Food

There are dozens of ways to roast turkey. Our preferred method is roasting a brined bird. Since brining a turkey requires it to be marinated for up to 14 hours, start this recipe the day before with a fresh or completely thawed turkey (see “Safe thawing tips” below).

Safe thawing tips

Conventional refrigerator thaw

Cold-water thawing

Holiday celebrations have expanded in many different ways. What was once a traditional full-sized bird that had cooks up for hours to prepare—only to fall into a slump after serving—has now morphed into offerings beyond the heavy dinner. Christmas brunch is becoming a popular attraction at various restaurants, and their formal offerings are anything but the big bird.

Easy roasted beetroots

This delicious meatless entrée is perfect as a side dish for the vegetarians in your Christmas crowd. But it also serves as a lovely stand-alone brunch dish. It’s delicious served with a creamy butternut squash soup and accompanied by a crisp salad. Substitute carrots and beans with roasted asparagus, and add a little lemon zest to pack a punch.

Make-ahead tips

• Prepare vegetable filling the day before. Cool and refrigerate in tightly covered container. Bring to room temperature before baking in puff.
• Roll out puff pastry and refrigerate, covered, on prepared baking sheet overnight, if you wish.

Lamb is a cross-cultural meat. Globally, it’s the second most popular animal protein after goat. During Christmas, it’s the Middle Eastern choice of entrée for a celebratory meal. We’ve paired it with truffle-scented whipped potatoes for a delicious twist. Preorder boneless lamb loin from your local butcher, allowing for a minimum of 24 hours. Know your source. Look for locally raised, organic, grass-fed lamb raised humanely and for optimal quality.

Make-ahead tips

• Cook and whip potatoes ahead. Refrigerate or freeze. To reheat, place in metal bowl over large pot of simmering water. Stir to thaw, then when piping hot, whip with whisk to return texture to creamy, whipped potatoes.
• Sauté mushrooms; stir in olives. Cool and store in tightly covered container overnight. Warm in reduced stock before serving.
• If serving with beets, roast unpeeled beets a day ahead and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, peel, cut into wedges, and reheat (uncovered) in oven alongside lamb.

Here’s a pretty version of Greek spanakopita with added artichokes and ricotta. The beauty of this showstopper dish is that you can make it a couple of hours ahead and let rest at room temperature. Best served warm or at room temperature as an excellent entrée for the vegetarians in the crowd.

Make-ahead tips

• Sauté and combine vegetables. Thoroughly cool. Then add cheese and egg mixture along with seasonings. Seal in tightly covered container and refrigerate overnight.
• The day of, prepare pastry and add cooled vegetables. Wrap in pan and refrigerate. Place in oven 1 hour before guests arrive. Allow to rest after baking for 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Here’s an appealing alternative to the big roast bird that includes all of the flavour with little or no waste. For ease of entertaining, assemble ahead of time. Pop into the oven two hours before serving. It’s delicious with seasonal roasted vegetables. Purchase a butterflied breast from your butcher. Cover with plastic wrap and pound to about 1/4 to 1/2 in (0.6 to 1.25 cm). If butterflied breast is unavailable, purchase a boneless breast. Using sharp chef’s knife and your fingers, remove skin from breast, reserving skin. Turn breast, outer side down and lay flat on cutting board. With knife parallel to board, slice sideways through thickest part of breast, but not all the way through, so you can open it like a book. Pound with mallet to flatten. Substitute spinach or beetroot greens for chard. Add any type of soft cheese, such as cream cheese or goats’ cheese or feta, in place of ricotta.

Make-ahead tips

• Prepare chard and cheese filling. Refrigerate in tightly covered container overnight.
• In the morning, prepare turkey breast, stuff, and tie up. Place in baking dish and refrigerate. Roast in oven for an hour before guests arrive. Turkey breast can rest, covered loosely with foil, for up to 40 minutes before serving.
• Prepare sauce and keep warm in small gravy boat.

Matcha latte is a tasty beverage made from powdered green tea leaves. Matcha powder can be found in the tea section at your health food store, and while it is slightly more expensive than other types of tea, you’ll want to keep it on hand! Matcha latte may help boost your focus, concentration, and thinking abilities. A great source of polyphenols, green tea may also help prevent several types of cancer. Tip: Drinking green tea on a regular basis may help manage type 2 diabetes.

Instead of seafood, gravlax is made with butternut squash (or carrots) for a vegetarian take on Danish smørrebrød (an open-faced sandwich). The beauty of smørrebrød is that you personalize it to your tastes, so the options are virtually endless.

Tip: Hot stuff

Also known as walleye, pickerel is a freshwater fish that populates many fishing lakes across Canada. Most anglers love fishing for pickerel for the simple fact that it’s great to eat—moist, slightly sweet flesh with a nice flaky texture. It’s also relatively easy to clean and has a significant amount of meat for each fillet produced. As a nutritional bonus, pickerel is a good source of protein and also contains a range of vitamins and minerals. And this recipe makes use of the classic cooking technique of creating a pan sauce to put the finishing touches on a superb dish.

