Food

Featuring tortillas and eggs adorned with salsa, huevos rancheros (rancher’s eggs) are a typical breakfast served at Mexican farms. Here’s another way to do the famed breakfast dish: bundling up ingredients and baking them into individual egg cakes makes it easy to serve a satisfying early-day meal in a flash.

With this premade breakfast loaf, you need not hover over a pot of simmering grains in the morning to serve up oatmeal. Grated carrot adds moisture, while the tender apple topping shows you’re willing to go to the extra effort to satisfy Mom’s palate. Both the loaf and apple topping can be made at least three days in advance. If following a gluten-free diet, use oats and oat flour that are certified gluten free.loa

Sweet and savoury at once, this whimsical play on a breakfast classic proves salad also deserves a spot on a morning menu. The toasted bread, sausage, and dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance, so Mom need not wait around to luxuriate in this delicious brunch on her special day. These days, there are good vegan sausage options if any family members are following a meat-free diet. Look for bread and sausage options with lower sodium numbers.

As spring herbs start to grow, it pays to let a few flower. Most herb flowers are edible and add great eye appeal and flavour to dishes. This savoury flatbread can be thrown together with premade flatbread, but I urge you to try making your own, as it’s easy—and so delicious.

The ubiquitous dandelion is entirely edible. When picked small, and unopened, the flower buds have a surprising sweetness, reminiscent of honey. Young greens are also tasty either raw or steamed, and dandelion petals are great for a colourful garnish. While dandelions are rather easy to come by, make sure to harvest them only from organic gardens. 

This unique grain-free granola is paleo, vegan, and free of refined sugars. For a quick and simple breakfast, try serving this sprinkled over yogurt and garnished with fresh seasonal strawberries.   

Fresh Johnny Jump-Ups have a mild minty flavour that brings a brightness to recipes. While this recipe is a terrific light lunch or dinner side dish, it also works well as an appetizer for a crowd when served with warm pita bread to spoon up the garlicky yogurt and greens.

This dish is based on Japanese ochazuke—cooked rice served in green tea, water, or broth. A few extra additions make it a satisfying and filling meal

Eating colorful plant foods—from dark blue and purple to green, yellow, orange, and red—is the key to good nutrition and good skin. Take butternut squash as an example. Its brilliant orange color indicates it’s chock-full of carotenoids and vitamin C, which help protect against UV-induced skin damage.

This simple condiment is perfect to jazz up your next meal. Whether you use it on toast paired with nut butter, drizzled on pancakes, dolloped on oatmeal, whisked into a salad dressing, or stirred into yogurt as a snack, the possibilities are endless.    

This breakfast crumble includes flaxseed (rich in omega-3s to deliver anti-inflammatory benefits), berries (a source of antioxidant action thanks to vitamin C), and fiber-rich apples (because a well-functioning digestive system can contribute to a healthy complexion). It can also be repurposed as a dessert with just a dollop of maple syrup-sweetened vegan yogurt!

Raw broccoli and cauliflower are detox superstars, containing nutrients that cleanse, restore, and nourish the body—skin included. Blueberries are known for their antiaging nutrient density and offer natural sweetness to cut the broccoli’s pungency. You can snack to your skin’s content or add this “caviar” to a larger meal!

This glow-getting stew is the ultimate make-ahead lunch. It’s loaded with skin-supportive nutrients, such as beta-carotene, that are thought to promote a healthy complexion. This bowl gets a boost from a simple side of quinoa and a scattering of antioxidant-packed pomegranate seeds.

Close your eyes, take in a forkful of this Asian-inspired salad, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’re feasting at an Asian street market. Seared over an open flame, tofu turns meaty and, dare we say, crave-worthy, while the crispy edges of bok choy are a special treat. For gluten-free noodles, look for soba made with 100 percent buckwheat, or use wide brown rice noodles.

This elegant grilled asparagus salad with jammy eggs, blistered onions, chewy spelt, and an attention-grabbing creamy dressing is the perfect way to celebrate the spring sunshine. Spelt berries are sold with their hulls intact, which means they’ll take a bit longer to cook but will reward your patience with al dente chewy nuttiness. They can be swapped out for rye berries, wheat berries, or gluten-free sorghum.

Fattoush is the Middle Eastern answer to panzanella bread salad. Crispy pita; grilled, tender zucchini; velvety cheese; earthy lentils; lively herbs; and a vibrant tomato dressing come together in a composed salad that’s jumpy with attention grabbers. If halloumi is not available, some torn fresh mozzarella would be a good stand-in (just don’t try grilling it). Those who are watching their sodium intake can make the salad without olives.

Hold the bun. This deconstructed version of a drive-thru staple replete with a “special sauce” ups the nutritional ante with more veggies and assures your summer burger habit never tasted so fresh. If desired, other ground meats such as pork, chicken, or even bison can replace the beef. Or make it a vegetarian salad by using your favourite veggie burger recipe.

This salad consists of an irresistible assembly of nutty red quinoa, sweet grilled peppers, buttery fish, creamy avocado, and fruity dressing. Harissa paste is a North African spicy red sauce that’s perfect for adding smokiness and heat to dressings, sauces, and dips. If harissa is unavailable, you can spike the dressing with a bit of cayenne instead. Quinoa and mango dressing can both be prepared ahead of time and kept chilled for up to four days.

This recipe is the perfect go-to breakfast when you want something quick that’s also special. Sweet potato not only adds a great pop of colour but is also a good source of vitamins A and B6, potassium, magnesium, and fibre. In this recipe, if you like, try to keep the egg yolk a little bit runny. When broken open, the yolk cascades over the dish, creating a luscious, creamy sauce.    

This soup is not only eye-catching, but also very versatile. Serve it hot or make it ahead and chill it to serve cold. It works great as an appetizer, a starter, or even as a light main course.

Frosty and refreshing, this is the perfect sipper to relax with. For those who wish to imbibe, an ounce of bourbon added to each drink turns this easy mocktail into a decadent cocktail.

In this easy yet impressive dish, fresh turmeric gives the fish a lovely golden hue. Make this recipe a complete meal by serving it alongside your favourite grilled vegetables.

This healthy ice cream comes together in minutes and satisfies when you’re craving a cooling post-workout treat. Tip: This easy ice cream can also be turned into popsicles. Simply use a little more liquid to create a softer consistency that can easily be poured into popsicle molds. Freeze until solid and enjoy as a grab-and-go treat.

This buttery salad is a tasty summer dish for any occasion. The butter beans pack a hearty hit of manganese, while adding flax provides omega-3s for a double dose of nutrients for brain health. Punch up the protein in this delicious salad, if desired, by adding chunks of tuna or salmon.