Food

4 cups (1 L) water
1 stalk of broccoli or cauliflower, cubed
1 green onion, finely sliced
3 fresh or rehydrated mushrooms (shiitake or oyster)
1 Tbsp (15 mL) dried seaweed (wakame or dulse), crumbled into tiny bits (they will expand)
1/4 cup (60 mL) miso paste (fermented barley, brown rice, or soybean)
Parsley leaves

A spring delicacy, the flavour of fiddleheads wanders somewhere between asparagus and broccoli. If you can't find fresh fiddleheads, try the frozen vegetable aisle or use asparagus instead. If possible, purchase free-range chicken breast from a small-scale local farmer who raises birds humanely. Don't forget the spoon to scoop up the delightful sauce.

As the sultry summer progresses, try this low-calorie dessert with whatever fruit is in season, such as peaches, nectarines, strawberries, apricots, and cherries.

Infused with a rich Asian flavour, trout contains a boatload of heart-chummy omega-3 fats. Wild salmon or arctic char would also work well. Try serving with soba noodles.

The flavours of the vegetables and fruit mingle to create a layer of loveliness. Catfish can be used instead of tilapia if desired.

1/2 cup (125 mL) raw, unsalted cashews
2 cups (500 mL) cooked wild rice, cooled
4 cups (1 L) assorted mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, oyster), sliced
1 shallot, diced
1/2 cup (125 mL) dry white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh sage or tarragon

This is a great vegetarian dish, or it can be paired with meats such as lamb, rabbit, or poultry. Israeli couscous is a small, round, toasted semolina pasta that should not be confused with the tiny yellow North African couscous. Sauces stick to it perfectly!

This fetching soup is a bright addition to a Thanksgiving meal. As it’s on the tart side, it is best served hot in half-cup portions. If using cranberry juice instead of cherry, you may need to increase sugar levels to balance out the tartness.

This highly flavoured chutney is a wonderful accompaniment to turkey or other proteins and gives a delicious boost to post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches. It’s also superb over yogourt or ice cream.

This nutrition-packed salad makes a superb side dish. Spelt berries are a chewy whole grain that can be found in many bulk aisles.

Carrot Cranberry Loaf

If you’re not up to cooking a whole turkey, this is a great alternative for the star of a Thanksgiving menu.

This savoury tart is sure to impress guests. If you can’t find almond flour in stores, make your own by grinding skinless blanched almonds into a meal.

This is very different than Chinese takeout sweet and sour chicken. Tofu replaces deep-fried chicken and the sauce tastes much lighter and fresher than the mystery neon goop. The coating gives the tofu wonderful texture, but choose organic to avoid genetically modified soy. If desired, cubed poultry can replace the tofu.

There are a few bonuses to making your own wonton soup. First of all, you can assure healthy ingredients go into the dumplings. Plus, it’s surprisingly easy and you don’t have to settle for an overly salty, flavourless broth. Here, star anise provides unexpected sparkle while oyster mushrooms add umami depth. If you like heat, you can spike the broth with chili garlic sauce. Look for organic shrimp, which is a more sustainable choice than imported crustaceans. The wonton parcels freeze really well if you want to prepare them in advance.

Is there any dish out there that screams “food court Chinese” more than orange chicken? Battered, fried, and tossed with mysterious sauce, too often it’s a nutritional train wreck. Suffice to say, you’ll enjoy this revamped iconic dish with its bright orange flavour and cashew buttery crunch. If desired, you can replace the chicken with turkey or tofu.

Fried rice is the epitome of Chinese fast food. Too bad it’s rarely more than prodigious amounts of greasy white rice flecked with a meagre amount of vegetables. This rendition ups the health ante with a generous amount of vegetables and brown rice. The key to great fried rice is to use cold rice, preferably a day or two old.

This overhaul of the rather infamous “Chinese” dish, replaces the usual fried egg noodles with more nutritious whole grain, nutty-tasting soba noodles. You can add almost any vegetable you like—spinach, bean sprouts, Chinese kale, to name a few. Make the dish vegetarian by swapping chicken with tofu. The key to this recipe and others is getting the prep work done before you start stir-frying because once it starts, it moves rapidly.

4 cups (1 L) mixed greens
1/2 cup (125 mL) golden raisins
1/2 cup (125 mL) dried blueberries
1/4 cup (60 mL) pumpkin seeds
1/2 lb (225 g) cooked purple potatoes
1/2 cup (125 mL) plain yogourt
2 Tbsp (30 mL) balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, roasted and chopped
Sea salt to taste

4 medium russet potatoes
2 1/2 Tbsp (37 mL) organic ketchup
4 tsp (20 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp (10 mL) Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp (10 mL) apple-cider vinegar
3/4 tsp (4 mL) paprika

3 cups (750 mL) mashed potatoes
2 cups (500 mL) cooked dino kale, chopped
1 large beaten egg
4 oz (125 g) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Fresh grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Quinoa Burgers

Salmon, walnuts, and extra-virgin olive oil combine to make a salad rich in omega-3s.

Try this delicious disease-fighting indulgence.