Other fish to try

(pictured with Walker’s Spicy Brussels Sprouts) This recipe is fabulous any time of year—it’s fresh and light for the warmer months, but the flavours are rich and comforting for winter. I love making extra burgers and eating them chilled the next day with a salad—so satisfying! I also love homemade salsa and guacamole, so I combined them in this fresh, vibrant topping for the burgers.

This is one of my readers’ favourite recipes. It’s vegetarian and both dairy and gluten free. The fibre-rich lentils make this recipe heart healthy and detox friendly. Perfect for making on a Sunday afternoon and enjoying for lunch during the week. It freezes well too. Serve slices of this comforting loaf on a bed of peppery arugula or spinach.

Tip:

Macaccino is a delicious, energizing drink made from maca and raw cocoa powder. Maca root is an adaptogen plant from Peru, and has been shown to help improve energy, fertility, memory, and learning. Raw cocoa powder offers beneficial antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It has recently been studied for its protective effect on heart health.

Did you know?

Fairly easy to catch and blessed with great texture and delicious flavour, lake perch has long been a cherished ice fishing prize. It cooks in a flash under the oven broiler, and when stuffed into tortillas along with punchy pickled vegetables and creamy avocado sauce, you have the makings of a tasty taco night as a fitting reward for a long day on the ice.

Other fish to try

(pictured with Turkey Burgers with Guac Salsa) If your memories of Brussels sprouts make you crinkle your nose, you are not alone. But it’s time to give this incredibly nutrient-dense anticancer food another chance! This recipe is one of my absolute favourites, and the Brussels taste delicious chilled the next day!      

Making sauerkraut, a fermented cabbage rich in probiotics, is simple and affordable. Scandinavian cuisine is known for its use of pickled and fermented condiments such as sauerkraut, serving them alongside all meals for enhanced digestion and a crisp, sour flavour contrast. Enjoy this grain dish for breakfast with a poached egg, or dinner with roasted wild salmon. This will serve four as a side, and two generously as a main.

Tip:

If you haven’t already made bone broth a staple in your diet, you can start with this tasty chicken stock with miso. Use of chicken stock may help promote joint health and decrease inflammation. Miso is an ancient superfood you’ll want to indulge in often for its potential benefits in relieving fatigue, aiding digestion, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, and preventing cancer. Tip: Adding miso paste after heating helps retain its flavour and nutritional benefits. Do not boil.

Did you know?

Ready to go to battle with any angler and possessing flesh with praise-worthy rich flavour, lake trout are among the most sought-after sport fish in Canada. And cooking it whole in this one-pan recipe requires minimal prep to reap the rewards of a catch well done. Plus, bones infuse an extra layer of flavour during cooking.

Other fish to try

My cousin Amy has been a vegetarian for as long as I can remember. When we were kids she was always served something intriguing at family Easter and Christmas celebrations instead of ham or turkey. This recipe is both vegan and gluten free.

Tip:

Lake whitefish is a freshwater swimmer with a delicately flavoured flesh and a range across much of Canada. They are especially known for their small head in relation to the length of their bodies. Reel it in and then rustle up this hearty stew as a nutritious and delicious way to take the edge off the winter chill. Serve with crusty whole grain bread.

Other fish to try

This warming beverage is made with real apple juice heated with powdered ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom. Consumption of real apple juice has been linked with a reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Ginger helps promote digestive and cardiovascular health, and is useful in the treatment of degenerative disorders, diabetes, and cancer. Cinnamon has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, while cardamom improves digestion. Tip: If you have whole spices on hand, you can swap powdered spices for a slice of fresh ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, and 3 crushed cardamom pods.

Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfectly spiced with cardamom, a spice used in many traditional Scandinavian baked goods. These fragrant cookies use just one bowl, and can be jazzed up with any dried fruit you like (or chocolate chips).

Tip:

Turkey breast, though undeniably nutritious, can be rather bland if not given the right treatment. In this recipe, both taste and presentation are elevated by the addition of a zesty gremolata (see below). It’s light and slightly tangy, and it adds an intriguing crunch that will please guests and family alike.

What is gremolata?

• Mix gremolata with some quality olive oil and toss it over mixed greens for a delicious and easy salad.
• For burgers with bite, add gremolata to ground poultry or meats.
• Sprinkle gremolata on top of cheesy pasta dishes for an appealing taste and crunchy texture.
• Mix gremolata with a flavourful oil and rub it on fresh fish and poultry before grilling.

Who says finger food can’t be healthy? Gently steaming these wontons helps their delicious filling stay succulent and full of flavour. They can be served as an appetizer or paired with a vegetable stir-fry or green salad for a light and delicious meal.

Elderflower is used throughout Scandinavia in beverages, steeped to extract the taste from the flowers of the elderberry. Elderflowers are seasonal, available fresh in late spring, but you can find the syrup in many natural food stores (and a very popular Scandinavian furniture store). This savoury-meets-sweet yogurt bowl uses earthy beets for a fresh take on breakfast or a midday snack.

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