Food

(pictured with Cranberry and Pumpkin Seed Bars) Apple slices have a brand-new best friend in this earthy nut and seed butter. Feel free to substitute another nut, such as Brazil nuts or pecans, in place of almonds.

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(pictured with Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry) This sunny-hued nut-free butter is one you’ll want to have on hand. It’s divine spread on vegetables or crackers and really adds something special when stirred into soups or stews. Try stirring in some add-ins such as chia seeds, hemp hearts, or flax meal for a crunchy nutritional boost to this nut-free butter.

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The elegance of this appetizer lies in its simplicity. Sweet, salty, spicy, and slightly smoky, it’s everything you want to have while sipping a cocktail this holiday season.

This bright and zesty cocktail is the perfect accompaniment to the edamame appetizer. If you can’t find shiso leaves, a good substitute would be a combination of mint and basil. Tip: Shiso is part of the mint family of plants and can come in either purple-red or green colours. Shiso is described as having a citrusy and herbaceous flavour with hints of mint, basil, anise, and cinnamon. Pair with Edamame with Ginger Chili Dipping Sauce!  

These colourful and hearty bites are one of those great nibbles you’ll find yourself whipping up again and again. The beans and sweet potato both contain a great amount of fibre that helps you feel full and keep hunger at bay. Don’t be surprised if these disappear first at your next gathering. Pair with Yuzo Basil Ricky!

This refreshing cocktail is the perfect accompaniment to appetizers, as it wakes up and cleanses your palate after a couple of bites. Tip: Yuzu is a very fragrant citrus fruit from Japan with a flavour similar to a cross between a lime, grapefruit, and mandarin. You can find bottles of the juice in better grocery stores or specialty shops. A little bit of the intensely aromatic juice goes a long way, and leftover juice can be used anywhere a hit of acid is needed. Pair with Vegetable Caviar Sweet Potato Bites!

This not-too-sweet sparkling mocktail has a great herbaceous kick, thanks to the combination of rosemary and juniper. With this recipe, you’ll likely be left with more simple syrup than you’ll need. Any leftovers can be kept refrigerated for several weeks and are lovely stirred into a warming cup of cranberry tea. Tip: Should you have some guests who’d like an extra kick to their cocktail, a splash of vodka or white rum would also be nice here. Pair with Lemon and Olive Oil Baked Feta!

With just a few ingredients and a blast of heat, a standard block of feta cheese is transformed into an unexpectedly luscious and creamy spread for pita wedges and vegetables. Tip: As this appetizer sits at room temperature, it will eventually firm up again. A quick return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes should soften it up once more. Pair with Rosemary and Clementine Sparkler!

This not-too-sweet cocktail or mocktail will be the toast of your holiday gathering. If you like your cocktail a little sweeter, consider rimming half the serving glass with a mixture of coconut sugar and cinnamon. Tip: For an equally delicious take on this mocktail, replace pears with apples. Pair with Salmon Salad Boats!

This recipe captures all the bright and fresh appeal of a salad in a pretty, portable bite. If you’d like to keep this appetizer vegetarian, simply forgo the salmon and stir in 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) cooked chickpeas or white beans. Pair with Pear and Thyme Fizz!

This refreshingly rosy drink pairs well with spicy and savoury flavours of Sesame-Soy Party Mix. Tip: Not a fan of cranberry? This mocktail is also delicious using 100% pomegranate juice in place of cranberry juice. Pair with Sesame-Soy Party Mix!

The ultimate cocktail snack has got to be the snack mix. Normally, this innocent looking munchie will rack up the sodium and calories quickly. This version lets you enjoy a fistful without the fear of overindulging. Tip: If you’re not a big fan of wasabi, feel free to leave it out and simply stir raw pumpkin seeds into almond, cashew, and popcorn mix before baking. Pair with Cranberry Sage Punch!

Given that wild rice is an iconic product grown in Manitoba, pulling it into a festive menu was simply too important not to include. Plus, the nutritional benefits outweigh many alternatives—especially with the addition of turmeric. This delicious rice is nutty, a bit sweet, a bit savoury, and a bit tart; paired with high-in-antioxidant berries and a delicious lacing of fresh herbs, this is a perfect side dish for the Three-Way Mixed Holiday Grill. Tip: Locally grown turmeric? Although turmeric originated in India, it’s widely cultivated around the world in mostly tropical and subtropical regions. But industrious farm hobbyists are beginning to successfully grow turmeric in Canada. With the right climate and proper care, it’s showing some success in areas where climate is warmer.

