Food

Steamed and cooled in-season asparagus is a great alternative to other dippers for scooping up this tangy dip. When eaten raw or just slightly cooked, asparagus supplies the prebiotics to help nourish the beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract supplied by yogurt. Look for thicker asparagus spears for easier dipping.

Great white

Tabbouleh recipes come in all different forms. We love this one with its blending of Middle-Eastern cultural flavours: a blended and creamy tahini dressing enhanced with roasted garlic flavours and drizzled over an interesting ancient grain with fresh herbs. All totalled? Refreshingly chill as a main or a side dish.

Tips

• For a speedier dish, soak grains for a couple hours before cooking.
• If khorasan kernels are not available, substitute with wheat, rye, or spelt berries, or any type of gluten-free grain like buckwheat groats, millet, or quinoa.

Simple poached eggs are lent an elegant cachet by the addition of a flavourful balsamic reduction and roasted cherry tomatoes. Resting on a nutritious bed of Swiss chard, this über healthy meal is easy to prepare and makes the perfect quick lunch or dinner.

This is a delightful treat that can be served to family or company. If you want to make it extra fancy, add some caviar as a garnish!

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise: making your own chicken stock is far from a high-flying kitchen feat. All that is needed is to toss some chicken pieces and vegetables in a pot and let the stove do the rest. As a bonus, you finish with tender chicken meat that can be used for sandwiches, salads, soups, and pasta dishes. Chicken wings, in particular, are great for stock. They’re an inexpensive flavour-making powerhouse of skin, meat, and bones. Beyond soup, use this stock for curries, polenta, sauces, mashed potatoes, casseroles, and cooking grains.

Roasted chickpeas are officially our snack of the summer. Crunchy, healthy, and satisfying, they’re super light to pack when you’re headed to the beach or the trails. They’re a great alternative to popcorn; they have less fat than roasted nuts. And here’s the best kept secret about them: You can toss them with different seasonings to suit anyone’s tastes. In addition to the ultimate snack, this recipe gives you aquafaba: the thickened-up water that’s left over after cooking chickpeas. Aquafaba is a fab vegan substitute for eggs. Save some to make these cupcakes or this tempura!

I love this dish for its great flavor, but also for its visual impact on the table. It is a perfect example of the senses working in union. You can’t hide the wonderful visual effect of the dish and then the joy of eating the textural contrast between the pieces of beetroot and the smooth yogurt. The chili provides a background lift, while the toasted caraway provides a second tier of bready flavor over the beetroot’s earthy sweetness. This recipe was extracted from Cooking for the Senses: Vegan Neurogastronomy by Jennifer Peace Rhind and Gregor Law, published by Singing Dragon. Order your copy at singingdragon.com.

Black, pearly lentils serve as a springboard for a highly nutritious salad that seems more sophisticated than its ease of prep would suggest. You want a lot of broccoli in this dish, so if only small heads are available, use two bunches. French green lentils also hold their shape with cooking, so they would be an adequate substitution for black lentils.

The idea is pretty simple: start with adding a dressing to a jar and then layer on various ingredients such as crisp veggies, buttery fish, and greens. Bingo … salad in a jar that’s ready to go when you are, with not a limp green in sight. Perfect for weekday lunches and healthy quick dinners. Wild salmon or Arctic char are good stand-ins for rainbow trout.

Are you ready for a sweet, healthy treat that will make your taste buds dance? Introducing our delicious salted date caramel sauce. Made with all-natural ingredients, this caramel sauce is perfect for drizzling over ice cream, dipping apple slices into, or adding a fun twist to your favourite treats. The best part? Dates are packed with fibre and nutrients that are great for growing kids. So, let’s get cooking and whip up a batch of this scrumptious caramel sauce!

We’re seeing a resurgence of pickled eggs these days because of their probiotic benefits. An egg before bed is an excellent protein boost to carry you through the night without hunger or sugar spikes. These pretty golden eggs will be sure to give you a restful sleep. Who wouldn’t want a golden egg?

Grapes gone soft? They’ll be perfect tossed into this salsa recipe. Plus pairing salt, sweet, fat, and acid creates a delicious experience for the palate. We’ve done just that here. Spooned over seared sablefish, the results are not only flavourful, but also visually stunning!

