Food

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would turn down a still-warm doughnut, and even fewer who would turn down one of these. These banana pumpkin doughnuts are baked, and lighter in texture than your typical fried indulgence, but they don’t compromise on taste. Crowned with a simple chocolate glaze and a shower of pumpkin seeds (a nod to what’s in them), you can have these doughnuts made and on the table in about an hour.

No brunch is complete without a special drink to sip and savour. This spiced mocktail is the perfect libation to warm up with on a cold wintery morning. If you are in the mood to imbibe, a splash of brandy or Cointreau would do nicely here.

These rich chocolate mousse cups contain no sugar but offer a whole lot of satisfying sweetness from monk fruit, a natural plant-based sweetener. Not only that, but they are egg free by using aquafaba whipped up into fluffy stiffness. The result is a light, airy, and most definitely chocolatey mousse which is paired with the perfect partner—ginger and vanilla poached pears.

Nuts, along with fruit, are a classic accompaniment to cheese—but there are times when you want to avoid them, especially when you’re hosting guests with allergies. Here's a different take on a classic combination that is completely nut free. In this luscious appetizer, soft, juicy dates are stuffed with thyme and chili-flavored whipped ricotta. The final topping of delightfully crunchy and spicy toasted pumpkin seeds provides an exquisite bite that hits all the notes—from sweet to savory.

These endive boats with a plant-based filling are easy to serve and to make in advance. A silky-smooth hummus, flavored with lemon, sumac, and cinnamon, gets an extra dose of deliciousness and texture with the addition of crunchy radish, juicy pomegranate, and whole chickpeas. Stuffed into fresh endive leaves—you can call it hummus and then some.

This tasty dish feeds a crowd, is dairy free, and is packed with healthy vegetables and lots of spicy flavor. Added to a base of roasted butternut squash, the soaked overnight cashews lend a rich creaminess. Hints of smoky flavor and layers of spice come from roasted poblano peppers, smoked paprika, and fresh jalapenos, while nutritional yeast adds some “cheesy” flavor. The result is a delicious, warm, and creamy dip perfect with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables.

These mini-pizzas are the perfect two-bite cocktail appetizer, and a savory sweet potato crust makes them completely gluten free. The crust is bound together with parmesan, hemp hearts, almond flour, and egg, which also helps deliver a punch of protein. The garlicky kale and mushrooms, with just a pinch of chili flakes and a final topping of goat cheese, adds a tangy finish to every bite.

Everyone should have an easy, no-bake, go-to dessert recipe. This one is mine. Endlessly customizable, depending on the seasonal fruit available, I particularly love how this autumnal take combines tart cranberries with earthy pecans and herbal rosemary.

This hearty plant-based soup gets its velvety creaminess from the addition of tahini, or sesame seed butter. Nut and seed butters can be added to a variety of applications to help thicken or enhance the mouthfeel of a dish. Try stirring a tablespoon or two of your favourite seed or nut butter to sauces, salad dressings, or smoothies.

This delightfully bright and flavourful side dish might just steal the show at your next meal. Quinoa gives this recipe a nice punch of plant-based protein, while a myriad of seeds and herbs come together in a symphony of flavour.

This drink is like a hug in a mug. While typically served chilled over ice, horchata may also be served warm, which makes it perfect to enjoy during cooler months.

This creamy vegan cheese comes together easily and can be enjoyed spread on crudité and crackers. But don’t stop there. It’s also divine dolloped over roasted vegetables or used as an alternative to ricotta cheese in lasagna.

Indulge in this fragrant elevated twist on a classic dessert that combines the nutty richness of brown butter with juicy Anjou pears and warm gingerbread spices.

Enjoy a hearty and flavourful beef stew with a rich, garlic-infused broth thickened with sourdough breadcrumbs and filled with classic vegetables.

Experience a burst of flavours with creamy yogurt, soft poached eggs, bright chive pesto, and a drizzle of homemade hot honey, all served with crunchy sourdough.

Start your day with this vegan protein-packed baked pancake bowl featuring winter-spiced persimmons and a luscious date “caramel” drizzle.

Warm up with this velvety, spice-infused soup made from sprouted red lentils and heirloom carrots, topped with coconut cream and fresh herbs.

This recipe is inspired by Greece’s Blue Zone on the island of Ikaria. Ikarians make use of the herbs that grow around them in their teas, eat local honey, and consume goats’ milk and cheeses rather than from cows’ milk. This luscious panna cotta recipe is made with goats’ milk and yogurt, sweetened with honey, and scented with lemon and rosemary before being topped with walnuts and figs and more honey.

In Loma Linda, California, diets consist of fruits and vegetables as well as legumes, whole grains, and nuts. This crisp and juicy salad is inspired by those ingredients in the form of leafy greens, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, fennel, and sweet grapes. The toasted buckwheat adds a delicious crunch.

The Sardinian diet contains a lot of vegetables and is known for good helpings of barley and Pecorino, a sheep’s milk cheese. While not recreating a Sardinian dish, we've been inspired, for this hearty bean and barley stew, by those Sardinian ingredients. Warming and comforting, it's filled with barley and convenient, protein-packed Borlotti beans and infused with flavour from carrots, onions, fennel, and herby thyme. It's also packed with Italian lacinato kale for a healthy dose of greens.

The Okinawan diet is comprised of 67 percent Okinawan sweet potatoes. These purple-fleshed sweet potatoes are rich in anthocyanins, powerful blue and purple pigments with antioxidant properties. The rich purple colour has inspired this fusion dish. It follows a classic gnocchi technique, but the purple colour and touch of miso give it an interesting twist paired with leafy spinach and shitakes.

Beans, squash, and corn are known as the “three sisters” and are a key part of the diet of centenarians in the region of Nicoya, Costa Rica. These breakfast bowls draw on those reliable sisters with a nod to the Costa Rican dish gallo pinto, a mixture of rice and beans, spiked with cilantro, often eaten alongside scrambled eggs. We've topped these bowls with a fried egg instead, but the choice is yours.

These rich little morsels are the perfect ending to a beautiful dinner. The dark chocolate perfectly satisfies that craving for sweets after a big meal. The pecans, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries, along with the warming spices of pumpkin pie, pay tribute to traditional Thanksgiving ingredients. These morsels can be made well ahead of time and stored in the freezer until needed.