Food

Thanksgiving isn’t complete for many of us without a potato dish, the comforting starchy staple we all adore. These stacks are the perfect handheld potato dish for your holiday grazing table. While garlic and rosemary are a fan-favourite flavour combo, the addition of the balsamic glaze adds a hint of sweetness and tang.

These pop-in-your-mouth stuffed mushrooms are the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table. The combination of fennel with the lentils and mushrooms gives these bites a meaty taste that are actually completely plant based―and Thanksgiving grazers may never guess.

These easy, yet elegant, handheld endive packages have all the flavours you need with salty bacon, sweet apple, fennel, and creamy beans, enfolded within and balanced by the bitterness of Belgian endive leaves.

If you want a traditional Thanksgiving without the daunting task of cooking a turkey, this dish is for you. With these yummy handheld turkey pastry cups, you get all the Thanksgiving flavours without the overwhelming effort. Making the turkey filling a day or two ahead of time will make life that much simpler, allowing you to have a turkey dish on the table and ready to enjoy in less than half an hour. And, for an equally delicious plant-based version, you can easily omit the cheese and switch out the turkey for a veggie ground.

Entice your family and friends into your home with the aroma of freshly baked bread, setting the tone for a cozy Thanksgiving dinner to remember. This easy bread recipe comes together quickly because it doesn’t need any time to rise. This savoury twist on a normally sweet loaf will be a welcome addition to your dinner table. Buckwheat flour lends itself well to the savoury flavour with its slightly earthy taste. Make this bread completely gluten free by choosing a gluten-free beer.

Nothing reminds me of summer more than this combination of sweet strawberries, tropical mangoes, tart limes, and savoury basil. Fruit is nutrient dense, and mangoes are packed with vitamins A, B6, C, E, and K, as well as copper and magnesium. Not only is this simple sorbet a refreshing way to end a meal, it’s also a great way to boost your nutrient intake!

Allowed to range freely and eat grass, rather than grain, bison have less fat than their cow counterparts, and their meat is less marbled than beef, meaning that fat is easier to opt in or out of. My family’s bison and black bean stuffed peppers contain lean, ground bison and high fibre black beans, creating a healthy, hearty twist on a comfort food classic!

Good salads are all about matching seasonal vegetables with a distinct dressing. This delicious salad combines the freshness of spinach and the earthiness of mushrooms with the vibrant creaminess of a homemade Green Goddess dressing. Some Green Goddess recipes call for anchovy, but this one is vegetarian, courtesy of my family. I love the creamy, savoury simplicity of just Greek yogurt, avocado, fresh herbs, and lemon!

My sister-in-law introduced us to this authentic wild rice recipe years ago, and it quickly became one of our favourites. It combines the earthy, nutty flavours of wild rice with a fresh mix of vegetables and a savoury hit of back bacon. Higher in fibre and lower in calories than traditional rice grains, wild rice is also gluten free and antioxidant rich. This pilaf is delicious whether you serve it as a hot side dish or a cold side salad.

Brussels sprouts are an autumn staple in our family, and this version offers the added zing of lemon juice and lemon zest. Sautéing Brussels sprouts gives them a caramelized flavour and maintains a crispy texture, while the toasted pistachios add a layer of nutty crunch to every bite. Plus, these nutritious little cabbages are a great source of vitamins C and K and fibre!

This recipe is one of our family favourites. The seared scallops satisfy our seafood cravings and add a touch of elegance to any dinner or gathering. Carrot purée is often made with browned butter, but the cashew butter in this recipe adds a toasted, nutty flavour, along with the benefits of healthy fats, fibre, and plant-based protein.

Wrap up your morning with this savoury and satisfying Spinach Omelette with Spiced Squash, filled with vitamins A, C, K, and folate. This dish offers a range of health benefits due to its contents’ unique nutritional properties and bioactive compounds. It’s also a great way to incorporate vegetables into your breakfast routine!

This protein-rich bowl features tender grass-fed steak slices, perfectly cooked eggs, and an array of colourful vegetables. It’s a healthy Western-style breakfast that is rich in heme iron, which plays a vital role in immune function, and makes a balanced and nutrient-forward meal to keep you energized throughout the day.

These vibrant muffins are not only visually appealing, but they also make a nutritious breakfast option. Packed with berries, oats, and protein powder, they provide a wholesome start to your day.

Green tea and citrus each offer several health benefits, and, when consumed together, they enhance each other’s positive effects. Start your day with a burst of antioxidants, protein, and vitamins in this refreshing smoothie bowl. It’s a delicious way to support your immune system first thing in the morning.

Pho is a traditional Vietnamese soup. Its broth gives off a heady, spiced fragrance that makes you feel taken care of. This comforting and nourishing pho combines the healing power of high-protein chicken broth packed with gelatin, aromatic spices, and fresh herbs. It’s an ideal choice for supporting immunity and healing from the inside out during cold and flu season.

There’s slaw that most of us are familiar with and then there’s our Crunchy Cabbage and Kale Salad that puts an entirely new spin on what a cabbage and kale salad should taste like. A great stand-alone dish, this can also be served with grilled meats or seafood.  

When show-off tomatoes and cling-free peaches are in season, this combo salad ticks all the boxes. The flavour combination coupled with fresh mozza cheese and the salty tang of olives shows summer at its finest.

There’s nothing tastier than slightly salted seafood paired with crisp veggies for the perfect umami combo on a hot summer day. That’s the beauty of poke. And it’s such an easy dish to prepare. What was once predominantly eaten in restaurants is now often being prepared at home.

These summer vegetables are a win-win. With a drizzle of the freshest extra-virgin olive oil and a well-aged balsamic, it’s about as close to the flavours of Italy as you can get.

This recipe is super easy to assemble and is perfect for a summertime appetizer. The beauty of homemade flatbread is that you can make the dough ahead and freeze for later use. Stockpile a few balls of dough. Nothing quite beats the freshness.

Move over potatoes and yams. There’s a new favourite on the block, and it bakes up sublimely. These rutabaga fries are a winner—they hold their shape, making them ideal for dipping. Delicious served as a side to any main course, they’re a great source of fibre, low in calories, and super-rich in potassium.

This wholesome and savoury take on a traditional sausage roll is a scrumptious way to incorporate more plant-based goodness into your diet. Lentils are a nutritional powerhouse. Enjoyed worldwide, they provide a good amount of protein and fibre per serving along with a healthy dose of B vitamins, folate, iron, and potassium.

This is a great recipe to prep on the weekend to utilize throughout the week. The homemade crackers are packed with fibre-rich oats and flaxseeds, providing a satisfying crunch and a boost of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Paired with an avocado ranch dip, this nutrient-dense snack is perfect for kids (and parents) on the go.