Food

This dish is aimed toward older kids. For a gluten-free version, replace pitas with a bed of quinoa. You can buy pickled beets, but choose ones without artificial colours or preservatives added. You can also buy tahini sauce or make your own, along with the yogurt sauce and pickled beets in advance. The beets will taste even better after several days of marinating.

These Japanese onigiri rice triangles can be filled with anything—peanut butter and jelly, leftover chicken, sustainable canned salmon, or fresh fruit. Make in advance and refrigerate overnight. For a recess snack, shape onigiri into 1 1/2 in (4 cm) balls instead of palm-sized triangles. Pack two different kinds for lunch so the flavours are a surprise.

What makes this better than macaroni from a box? Real cheese! Delicious hot, sent to school in a Thermos, you can also send this as a cold macaroni salad. To increase the vegetable content even more, add a cup of broccoli, peas, or diced carrots to the pasta-cooking water five minutes before draining.

Spiced, crunchy roasted chickpeas are the ultimate textural topper for a velvety curried hummus. Garam Masala-Roasted Chickpeas 1/2 cup (125 mL) cooked chickpeas, dried thoroughly 1/2 tsp (2 mL) avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp (2 mL) garam masala 1/4 tsp (1 mL) sea salt Curried Hummus 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) cooked chickpeas 1/3 cup (80 mL) tahini 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tsp (10 mL) mild curry powder 1/2 tsp (2 mL) turmeric 1/4 cup (60 mL) lemon juice 1/2 tsp (2 mL) sea salt 1 to 4 Tbsp (15 to 60 mL) water, to thin as needed 2 Tbsp (30 mL) roughly chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish 1 tsp (5 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish To prepare roasted chickpeas, preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Line large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Add chickpeas to baking sheet and evenly coat with avocado oil or olive oil. Evenly sprinkle on garam masala and salt; toss to combine. Roast chickpeas for 15 minutes. Shake pan and roast for additional 15 minutes, until crispy and golden. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes while you prepare hummus. To prepare hummus, combine chickpeas, tahini, garlic, curry powder, turmeric, lemon juice, and salt in food processor. Purée until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides if necessary. Thin with water, 1 Tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until desired consistency. Transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with cilantro, olive oil, and 2 Tbsp (30 mL) Garam Masala-Roasted Chickpeas. Serve at room temperature with naan bread for dipping and additional Garam Masala-Roasted Chickpeas on the side. Hummus can be kept covered in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Leftover roasted chickpeas can be stored in container in freezer and reheated from frozen in 400 F (200 C) oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6. Each serving contains: 230 calories; 10 g protein; 11 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 27 g carbohydrates (4 g sugars, 5 g fibre); 315 mg sodium source: "Heightened Hummus", alive #383, September 2014

Served with warm pita bread, this is a meal in itself. It also makes for a winning dip to serve a crowd when entertaining.

(pictured with Harvest Pecan Pumpkin Hummus, left)

(pictured with Cookie Dough Hummus, right)

Easily whipped up in a matter of minutes, this protein-rich power snack would make Popeye proud.

Muffin-sized pies make for perfect portion control, but the cherry-chocolate mixture is so delicious you’ll be tempted to reach for a second one. You can also create a fanciful lattice top by rolling half of the spelt dough out into a rectangle, slicing small strips the diameter of muffin cups, and then using these to create a lattice pattern over each pie.

Here’s the perfect way to put those end-of-season peaches to good use. Ginger adds a little zing. Of course, feel free to serve à la mode.

This gluten-free pie crust is simple to put together and stars almond flour, which is loaded with vitamin E and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.

Bursting with lemon brightness, this pie is neither too sweet nor too rich. It also demonstrates just how versatile protein-rich Greek yogurt can be in the kitchen. For the richest lemony flavour, use fresh lemon juice, not the inferior kind that comes in a bottle. The pie is particularly great with the almond flour crust on page 170. Be sure to chill crust before filling and baking.

