Food

It’s hard to believe that eating green can be so addicting. These crunchy, spicy chard chips are a perfect alternative to greasy potato chips when a snack attack strikes. You can also experiment by using other seasonings such as garlic powder, smoked paprika, or Parmesan cheese. Don’t compost the chard stems. Instead, try pickling them!

Kale and whole grain quinoa team up to create a fanciful looking gluten-free entree that boasts nutritional highlights. For added visual appeal, consider using black quinoa. The sweet, fiery, and sour notes of the red sauce provide the perfect counterweight to the earthy elements of the cake.

Vinegary chard stems make a powerful addition to sandwiches, scrambled eggs, or an antipasto platter. They’re ready to enjoy after sitting for 24 hours and will keep for one week.

Related to kale, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables, frilly and peppery-flavoured mustard greens are commonly used in Asian cuisine. Hence, a good place to track them down is at an Asian market. When cooked, mustard greens lose some of their peppery bite. You can also slice the stalks and place them in the pan along with bell pepper.

The broad and tender leaves of collard greens make a wonderful alternative to flour-based wraps, as they are milder in flavour than other winter greens. You’ll require two collard leaves per wrap—the bigger the better. Roll these up for workaday lunches at the office or for lighter dinners. The sweet potato riff on hummus assures that each bite is packed with even more nutritional firepower. This recipe uses only half of the hummus; use the extra as a dip or freeze for future use.

Most winter greens are sold in bunches. One exception is escarole, which grows in a lettuce-like head. It has tender, pale green leaves that are slightly bitter tasting. As more layers of the head are peeled back, the leaves become milder in flavour. Together, the leafy greens, earthy beans, and tasty meatballs elevate this soup to a point where you’ll want to make it a regular part of your winter menu. If desired, you can use kale or mustard greens in lieu of escarole and lean ground chicken instead of turkey.

When blended with sweet and creamy ingredients such as frozen mango and avocado, respectively, the greens become virtually unnoticeable, making this smoothie a great way to sneak them into the diets of picky eaters. Swiss chard, kale, or collards are good options for this deliciously thick drink.

A surprising little trick to enhance a good tomato-based broth is allspice or cinnamon.

1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 lbs/750 g), unpeeled 
Salt
3 Tbsp (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 red onions, diced 
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled and diced 
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced 
3 - 8 in (20 cm) zucchini, unpeeled and diced 
4 bell peppers in assorted colours, cored and diced  28 oz (796 mL) can diced tomatoes and juice
2 cups (500 mL) halved button mushrooms
1/2 cup (125 mL) pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup (125 mL) low-sodium vegetable stock 
3 Tbsp (45 mL) balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp (2 mL) crushed red peppers
1/2 tsp (2 mL) fennel seed, crushed
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups (1 L) arugula
1/2 cup (125 mL) coarsely grated Parmesan

Chili

Dinner doesn’t have to be complicated. In this dish, the only cooking you need to do is sautéing the onions. After that, it’s just stirring ingredients in a slow cooker and waiting for them to magically become dinner. This curry is intensely warm and soothing after a cold rainy or snowy night.

This is an adaptation of a rice risotto with equally delicious results.

Cooking rice pudding in a slow cooker guarantees perfect results every time. The lovely creamy texture with coconut milk is sumptuous for any night of the week or a special occasion.

This salad is so much more than a side dish. With fresh, vibrant flavours, it is sure to brighten up any winter lunch or dinner. To make it a complete meal, try topping with baked salmon fillets.

This recipe is the perfect soul-warming solution to a chilly midwinter day. Better yet, this soup is chockablock with health benefits from the antioxidant-rich sweet potatoes to the immune-boosting, vitamin C-rich fennel and orange.

This quick bread gets its bright and sunny orange flavour from the whole puréed orange in the batter. Made ahead, this bread may be stored for five days, making it the perfect grab-and-go breakfast on busy weekday mornings.

These whisper thin and very delicate nibbles are perfect on a Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea, or serve alongside orange sorbet for a refreshing after-dinner treat.

This pasta dish is quick to put together on a weeknight, but also impressive enough to serve at your next dinner party. The scallops in the dish are a good source of vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium, all important in maintaining good cardiovascular health.

Serves 4

Serves 4

Serves 2

Serves 10

Makes 10 burritos Wrap it up. Wraps are a great way to deliver vegetables and protein to picky kids. 1 1/2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) chopped onions 1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped green capsicums 1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped carrots 1/2 cup (125 ml) diced celery 2 tsp (10 ml) minced garlic 2 1/4 cups (560 ml) unsalted crushed tomatoes 2 1/2 cups (625 ml) canned kidney beans, rinsed  and drained 2 1/4 tsp (11 ml) chilli powder 1/2 tsp (2 ml) sea salt 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) frozen spinach 10 organic wholewheat or gluten-free wraps In medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add olive oil and sweat vegetables (except tomatoes, beans and spinach) until soft and translucent. Add tomatoes, beans and spices, and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and continue simmering for 20 minutes. Add frozen spinach, stirring occasionally until simmering again. To serve, add 1/2 cup (125 ml) of filling to each wrap. Each serving contains: 1120 kilojoules; 10 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 43 g total carbohydrates (3 g sugars, 8 g fibre); 503 mg sodium source: "Lunch Treats Kids Will Love", alive Australia #18, Summer 2013

Makes approximately 2 cups (500 ml)