Food

A vegetarian take on the always kid-approved chicken nugget, these kebabs are sure to be a hit with the entire family. Kids will love the slightly sweet taste of butternut squash while also reaping the benefits of its vitamin A, potassium, and fibre content. Try serving these kebabs over pasta or spiralized vegetable noodles to round out the meal.

Tips

• You can make these kebabs with chunks of wild salmon or organic chicken instead of squash. Just note there is no pre-roasting required. Simply thread everything onto skewers and roast until protein is cooked through.
• Instead of discarding butternut squash seeds, try roasting them. Toss washed seeds with 1 tsp (5 mL) grapeseed oil and roast in 400 F (200 C) oven, stirring occasionally, until brown and crisp. Toasted seeds make a great snack or topping for salads or soups.

Fuel your morning with one of these make-ahead breakfast kebabs and you’re sure to get your day off to a sunny start. Kiwis, raspberries, and oranges provide a good dose of immune-boosting vitamin C, while the oats and chia provide fibre, which may help us feel full until lunchtime. For breakfast on the go, skip the dipping sauce.

Tip

Quick and decadent, these banana split kebabs pack all the flavour of the classic colossal confection into a tasty linear treat. For speedy assembly when the mood strikes, keep a few cans of full-fat coconut milk in the refrigerator, as the separation of coconut cream and coconut water takes at least 8 hours.

Tip

Breakfast, snack, dessert, or after a sweaty workout, this refreshing fruit salad is a welcome addition to any summer menu. Cantaloupe is the star of this show, with its extra sweet, juicy flesh and delicious, musky fragrance.  

This fruit salad brings together a crave-worthy combination of sweet and creamy. Adding pistachios and buckwheat provides great crunch. It’s a stunning addition to a summer evening dinner spread.

Tip

The sweet-tart combo of watermelon and raspberries raises the bar on the iconic Italian Caprese salad, a mixture of tomato, mozzarella, and basil. By including grilled chicken, you’ve essentially created more of a stand-alone meal.

Get fancy

Best enjoyed outdoors on a hot summer evening, this fruity ceviche can be served as an appetizer along with tortilla chips, or try it as a main dish scooped into lettuce leaves. Try small bay scallops in lieu of fresh salmon, if unavailable.

Tip

Sweet, savoury, and fiery all at once, this ready-to-go salad is the epitome of summer and a surefire way to breathe new life into your lunch routine.  

Our chilled mango tea is a bit like a mango lassi. Only rather than using yogurt, we added tea and coconut milk for a little Asian interest—beautiful flavours that can embrace any number of spices, from cinnamon or cloves to mint and cardamom. Explore and experience.

Sometimes we crave a little more fullness in our brew. Put the chill on with this creamy coconut coffee latte. Smooth, satisfying, and dairy free, it is practically a meal in a glass—perfect when it’s too hot to eat.

There are a few ways to take the sting out of nettles, but nothing can remove their goodness. Choose your source from an organic, pesticide-free location. Harvest carefully, only picking leaves from younger plants while allowing mature plants to continue propagating.

Tip

If you were lucky enough to harvest some rhubarb from your garden this spring and were able to freeze some in batches, then you’ll want to make this delicious tea to quench your summer thirst. If you don’t have this springtime treasure in your freezer, you can pick up frozen rhubarb at grocery stores everywhere; it’s absolutely and perfectly delicious for a summer afternoon.

Healthy hit

The lovely green colour from the pandan leaves makes this refreshing drink pretty as well as healthy. Recommended for a variety of ailments, pandan coupled with nutritious artichokes is a refreshing, frosty summer tea, perfect for sipping.

Tip

Harvesting dandelions offers a myriad of possibilities. The leaves are tasty in salads and delicious brewed for tea. The flowers can be made into a wonderful syrup. And the roots? Perfect for making coffee. Dandelion coffee is also delicious served hot on a cool night around a campfire. Spike it with a little piece of dark chocolate stirred in and some orange zest. Then add warmed milk. So gooood!

Healthy hit

• very high in calcium
• good source of iron, zinc, and potassium
• filled with vitamins such as A, C, D, and B

GORP (“good old raisins and peanuts”) gets an elegant, nourishing, peanut-free lift with dried apricots, cacao nibs, and a variety of colourful nuts and seeds.

Tip

Bracing horseradish, beets, lemon, and yogurt are my preferred pairing with gravlax, all working to cut its richness for an immensely satisfying picnic meal. When you shake your salad jar or toss it all up in a bowl to serve family style, the flavours weave together, creating something brand new.

Tip

This easy recipe turns Caprese, a tomato and mozzarella salad usually made with sliced tomatoes, into a portable feast with no-need-to-slice grape tomatoes. Picnickers can pick and choose how to construct their baby Caprese salad on their plate. Pecans and crackers are untraditional, but add crunch and can be used to make a tiny crostini for something different. Use the abundance of in-season baby tomato varieties to make this recipe into a multicoloured treat. Everything except the mozzarella can be kept outside your cooler.

Kale is the ultimate picnic green due to its sturdiness. This recipe can incorporate any fruit, nut, and protein of your choice. Try cubed tempeh instead of turkey bacon, tomatoes instead of pear, and almonds instead of pine nuts, for instance. If you’ll be travelling for a few hours, pack this salad in a cooler with a freezer pack both on top and underneath the container.

Make a steaming bowl of ramen into a fresh, packable summertime noodle salad. Pack in jars or toss it up in a large, shatterproof bowl. As a main or side, it’s an immensely satisfying dish. Tip: Wrap each jar in a towel and pack on ice in your cooler to maintain freshness and keep it colder for longer.

Consider this cooling panna cotta after a spicy Thai curry. Employ Thai (purple) basil for the zippiest result, though regular basil works just as well. Agar is a tasteless seaweed derivative that sets liquids much like gelatin, but it’s suitable for plant-based diets. You can find agar flakes at many health food stores.

Tip: Thyme + lemon

Look for the chocolate mint variety of fresh mint at your local garden center, or use any variety of fresh mint you can find. Chocolate mint has a built-in chocolate flavor, making it fantastic for desserts featuring this classic combo.

Tip: Mint to be

Kale salad is made hearty with the addition of quinoa and crispy candied almonds. Seasonal, simple and made with common ingredients, you’ll want to keep this recipe in your repertoire for satisfying lunches and light dinners.

This cloudlike dessert gives ice cream a run for its money. A tangy yogurt mousse is topped with a floral strawberry jam and garnished with (surprise!) black pepper. If you’d like a bit of crunch, top with chopped pistachios or almonds.

Tip: Pump up the jam

Asian-inspired noodles with a hint of Sriracha spice up this unexpected summer salad. Peanut butter and miso help create a creamy, decadent dressing, while fresh chopped mint and cucumber keep things refreshing.

Something to taco ’bout