This riff on apple pie has a definite sweet and savoury personality—a slice can hit the spot for brunch or can be served alongside a salad for lunch. If you want a little added crunch, consider tossing some chopped walnuts into the apple mixture.

Crunchy pecans offer some textural contrast to the creamy butternut squash filling, while the quartet of spices ups the warming flavour.

Pie crust can be a nutritional dud. In this whole grain version, shortening and lard are replaced with butter. Slightly sweet-tasting whole grain spelt flour makes a pie crust that is more tender and less dense than those made using whole wheat flour.

As with zucchini bread, shredded zucchini can add a nutritional boost to pancakes. Folding in whipped egg whites produces truly fluffy pancakes that are brightened with lemon essence. The batter can be prepared the night before, but it’s best to leave it out at room temperature for about one hour before using. Top with berries and maple syrup.

This easy-to-make tangy soup will cause bowls to empty quickly. Hasty chefs who want to chill the soup quickly can place the soup in a bowl, set it in an ice-water bath, and stir it frequently until cool. Serve garnished with some grated zucchini and cracked black pepper.

When cut into spaghetti-like noodles, zucchini becomes delightfully tender and an exciting substitute for more calorie dense spaghetti. But this dish has plenty of volume and dietary fibre, so you’ll still feel plenty satisfied. 4 tsp (20 mL) grapeseed oil or camelina oil, divided 1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2 in (1.25 cm) pieces 3/4 lb (375 g) lean ground chicken 1 small yellow onion, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 red or orange bell pepper, diced 1 chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce, minced 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground black pepper 1 - 26 oz (739 mL) jar no-salt-added pasta sauce 1 Tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped fresh oregano 4 medium zucchinis, cut into thin strands* Parmesan, for garnish Heat 2 tsp oil (10 mL) in large skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove eggplant from heat and set aside. Heat remaining oil in pan and add chicken, onion, and garlic. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and onion has softened, about 7 minutes. Add bell pepper, chipotle chili, salt, and pepper; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce, oregano, and eggplant, and simmer for 5 minutes. Divide zucchini strands among serving plates and top with eggplant sauce. Garnish with grated Parmesan if desired. Serves 4. * Tip: There are a few ways you can create your zucchini noodles. Although using a dedicated vegetable spiralizer is the best option, you can use a serrated vegetable peeler, a regular peeler, or mandoline to create wide ribbons and then slice these into thin strands. Or place a box grater on a flat surface so that the largest grating holes are facing up. Use it just like you would a mandoline by sliding the zucchini along it in long strokes to create noodles. Each serving contains: 304 calories; 22 g protein; 10 g total fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 37 g total carbohydrates (21 g sugars, 11 g fibre); 236 mg sodium source: "Squash It!", alive #383, September 2014

Zucchini becomes a whole new vegetable when flame licked. As for peppadew peppers, their perky name says it all: these vibrant peppers add an irresistible sweet-fiery pep to dishes. Native to South Africa, these up-and-coming fruits can be found in the deli section of most grocers.

These seemingly sophisticated rolls are perfect for party fare or as a light lunch. They are best served fresh, but keep well in the fridge for a day or so. You can also use smoked mackerel or trout and even try grilling the zucchini strips. Extra sun-dried tomato spread is excellent when strewn over crackers or rolled up in sheets of nori.

These stuffed zucchini boats are a great way to use up those squashes that have grown a little hefty under the sun. Any extra rice salad can be tossed with some greens and a dressing for a great stand-alone lunch.

This is my favourite “mock” anything. The idea came to me while I was visiting my brother. When he came in from his vegetable garden with an armful of zucchinis and cherry tomatoes, we all craved spaghetti—but not noodles.

This salad, with its cool cucumbers and watery watermelon, is so thirst quenching it is like drinking a very flavourful glass of water!

I introduced my mother to quinoa with this salad and it is still one of her favourites years later! (She was 80 at the time, proving it is never too late to change your eating habits!) You can vary the vegetables and garnishes according to your preferences and what you have on hand.