Food

Seasonal vegetables are baked under a pebble-like nut and seed topping that delivers a good punch of protein to this hearty vegan meal.

Slightly sour with a marbled ruby interior and berrylike flesh, blood oranges are at their peak right now. Paired with rich chocolate and creamy cashews, this is a perfectly sweet, seasonal (and vegan!) ending to any spring feast.

Though traditionally made with heavy cream, milk, flour, and butter, this lightened-up chowder packs in the produce.

This savoury, vegetable-filled, cobbler-style entree will satisfy the bread-lover in us all.

For many, nothing is more comforting than the smell of garlicky baked pasta. Cheese is replaced with high-protein tofu and fibre-rich white beans, working to keep those energy levels stable, without skimping out on that trademark “cheesy” taste.

Crumbled tempeh provides incredible texture to this crowd-pleasing (and serving!) chili. It freezes well for a healthy heat-and-serve weeknight meal.

Too cold to have a salad? Here’s your answer in a cup of cozy soup. You can use any variety of baby greens in this Many Greens Soup—spinach, watercress, baby beet greens, et cetera. Just be sure not to include lettuces, which don’t heat well.

Did you know?

Apples and squash go hand in hand as BFFs (best flavor friends) … and of course curry makes everything just a little bit better. This is a wonderfully complex soup you’re bound to make time and time again.

Long, long (I mean, like, embarrassingly long) before it hit the mainstream health scene in North America, quinoa enjoyed a storied history in Central and South American kitchens as an inexpensive, nourishing and environmentally friendly protein. One of quinoa’s many famous uses is in sopa de quinoa, a recipe that varies from region to region (and cook to cook), but is usually made with quinoa, potatoes, squash and any other vegetables that might be on hand.

Superfood boost

This is a veggie-powered, peanut-free version of the popular stir-fried Thai noodle dish. Experiment by preparing it with buckwheat noodles, black bean noodles, mung bean noodles, rice noodles or veggie noodles and a variety of veggies—but really, it’s all about the sauce here.

Psst …

Get saucy

Play with it

The sweet, honey taste of fresh figs is magic when paired with caramelized onions and cashew cheese.

Figet about it

Sometimes the best way to spend a Sunday is making an incredible pot of homemade chili to serve with fresh bread. With each day that goes by throughout the week, the flavors meld, becoming better and better. This recipe requires a bit of effort, but it’s really worth it.

Bean there, done that

Up in smoke

Roasting brings out the natural flavours of veggies in this vegan entertaining platter. Switch up beans and herbs to transform this dish into something new. Turn this platter into pizza: spread cooked flatbreads with hummus, chop vegetables to add on top, slice, and serve.

Quick curries using a handful of fresh ingredients and pantry staples get dinner on the table in under an hour. Instead of apple and tofu, try peeled and diced sweet potato and chickpeas. A superb base recipe, this curry can be easily adapted to what’s available in your kitchen. For additional creaminess, a scoop of natural peanut butter or almond butter makes this curry taste even more luxurious.

Whole grain (and gluten-free) sorghum adds a nutty chew to this warm salad. You don’t have to sear the lettuce, but it adds a smoky char and elegance to make it a touch more extraordinary. A herbed, creamy coconut and tofu dressing holds it all together. If you’re crunched for time, use quinoa or cooked chickpeas in place of sorghum. Add any extra dressing to potato salad, crudité platters, and avocado toast.

Heart-healthy ingredients such as whole grain flour, oats, and olive oil easily replace the typical white flour, refined sugar, and butter often found in this classic cookie. Try making your own chia jam by mixing 2 cups (500 mL) cooked berries with 2 Tbsp (30 mL) chia seeds and some lemon and maple syrup, to taste.

Berries are rich in a particular type of antioxidant known as polyphenols. Studies have shown that eating these polyphenols (also found in red wine and dark chocolate) may lower one’s risk of heart disease. In the spring and summer, feel free to use any antioxidant-rich fresh berry in this recipe, from black currants to strawberries.

Avocado adds a rich and creamy base to this pudding, which is rich in monounsaturated fat. Eaten in moderation, monounsaturated fats can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and may help decrease one’s risk of heart disease. Feel free to taste and add a touch of maple syrup if desired, or for natural sweetness, try adding a banana to the mixture before blending.  

Adding beans to your baking is a great way to increase the fibre as well as adding a cholesterol-lowering ingredient to more of your meals. If you don’t have almond butter, try substituting any other type of nut butter.

While a cake is still a cake, simple substitutes such as whole grain flour, maple syrup, and olive oil help turn this traditional Wacky Cake recipe into a more heart-healthy treat. To make these extra special, chill a can of full-fat coconut milk overnight. The next day, open the can and scoop out all of the hard, solidified coconut cream (save the coconut water for a smoothie). Beat coconut cream with a little vanilla and maple syrup, as you would whipping cream. Top each cupcake with a dollop of coconut cream and sprinkles.

If you think pumpkin is best trotted out twice a year as a pie filling, think again. Chef Luptak prefers using Rouge vif d’Étampes pumpkin, a French heirloom variety, when he makes this salad. “Rouge vif d’Étampes” means “bright red from Étampes”—an old commune in France. These flat pumpkins were a fixture in Paris’s central market in the late 1800s. If you have ground spices on hand instead of seeds, they’ll work fine in the pumpkin seed crust as well. Toast them in the frying pan, but skip the grinding.

We’ve broken from tradition with this light and healthy version of paella, adding fresh peas, asparagus, and herbs—the harbingers of spring. Fresh and clean, but still with a hint of smoky flavour. Wine Pairing: Castellblanc Cava Organic Brut Nature, Catalonia, Spain Tip: Bomba rice is a short-grain Spanish white rice. It absorbs far more liquid than long-grain rice but doesn’t become sticky. Alternatively, you can use Arborio or short-grain brown basmati rice for a creamier texture. Tip: Many canned products contain BPA (bisphenol A), which is linked to a variety of health risks, including increased risk for breast and prostate cancers, reproductive dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, and many other ailments. Reduce your exposure and look for organic cans labelled “BPA free.”

This soup is the perfect way to get your kids to eat a boatload of veggies. You’ll feel good knowing they’re getting a megadose of vitamins and minerals essential to ward off the common cold and flu, as well as fiber for a healthy digestive system. If you don’t have butternut squash on hand, just swap in sweet potato instead.

Smooth Move

This pasta salad is a favorite for lunches in my home—or for a quick and easy dinner. It’s packed with flavor, and it’s both creamy and crunchy.

That’s thaw-some