Food

Make your next salad buzz worthy by tossing it with this unique vinaigrette. Cacao nibs not only add a hint of cacao flavour and a crunchy texture, but they are also a good source of magnesium and antioxidants.

Apricots, coffee, and turkey may sound like an unusual combination; however, these slider sandwiches are sure to garner much praise from family and friends. This recipe makes quite a few patties, so use only what you need and freeze the remaining uncooked patties for another time.

These scones are sure to start your morning off right. Delicious while still warm with a thin spread of almond butter.

Farro, an ancient form of wheat, has a chewy texture that is a perfect counterpoint to the creamy flesh of the acorn squash. You can also use spelt, wheatberries, or Kamut for the salad, and sweet dumpling squash for the edible bowl.

This riff on traditional spaghetti with meat sauce is sure to become a family favourite.

Dukkah, a fragrant Middle Eastern nut and spice mixture, is a delightful companion to earthy sweet winter squash. Roasting the squash gives this soup an extra layer of flavour. You may also like to add a dollop of sour cream or yogurt. Extra soup can be frozen for future use.

When peeled ever-so-thinly, butternut squash is a surprising addition to salads. Briefly placing it in hot water serves to make the shavings slightly more tender. You can also add shaved kohlrabi, parsnip, or celery root to this dish.

Puréed winter squash adds natural sweetness to these pancakes and the accompanying vibrant sauce. The benefit of pouring your pancake batter into the muffin tin instead of a skillet is that the pancake muffins can be made ahead of time and reheated later for a quick breakfast with no flipping required. The sauce can also be made a few days ahead of time, but should be heated before serving.

Use this heavenly spread on your morning toast, slices of apple, or pieces of dark chocolate.

Vibrant Balti paste, traditionally used for tangy curries, gives amazing flavour to chickpeas in a lettuce bowl. In this dish, tomato and cucumber temper the heat, but Balti paste can be tossed with any vegetable, or even cooked meat such as chicken.

(shown with Madras Curried Chicken)

(shown with Spicy Basmati Vegetable Pulao)

This creamy Indian dessert is traditionally known as shrikhand, meaning “food of the Gods,” and comes in a number of variations depending on the particular region in which it’s made. The lovely luscious melon colour makes it a sweet treat as pleasing to the eye as it is to the tongue. Try topping it with a few strands of saffron and pistachios—it is also excellent with sliced fruit, such as mango or peach slices, and blueberries.

Soothe your immune system with the simple ingredients of chai. This comforting drink is an integral part of Indian life and makes a wonderful accompaniment to a festive meal.

Humble veggie burgers receive the gourmet treatment in this recipe, with the addition of a sublime, velvety balsamic reduction. Brimming with antioxidants and heart-healthy fibre, these vegetarian burgers are perfect for Meatless Mondays—or for any day of the week!

A healthy alternative to traditional cream and cheese-laden pasta dishes, this unusual spaghetti dish is filled with heart-healthy fatty acids and fibre. Ground pumpkin seeds add an intriguing texture to the mix as they melt into the pasta along with the grated Parmesan. Interestingly, scientists have recently discovered that the dish’s brown mushrooms may have potent anti-inflammatory properties—yet another good reason to dig in!

In Africa, ground seeds have long been added to soups and stews. The practice is a wise one—the seeds not only give these dishes extra body, but also provide a healthy alternative to heavier toppings such as cheese.

This is a must-make recipe if you own a pressure cooker: risotto in less than 15 minutes with no stirring! Use this basic recipe as a guideline, but add any vegetables you want and make it different every time.

This soup gives you a burst of energy, as all ingredients keep their nutrients. When I serve this soup to my friends, I watch them make a funny face when I mention parsnips, until they take their first mouthful ... and then they get it! Yum!

On a cold day, there is nothing more comforting than this soul-warming soup ... except how little time is needed to prepare it!

Sometimes I want to travel without leaving my kitchen, so I combine ingredients into an exotic mix and create aromas and flavours that conjure up the cooking of other countries. This is one of my favourite such combinations.

I have made this recipe over and over with any white fish I have on hand. As most of the ingredients are staples, I have been able to put a delicious meal on the table in record time—and even served it to guests at a dinner party! 

Kohlrabi belongs to the group of cruciferous vegetables long touted for being a good source of vitamin C and fibre. For best flavour, choose small bulbs. They have a sweet-tasting and delicate flavour reminiscent of a cabbage crossed with an artichoke.