Tip

There’s something very comforting about supper bowls in the fall. And the variations are plentiful. Essentially, use whatever’s in your fridge and serve with a lovely tahini sauce. Truly a satisfying end to the day.

Tips

• If barley is a dietary concern, substitute with any gluten-free grain, such as brown rice or buckwheat groats.
• To save time for future meals, cook up large batches of grains and refrigerate or freeze in serving-size containers. The same for sauces: make a larger batch and refrigerate in a tightly covered container for several days.
• Substitute shredded Savoy cabbage for lettuce, if you wish.

How can something so simple to make taste so good? The beauty is that there’s no need to peel the yams, so they only take a little time to prepare. This dish is practically a meal in a bowl with the addition of beans and a smattering of nuts. Plus, the eye-catching colour will appeal to all ages. Cozy up and serve in a mug for sipping, or ladle into bowls for a more formal meal.

Tip

Low in calories, high in fibre, shredded reds offer oodles of goodness to heart health as well as to your appetite. Topped with walnuts, this is the ultimate delicious side dish to any meal and hugely good for you too. Coupled with roasted garlic, red cabbage builds on heart health and immunity!

Wine pairing

You might typically associate pasta with lunch or dinner, but pasta for breakfast is totally a thing. And it’s incredibly delicious in this eggless quiche. The secret to this creamy yet light plant-based quiche? Tofu! Tofu gets a cheesy and creamy upgrade from nutritional yeast and coconut milk, and when paired with a buttery linguine, it’s a match made in heaven. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your vegetable add-ins or toppings. In the spring, try adding asparagus, and in the summer, add some lightly cooked zucchini.

To press tofu quickly …

Gleaning inspiration from Scandinavian cuisine, this unconventional stir-fry incorporates some of the most important elements of the health-hiking New Nordic diet—namely, fish, root vegetables, and whole grains. Arctic char is a sustainable seafood option that is rich in omega-3 fats, but you can also use rainbow trout or salmon. Most fish counters will do the skinning for you.

High on rye

It’s time to once again fire up the grill so the flames can imbue wedges of romaine lettuce with a whole new flavour and texture profile. And when the hunks of flame-licked greens are adorned with chunky vegetables and a creamy tahini dressing, you have an epic meal. For extra protein, the romaine steak can also be topped with chickpeas, cooked lentils, high-quality tinned sardines, or chunks of smoked trout.

Tip

Looking for proof that avocado has impressive chameleon capabilities in the kitchen? Here, it’s used to make a creamy pasta sauce without the deluge of saturated fat found in most cream-based sauces. Stirring in chickpeas and spinach only ups the nutritional ante of pasta night. You could also work in some cooked spring asparagus.

Salt safely

Don’t throw away those celery leaves—they’re packed with punchy celery taste and can be used in place of many savoury herbs in cooking. In this pesto recipe, celery leaves are blended with parsley and then tossed with simple sweet potato gnocchi for a surprisingly sophisticated dinner.

Additional tips

• Bake leftover sweet potato peels for crispy sweet potato skin “fries.”
• Freeze raw gnocchi on tray, transfer to container, and store for up to two months in freezer; boil from frozen.
• Freeze pesto in ice cube tray, unmould, and store in container in freezer for up to two months; defrost before using.

Always a crowd pleaser, this delicious and creamy hummus will certainly be the star at your next family gathering. When you’re cooking for crowds, making an easy appetizer makes your life so much easier. This festive dip is made from just a few ingredients, and it’s great alongside fresh vegetables for dipping. Far from traditional, this irresistibly creamy hummus is made with cannellini beans and roasted red peppers, two pantry items you may very well already have on hand. Spread any leftovers on sandwiches and wraps. This hummus will keep covered in your refrigerator for up to seven days.

Grab Swiss chard while still available at the market—this dark leafy green begins to wane (when locally grown) in the winter months. During harvest time, Swiss chard’s verdant leaves and crispy stems offer a delightfully refreshing alternative to lettuce-based salads when paired with juicy tomatoes, now also on their last legs.

A hot bath of spiced red wine gently cooks seasonal pears into a tender, glimmering fruit dessert fit for any crowd. Baking tip: Testing for doneness

• In desserts using firm fruit, such as pears and apples, insert tip of paring knife into centre of fruit; it should easily yield with little force.
• In cakes and quick breads, a toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean.
• In brownies and squares, a few damp crumbs clinging to the inserted toothpick is what you’re after.