Food

When peeled ever-so-thinly, butternut squash is a surprising addition to salads. Briefly placing it in hot water serves to make the shavings slightly more tender. You can also add shaved kohlrabi, parsnip, or celery root to this dish.

Puréed winter squash adds natural sweetness to these pancakes and the accompanying vibrant sauce. The benefit of pouring your pancake batter into the muffin tin instead of a skillet is that the pancake muffins can be made ahead of time and reheated later for a quick breakfast with no flipping required. The sauce can also be made a few days ahead of time, but should be heated before serving.

Use this heavenly spread on your morning toast, slices of apple, or pieces of dark chocolate.

Vibrant Balti paste, traditionally used for tangy curries, gives amazing flavour to chickpeas in a lettuce bowl. In this dish, tomato and cucumber temper the heat, but Balti paste can be tossed with any vegetable, or even cooked meat such as chicken.

(shown with Madras Curried Chicken)

(shown with Spicy Basmati Vegetable Pulao)

This creamy Indian dessert is traditionally known as shrikhand, meaning “food of the Gods,” and comes in a number of variations depending on the particular region in which it’s made. The lovely luscious melon colour makes it a sweet treat as pleasing to the eye as it is to the tongue. Try topping it with a few strands of saffron and pistachios—it is also excellent with sliced fruit, such as mango or peach slices, and blueberries.

Soothe your immune system with the simple ingredients of chai. This comforting drink is an integral part of Indian life and makes a wonderful accompaniment to a festive meal.

Humble veggie burgers receive the gourmet treatment in this recipe, with the addition of a sublime, velvety balsamic reduction. Brimming with antioxidants and heart-healthy fibre, these vegetarian burgers are perfect for Meatless Mondays—or for any day of the week!

A healthy alternative to traditional cream and cheese-laden pasta dishes, this unusual spaghetti dish is filled with heart-healthy fatty acids and fibre. Ground pumpkin seeds add an intriguing texture to the mix as they melt into the pasta along with the grated Parmesan. Interestingly, scientists have recently discovered that the dish’s brown mushrooms may have potent anti-inflammatory properties—yet another good reason to dig in!

In Africa, ground seeds have long been added to soups and stews. The practice is a wise one—the seeds not only give these dishes extra body, but also provide a healthy alternative to heavier toppings such as cheese.

This is a must-make recipe if you own a pressure cooker: risotto in less than 15 minutes with no stirring! Use this basic recipe as a guideline, but add any vegetables you want and make it different every time.

This soup gives you a burst of energy, as all ingredients keep their nutrients. When I serve this soup to my friends, I watch them make a funny face when I mention parsnips, until they take their first mouthful ... and then they get it! Yum!

On a cold day, there is nothing more comforting than this soul-warming soup ... except how little time is needed to prepare it!

Sometimes I want to travel without leaving my kitchen, so I combine ingredients into an exotic mix and create aromas and flavours that conjure up the cooking of other countries. This is one of my favourite such combinations.

I have made this recipe over and over with any white fish I have on hand. As most of the ingredients are staples, I have been able to put a delicious meal on the table in record time—and even served it to guests at a dinner party! 

Kohlrabi belongs to the group of cruciferous vegetables long touted for being a good source of vitamin C and fibre. For best flavour, choose small bulbs. They have a sweet-tasting and delicate flavour reminiscent of a cabbage crossed with an artichoke.

Turnips are low in calories and a good source of calcium and iron. Their punchy flavour is a good match for this zippy sauce. Traditionally, chermoula is used as a marinade, but here it makes a flavourful dressing too.

Roasting cauliflower transforms its flavour. It heightens the umami factor—über savoury and rich—making it a good foil for the briny capers, sweet raisins, and toasty nuts.

Potatoes are surprisingly good sources of potassium. Increasing potassium while simultaneously lowering sodium is beneficial to good heart health. There is no added salt—but a flavour burst from aromatic nutmeg and fresh basil.

One taste of this autumnal side dish and you’ll surely be agog with excitement to make it again soon. Research shows that compounds in dried plums may improve bone strength, which may in turn help reduce fracture and osteoporosis risk.

Nuts are a great addition to salads, as they provide a crunchy textural contrast. Fibre- and protein-rich beluga lentils make this salad thoroughly satisfying. Walnut oil’s toasty flavour is a powerful addition to dressing, but you can also use extra-virgin olive oil, sesame oil, or almond oil. If desired, you may replace smoked trout with smoked salmon or mackerel.

Traditional falafels are undeniably tasty, but the authentic deep-fried versions are not exactly nutritional bell-ringers. Baking them and mixing in nutrient-dense pistachios make this version much more nutritionally sound.