Food

Add some spice to your post-workout smoothie with freshly brewed chai tea. Instead of brewing one cup of tea at a time, make a whole pitcher with half a dozen tea bags and store in the fridge for use throughout the week.

Ginger adds a spicy flair to this classic Spanish beverage. Of course, there’s no rum in this version, but don’t let that stop you from adding some on a Saturday night.

Blend this one for breakfast for a super-charged vitamin boost. Just one serving contains 10 g of cholesterol-lowering dietary fibre, over-the-top levels of vitamins A, C, K, and B complex, as well as potassium, magnesium, and copper.

Although this ice cream-like drink tastes indulgent, it’s actually loaded with good-for-you nutrients: heart-healthy monounsaturated fats in the avocado and antioxidant-rich polyphenols in the cocoa nibs.

Pumpkin pie isn’t just for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can use canned organic pumpkin purée all year round. Rather than a dessert coffee after dinner, serve your guests this warm smoothie, sweetened with dates. Top it off with whipped cream, if desired.

Yellow Squid Curry

Stunning black rice is soaked before cooking, helping to give it a chewy bite and making it the perfect anchor for this especially satisfying dessert. The nutty whole grain rice is encased in a deep purple husk thought to contain antioxidants similar to dark berries. In Thai markets the rice and rich custard are often wrapped in pandanus leaves for the ultimate take-away treat. If you’d rather just enjoy the rice without the custard, try topping it with sliced mango.

Skewers of grilled meat are a staple at Thailand night markets as the aromatic smoke from satay stands lure in hungry customers. These are also perfect to serve at soirees or as part of a dinner menu. The oven broiler can stand in for the grill when the weather outside is not so tropical.

The explosion of flavours and unforgettable textural contrasts makes this refreshing Thai salad one of the great gastronomic pleasures when visiting the Asian nation. Make it for a light lunch or dinner side dish. Often, the heat-loving Thai will add a handful of chili peppers. But if you’re not after revenge, it’s best to only use one or two for more sensitive palates.

Pad Thai is one of the dishes that first comes to mind among Canadians when thinking of Thai cuisine. Sadly, most North American restaurant versions are little more than a big plate of uninspiring saucy noodles. A good pad Thai will be a medley of carefully matched ingredients that combine to create a plateful of sweet, sour, and salty flavours. If your wok or skillet is small, you may need to make this recipe in two batches.

For millions of Thailand denizens, the day doesn’t start until they have slurped up their noodle soup from open-air stalls to take a bite out of the chill in the early morning air. Here in Canada you may find this delightful soup more to your liking for lunch or dinner. To turn up the heat, the Thai will often stir in some guise of fiery paste or sauce such as the recipes that follow. And always make sure to stuff each bowl with a generous amount of lively herbs.

Also referred to as black cod, sablefish from the deep waters of the North Pacific has a pearly-white buttery flesh with a similar texture to halibut. It’s exceptionally high in heart-healthy omega-3 fats as well as selenium, an antioxidant linked to reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Currently, wild sablefish populations in the waters off Alaska and BC are healthy due to stringent catch limits and sustainable fishing methods.

Perhaps the phrase “holy mackerel” stems from its nutritional pedigree. Casting your line for a 3 oz (85 g) mackerel serving provides nearly 2.3 g of omega-3s, plus laudable amounts of vitamin D, protein, niacin, and vitamin B12.

They might be small, but nutritionally, sardines are giants. They are loaded with omega-3 fats, selenium, bone-building calcium, and vitamin D. A 2012 study by researchers in Denmark involving more than 10,000 subjects found that those with the highest blood levels of vitamin D were up to 64 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack.

Nutrient-rich pumpkin seeds are an ideal thickener for this bright sauce. Extra sauce can be frozen for up to three months. If your chicken is thick, try pounding it flatter with a kitchen mallet to speed cooking. Consider serving with steamed greens. Canned tomatillos are available in the Latin section of grocers.

Perfect for Meatless Monday, this vegetarian riff on the typical taco salad is spicy, creamy, and 100 percent healthy. Chunky ground walnuts take on a similar texture to ground beef, but without all the saturated fat.

This Asian-inspired dish is tasty, packed with wholesome ingredients, and—most importantly—incredibly easy to throw together the night before. The marinade for the chicken is the leftover dressing from Monday’s taco salad.

Savoury chickpeas and sweet, tangy mango combine in this unexpectedly delicious wrap.

The three colours of the Italian flag are incorporated into this mouth-watering sandwich. Traditional pesto uses pine nuts and Parmesan cheese; however, to reduce the fat and sodium content this recipe skips both. Don’t worry though, the flavour isn’t compromised—you just get slightly more basil for your bite!

This hearty salad uses components from several of this week’s recipes, making for an easy grocery shop and a no-fuss end-of-the-week lunch.

Infused with salubrious quinoa flour and bejewelled with omega-3 rich smoked salmon, these individual pizzas are sure to be a dinnertime hit among tasters.

Mixed with yogourt and berries, this quinoa-infused granola makes for a knockout breakfast. It’s also great served with warm milk to take a bite out of the winter chill. Coconut and mango add tropical flair, but as with all granola, this one is highly customizable based on your favourite seeds, nuts, and dried fruit.

Quinoa and black beans team up to make this dish a fibre powerhouse. Blending some of the cooked soup produces a thicker, heartier texture. You can find smoky-tasting canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the Latin section of many grocers. But you could use dried ancho or chipotle chile powder if desired.

The variety of textures used in these wraps won’t disappoint. Quinoa and the sweet potato can be made up to three days in advance and reheated to make the wraps lunch friendly.