Food

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.

Turnips are low in calories and a good source of calcium and iron. Their punchy flavour is a good match for this zippy sauce. Traditionally, chermoula is used as a marinade, but here it makes a flavourful dressing too.

Roasting cauliflower transforms its flavour. It heightens the umami factor—über savoury and rich—making it a good foil for the briny capers, sweet raisins, and toasty nuts.

Potatoes are surprisingly good sources of potassium. Increasing potassium while simultaneously lowering sodium is beneficial to good heart health. There is no added salt—but a flavour burst from aromatic nutmeg and fresh basil.

One taste of this autumnal side dish and you’ll surely be agog with excitement to make it again soon. Research shows that compounds in dried plums may improve bone strength, which may in turn help reduce fracture and osteoporosis risk.

Nuts are a great addition to salads, as they provide a crunchy textural contrast. Fibre- and protein-rich beluga lentils make this salad thoroughly satisfying. Walnut oil’s toasty flavour is a powerful addition to dressing, but you can also use extra-virgin olive oil, sesame oil, or almond oil. If desired, you may replace smoked trout with smoked salmon or mackerel.

Traditional falafels are undeniably tasty, but the authentic deep-fried versions are not exactly nutritional bell-ringers. Baking them and mixing in nutrient-dense pistachios make this version much more nutritionally sound.

This fanciful looking dish, bursting with Mediterranean flair, is a great way to break away from the dinnertime blahs. Other nuts such as pine nuts, almonds, and pecans would work here, too. Herbs de Provence contains a mixture of marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and other dried herbs, and is a great way to punch up whole grains. You can also use whichever dried herbs you have on hand or the Middle Eastern spice mixture za’atar.  

Buttery cashew purée adds richness to soups without the need for heavy cream. Roasting the vegetables and topping everything off with the crunchy herb mixture lends this hearty soup more layers of flavour. In fact, it’s even better a day or two after making.

Gnudi are soft, pillowy dumplings. These are pumped up with both fresh and dried mushrooms. They’re very rich, so you only need a small serving.

Chicken nuggets are always a treat for the young and the young at heart. Baked nuggets that are coated in a flax crust and dunked in an antioxidant-rich apricot sauce make them a nutritional goody two-shoes rather than a health villain.

Known for their creamy sauces and liberal use of cheese, enchiladas are a dinnertime favourite, but often at the expense of a hefty calorie load. We’ve made over this classic Mexican-inspired meal by upping the nutrition ante using a marriage of nutritious ingredients such as beans and avocado so you can enjoy it more often. For a busy weeknight, you can have all the components prepared ahead of time and simply assemble before baking.

Heavy cream, butter, Parmesan, and a grand serving of refined pasta team up to make alfredo a dish where the calories can add up faster than snowflakes in a blizzard. This lightened-up whole grain version is just as creamy and rich-tasting without the avalanche of calories. And unlike its restaurant counterpart, it includes vegetables for a splash of colour and some nutritional do-goodery.

If there’s one dish guaranteed to be on every Indian restaurant menu in Canada, it’s chicken tikka masala, which usually involves marinating the chicken in full-fat yogurt and simmering it in a spice-infused tomato cream sauce. Undeniably, it’s big on flavour—but also just as packed with calories.