Food

Miso and maple syrup are a surprising pairing that work together beautifully to elevate salmon’s buttery flesh. Serve with roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus spears, or even on a bed of soba noodles.     Woodn’t you know? Cooking your catch of the day on cedar planks not only infuses the salmon with smoky, woody flavour, but also encourages even cooking and protects the fish from direct heat—so there is less risk of dealing with a sticky situation. Be sure to only use untreated cedar.

Here is a dish that is as fetching to the eye as it is delectable to the palate. Buttery salmon, a vibrant sauce featuring earthy-sweet seasonal peas, and toasty fried shallots make it worthy of company. If preferred, you can also use skinless salmon.

If looks could kill, this dish would be doing hard time. Buttery salmon, an umami-sweet carrot sauce, and fetching black rice team up in this swoon-worthy dish.

Fried rice is a takeout staple loaded with sodium, preservatives, and far too much oil. In this makeover, smoked tofu mimics the rich “fried” flavour; while black rice, an antioxidant-packed whole grain, replaces white rice, even keeping its shape in a scorching hot pan. Instead of tofu, boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts can be substituted. Cube and fully cook chicken in the wok or pot before adding the vegetables, or use leftover cooked chicken.

The Indian flatbread known as naan makes a great crust option when you want a hassle-free pizza night. A lively arugula pesto, sweet peaches, and a finishing touch of intense balsamic syrup guarantee this peach naan pizza will knock the socks off anything the delivery guy can supply. If you would like a meal with more protein, try adding shredded roasted chicken to the toppings. You’ll end up with about double the amount of pesto needed for this recipe, so use extras to improve nearly any sandwich, pasta dish, grain bowl, or roasted vegetable.

Peaches bring a tempered sweetness to this homemade barbecue sauce, while ancho chili peppers, which are the dried version of poblano peppers, supply just the right amount of fiery kick. It’s the perfect way to take chicken up a gastronomic notch. Serve with roasted potatoes and a summer salad for a delicious complete meal. It’s very likely you’ll have extra sauce on hand—consider that a blessing when you learn how amazing it is on everything from coleslaw to pizza.

A-peeling news

Infused with a vinegary snap, pickled peaches should be your go-to for waking up summery salsas. Use peaches that are still a little firm; they will soften in the pickling liquid. Remove the peach pit by slicing all the way around the fruit, starting at the stem end. Rotate each half simultaneously in opposite directions to separate and then pull out the pit.

My first introduction to foraging came from an afternoon kayaking in Tofino, BC. I harvested noodle-like kelp to enjoy that evening in brown rice sushi, and later, when dry, to grind and store in the pantry. However, there’s no need to hop in a kayak to make this recipe—use dried seaweed, available at natural food stores, instead. Increase the protein by adding wild smoked salmon, smoked tofu, or tempeh.

Ramps, or wild leeks, have a delightfully pungent yet mellow onion flavour. Salicornia, otherwise known as sea asparagus, is often found pickled or brined, and adds acidic brightness to this simple pasta meal. If one or both are unavailable, utilize regular leeks instead of ramps, and capers instead of pickled salicornia for a similar result. Instead of ramps, try leeks, garlic scapes, wild green garlic, or even green onions.

Food is my life. I love sweet potatoes. Jamie Oliver is my secret boyfriend. Okay, so the first two are true. But I do rely on Jamie occasionally for some culinary inspiration. This fish pie was inspired by Jamie and lightened up by yours truly. It’s super easy to make and oh so tasty. A great potluck item, this shareable main dish pairs well with a salad or some green beans. This fish pie freezes well, so feel free to make a few smaller versions and store.  

The farmers’ market gives kids a chance not only to see where their produce comes from, but also to connect with those who are humanely raising meat and poultry. It’s a teachable moment for any age, showing that our chicken dinner doesn’t need to come from a plastic package. Kid-friendly kitchen jobs: Peeling carrots, whisking the gravy, and building their own bowls. Kid-friendly food swaps: Slice the carrots for little hands to enjoy as finger food “fries” and skip the chili flakes. Make these sushi bowls plant-based by using extra-firm tofu or tempeh cubes instead of chicken.

The most prominent colour of the farmers’ market throughout the year is undoubtedly green. Baby kale is a softer-tasting option than “adult” kale and can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. This unique green is the kind of golden treasure vegetable you can find when visiting the farmers’ market. Kid-friendly kitchen jobs: Making the pesto, mixing the dressing, and tossing the salad. Kid-friendly food swaps:  Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of salmon, and romaine lettuce instead of peppery arugula. Toss steamed or roasted new potatoes into this salad for a creamy contrast, or mix in cubes of toasted sourdough bread for homemade croutons.

