mixture containing cinnamon, cumin, and black pepper, makes this sandwich decidedly Indian in essence. The pickled tomatoes add a vinegary appeal to each bite. And because of the sky-high fibre levels, the meal will stick with you for much longer.

Moo-free

In Argentina, grass-fed beef and chimichurri, a lively herb mixture, are nearly inseparable. Put them together in a sandwich with a few twists, and you’ve got a meal that satisfies a taste for adventure.

Read the fine print

If you’re looking to impress your guests with last-minute fresh bread, then these are bound to be your simplest go-to recipe. Make them with unbleached flour and they’re airy and light like clouds—ready in a couple of hours. Make them with whole wheat flour and you’ll have equally delicious buns with a touch more density. Make them with gluten-free flour blends and you’ll have a dense bun with more added texture. Each is a matter of preference and with its own great flavour. Jazz up any mixture with finely chopped fresh or dried herbs, garlic, and a dusting of Parmesan.

Storage

This wonderful hearty bread packs a wallop of flavour and sustenance to a one-dish dinner such as stew or soup.

Storage