Food

Blueberry and basil make a delicious summer pairing in this semi-frozen treat served in slices then topped with blueberry purée. The recipe features a light and airy Italian meringue made by drizzling hot honey into whipped egg whites, which is then combined with vanilla and yogurt before being streaked with blueberry basil purée. Perfect for a summer party, or any old time, it looks impressive turned out on the plate and is convenient to prepare in advance and simple to serve.

This icy-cold soda is a refreshing way to cool down on hot days—and a quick, no-churn alternative to a classic summer treat. Honey and fennel come together in a subtly sweet, lightly licorice-flavoured sip that’s as elegant as it is easy. It’s delicious any time of the day. Serve it as a midday refresher, a dinner party mocktail, or even a palate cleanser between scoops.

This protein-packed “ice cream” has taken the internet by storm with a simple mix of ingredients—cottage cheese, fruit, and honey. In alive’s version, we heat the honey and cherries and infuse them with fragrant star anise before blending with cottage cheese and freezing. Nothing could be simpler.

What a perfect tribute to summer when bees flit between lavender bushes, collecting nectar and pollen to bring back to their hives, and pollinating other plants along the way. You could say that bees helped make this ice cream. After milk and cream are first infused with lavender, imparting delicate floral flavour, the mixture is gently churned in an ice cream maker. The finishing touch, bee pollen, gently studs the ice cream with its flavour and nutritional benefits. Enjoy this delicious ice cream on its own or make a luscious affogato by pouring a shot of espresso over a single scoop.

Lush wild blueberries and sweet Saskatoon berries, rich in brain-boosting anthocyanins, are folded into golden honeycomb tarts and finished with a velvety chamomile-infused mascarpone cream for the ultimate healing indulgence.

The deep, warming spice of wild ginger enhances a glossy, antioxidant-packed blueberry glaze atop perfectly crispy duck breast, bringing both flavour and anti-inflammatory benefits to the table.

A cooling, effervescent elixir crafted with anti-inflammatory Saskatoon berries and the warming spice of wild ginger—a perfect balance of bold flavour and functional nourishment.

Crisp, fire-kissed wild asparagus is paired with a bright, citrusy gremolata made from lemon balm, a herb known to ease stress and aid digestion, for a dish that feels as vibrant as summer itself.

Soft, golden pancakes infused with calming chamomile and dotted with tart wild raspberries—nature’s own anti-inflammatory superfruit—create a breakfast that soothes the body and delights the senses.

Peaches define the simplicity of summer. Juicy fruit, full of flavour, is made even more delicious with a quick grill, finished with a dollop of yogurt. Topping the warm fruit is a surprising twist: a drizzle of sweet and spicy hot honey finished with a dash of herbaceous lemon flavour.

Luscious red, yellow, and orange peppers are a summer treat. Grilling intensifies their flavour, and the liquor they produce as they cool is the perfect starter for a delicious dressing. Olive oil, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika join the party, finished off with a sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts.

Garden herbs are bountiful in summer. Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme work in harmony with garlic and paprika in this yogurt-based marinade. Slathered over a spatchcocked chicken, which shortens cooking time, the marinade helps to tenderize s and add fragrance to the meat prior to grilling or roasting. The finishing touch is fresh plum salsa, with a hit of gentle spicy heat, served slightly warmed and drizzled over the chicken before serving.

This elegant appetizer is refreshing and surprisingly toothsome. A quick time on the grill and a bit of hot Spanish paprika give watermelon a hint of smoky flavour. The simple, yet elegant presentation brings a special feel to the evening.

Celebrate the glory of summer by showcasing some fresh garden bounty. A crudité platter always goes down a treat, especially when it’s full of the summer’s best. Radishes, carrots, garden peas, young broccoli, and even tiny gem lettuce are wonderful additions. It all gets topped off with a zesty dressing made with cilantro, orange, lime, and a hint of sherry vinegar.

Infused with fresh summer thyme and raspberries, this refreshing spritzer is full of flavour, but won’t go to your head. Topped off with a dash of soda to give it some sparkle, this not-too-sweet soda is a sophisticated sipper perfect to kick off a summer evening. You may want to make a double batch.

With seasoning inspiration from North African cuisine, this grilled chicken and potato meal is simple enough to serve on any summer weeknight. Harissa is a feisty chili paste hailing from North Africa and an exciting marinade for juicy chicken. With a bit of extra fat, chicken thighs tend to retain more juicy flavour on the grill than does breast meat. Taking the extra step of par-boiling your potatoes until slightly soft before grilling them helps ensure that the outsides don’t char long before the potatoes are cooked all the way through on the grill. If available, try the Moroccan spice mixture ras el hanout to season the potatoes.

You may recognize falafel from the menu of your favourite Middle Eastern restaurant, where the fried chickpea balls are served on mezze platters or stuffed into pita. Here, we give it a grilled treatment and serve the chickpea patties with a fresh salad. The texture of the flame-licked falafels are crispy on the outside and tender inside, with an earthy, herbaceous flavour profile. All finished with a tahini-based sauce, with a homemade barbecue twist.

Churrasco is the traditional Brazilian way to barbecue. Strips of steak are sliced thin, then grilled on skewers and finally dressed in herby chimichurri sauce. Meaty tempeh is a noble stand-in for beef to make this grilling tradition of Brazil a plant-based crowd pleaser.

Jerk chicken is the most popular dish to come out of Jamaica, and it’s the inspiration for these burgers that sing to the island nation’s audacious spirit. Turkey burgers are flavoured with Jamaican-inspired seasoning, seared, and then served adorned with a punchy pineapple sauce. The result is a burger with the perfect balance of seasoning, smoke, and heat.

Buttery grilled salmon smothered in a deeply flavoured Chinese-inspired kung pao sauce and topped with fresh broccoli slaw and peanut crunch is a recipe for taco night happiness. Using the same sauce for the fish and broccoli elevates the tacos with an even greater savoury, spicy, sweet flavour that is the signature of kung pao.

Inspired by the popular Vietnamese banh mì sandwich, this grilled pizza is bursting with fresh and lively flavour from crunchy pickled veggies, gingery pork, and fiery mayo sauce. No pizza oven is required when you have a grill. Flatbreads are an easy pizza base, but you could be more adventurous and grill formed pizza dough.

BBQ season has begun, and this simple yet elegant meal that utilizes both bison meat and buffalo yogurt will be a summer showstopper. Cooking the steaks to medium-rare retains this leaner meat’s moisture and melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Like a spring roll in a bowl! Thai-inspired flavours boost this meat and veggie-packed dinner that’s ready in about 30 minutes. Served with gluten-free ramen or on your favourite rice, it’s a colourful, weeknight-friendly meal that highlights the versatility of bison.

Gluten-free almond flour is the trick to keeping these bison meatballs tender and juicy. This riff on spaghetti and meatballs gets a healthy makeover with simple ingredient swaps. With familiar flavours, it’s great for cooks looking to try bison or buffalo for the first time.