Turn cauliflower into a gluten-free, kid- and adult-approved pizza base to hold onto homemade crushed tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, and a sprinkle of fresh rosemary. Kid-friendly kitchen jobs: Shaping the cauliflower into pizza rounds and building the cauliflower crust pizzas. Kid-friendly food swaps: If rosemary and Parmesan are too powerful for your kids’ palates, replace them with thyme and mozzarella. In September, farmers’ market tomatoes are abundant. Try a fresh sauce made with yellow, orange, or heirloom tomatoes instead of the classic beefsteaks used here.

Peaches and radishes introduce kids to the adage, “What grows together, goes together.” They can also learn about the different varieties of these foods. Kid-friendly kitchen jobs: Peeling peaches (if choosing to do so), stirring yogurt, mixing salsa, and building their own tacos. Kid-friendly food swaps: Substitute trout for black beans. It’s available at farmers’ markets across Canada and provides a sustainable choice for getting more omega-3s throughout the year. If your kids don’t like trout, use shrimp or chicken instead. Change your salsa with what’s in season at the farmers’ market. Grapes and cucumbers in fall or tomatoes and plums in late summer are just a couple of new ideas to try.

Nothing beats an egg (no pun intended) fresh from the farmers’ market. Employ any tender, seasonal green and herb as the weather changes in this quick, wholesome meal. Kid-friendly kitchen jobs: Snapping the tough ends off asparagus or cracking eggs into a bowl and whisking. Kid-friendly food swaps: Use mild cheddar cheese in place of goat cheese on half of the frittata if the latter is too strong for their palates. Try broccoli and rosemary in winter, spinach and basil in summer, and kale and sage in fall. Or, head to the market and see what’s fresh.

This is one of those amazing side dishes that disappears incredibly fast! It’s a fancy, restaurant-worthy recipe that is sure to impress special guests. (If you are serving a large crowd, I recommend doubling the recipe, since it only serves four as a side.) If you’ve been skeptical about arugula in the past, I encourage you to give this recipe a try; the spicy, peppery-tasting green pairs beautifully with a bold and bright pesto. If you can’t find baby arugula, be sure to chop regular arugula into bite-sized pieces so it’s easier to eat. Hemp hearts add a kick of protein and omega-3 fatty acids for a nutritional boost. This dish is amazing served warm, but the chilled leftovers taste great as well. Excerpted from Oh She Glows Every Day by Angela Liddon. ^© Glo Bakery Corporation, 2016. Photography, Food and Prop Styling by Ashley McLaughlin. Lifestyle Photography ^© Sandy Nicholson. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada Books Inc., a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

Homemade stock and a surprising sweetness, courtesy of bananas, is a surefire way to reinvent chicken curry. You’ll want to use bananas with yellow skin and only a few brown spots at most. The chicken is best served on a bed of rice to soak up the fruity curry sauce. The recipe can be halved to serve a smaller crowd.

Here’s an appealing alternative to the big roast bird that includes all of the flavour with little or no waste. For ease of entertaining, assemble ahead of time. Pop into the oven two hours before serving. It’s delicious with seasonal roasted vegetables. Purchase a butterflied breast from your butcher. Cover with plastic wrap and pound to about 1/4 to 1/2 in (0.6 to 1.25 cm). If butterflied breast is unavailable, purchase a boneless breast. Using sharp chef’s knife and your fingers, remove skin from breast, reserving skin. Turn breast, outer side down and lay flat on cutting board. With knife parallel to board, slice sideways through thickest part of breast, but not all the way through, so you can open it like a book. Pound with mallet to flatten. Substitute spinach or beetroot greens for chard. Add any type of soft cheese, such as cream cheese or goats’ cheese or feta, in place of ricotta.

Make-ahead tips

• Prepare chard and cheese filling. Refrigerate in tightly covered container overnight.
• In the morning, prepare turkey breast, stuff, and tie up. Place in baking dish and refrigerate. Roast in oven for an hour before guests arrive. Turkey breast can rest, covered loosely with foil, for up to 40 minutes before serving.
• Prepare sauce and keep warm in small gravy boat.

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

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

Adolescent girls and young women have an increased need for iron-rich foods. And enhancing vitamin C consumption is essential for optimal iron absorption. Our iron-rich pasta dish is a simple and tasty dish that scores on all levels. With the combination of tomatoes, clams, and parsley, it’s the perfect marriage for an iron-clad, vitamin C meal.