Lentils are so versatile that they can play a starring role in a wide variety of dishes. With this recipe, they can be considered a main course, since the recipe contains a delicious combination of ingredients that fills all the requirements for a balanced dish. Tip: We chose red Russian garlic for this recipe because it has big, juicy cloves. But any fresh garlic will do. Every region has their specialty cultivars.

With so many different dietary preferences, it can be a bit of a challenge to meet the protein requirements at the dinner table. That’s why we adopted a mixed grill for the main dish in our holiday menu. We embraced organic firm tofu for the vegans, organic chicken rather than a full-sized turkey, and pasture-raised pork tenderloin rather than ham to create three mains starring one delicious marinade.

After a full meal, just a little decadence is required. This creamy, egg-free, dairy-free mousse is the perfect ending. We used fortified oat milk with its healthy nutrients that include 50 percent of your daily vitamin B12 recommended dietary allowance. To make this mousse completely vegan, be sure to use vegan dark chocolate.

Root veggies are coming on strong at this time of year. And the brighter the colours, the richer the nutrients. No matter where you live, you’ll find local root vegetables that are perfect for this colourful medley. We’ve chosen roots available in our region, but any root will do. Our selection of roots can be prepared any which way—raw, cooked, or roasted. Can’t find fresh burrata? Burrata (Italian for “butter”) is a semi-soft Italian cheese. Its outer curd—mozzarella cheese formed into a pouch—encases soft, stringy curd and fresh cream that has a milky, buttery flavour. If burrata is not available, substitute crumbled goat cheese or feta.

Roasted veggies are the quintessential warming dish for a cold night. We chose cauliflower to embellish the delicious ACV-laced sauce. But any roasted root and/or toasted grain will complement the sumptuous apple cider vinegar tahini drizzle.

Fire cider is a powerful botanical concoction that combines a host of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients marinated for several weeks in ACV. It can be used as a potent cold and flu buster or for digestive support. Make it extra special by adding a couple of tablespoons of goji berries to the marinating mix. Tip! For added heat, use in any recipe that calls for apple cider vinegar.

Probiotics are an essential element to a healthy-gut meal. We’ve tossed our healthy cabbage salad together with a dressing of probiotic apple cider vinegar. ACV keeps your digestive system running smoothly and maintains the healthy bacteria in the gut. TIP: For a delicious added heat, use Fire Cider Vinegar.

This drink gives you the same sensory satisfaction as your usual tall soy latte from Starbucks, but without the jolt: It’s caffeine free. Dandelion “coffee” anchors this healthy cup of comfort.

The “Gina Mullin Challenge” at the International Society of Neurogastronomy Symposium is an event where two teams of neuroscientists and chefs compete, Iron Chef-style, to make dishes that appeal to people with taste challenges, such as chemotherapy patients. The event’s namesake, Gina Mullin, remarked at our first competition that sometimes when she got a craving for something, in the time it took to prepare it, the craving would be gone. Montreal’s Chef Fred Morin won the first competition by preparing a simple but very rich potato soup as a base and offering numerous add-ins. He thought, and the chemo patients agreed, that having this flavorful base and accoutrements in the refrigerator to speed up the preparation was a winning idea. This Super Umami Risotto follows Morin’s logic. Preparing the risotto through the third addition of liquid and then refrigerating it would also allow for quick preparation with endless flavor possibilities. What makes something taste umami—that so-called “fifth taste” that’s super meaty and savory? The answer largely lies in an amino acid called glutamate, which binds to specific receptors on our tongues. That’s why this recipe calls for dried shiitake mushrooms. They’re significantly higher in glutamate than fresh! And while personalization options are limitless with this risotto (most vegetables can be diced and included in the sauté), additions that significantly increase the umami are asparagus and spinach.  

These are so delicious! They’re ideal hot or cold as a mezze dish, starter, snack, or spicy picnic addition. Kaffir lime leaves are commonly used in Thai, Indonesian, Cambodian, Malaysian, and Vietnamese cooking and can be sourced in frozen form quite easily from Asian grocers. They impart a very distinct citrus note unlike any other ingredient I know—just their aroma makes me hungry. Inevitably, lemongrass goes very well with them, but the sweetness of roasted carrot and the slightly bready caraway seeds just make this dish irresistible. Lime leaves are double-shaped, making them perfect to wrap around things for cooking. Otherwise, wrap a large single leaf around each carrot piece. You don’t eat the leaves, by the way … but you knew that, right?

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.