Honeyed BBQ Chicken Kebabs

Perhaps nothing signals the arrival of spring better than delicious rhubarb. The tart vegetable (yes, you read that right) that we think of as a fruit lends itself to gentle poaching to coax out its flavour. It’s just waiting to be combined with a host of herbs and aromatics to make it even more luscious. Tip: Serve your poached rhubarb with a flourish by adding a dried orange slice on top. To dry orange slices, simply place thin slices on baking sheet in a 300 F (150 C) oven for about 2 hours, until dried. Sustainability cred Rhubarb is a cool-season crop that is often available close to home. Selecting seasonal fruit reduces the need for heating, refrigeration, artificial lighting, pesticides, and increased transport. While rhubarb’s season may be short, the plant is a perennial that can produce for years.

In this fresh spring salad, spicy radishes and crisp snap peas work together perfectly with a miso tahini dressing that dishes plenty of umami flavour. Full of colour, not only is this salad appealing to the eye, but its fresh crunchy texture and bright flavours will keep you coming back for more. Sustainability cred Organic peas and radishes can be grown sustainably without soil-depleting fertilizers. Peas fix nitrogen in the soil, and radishes can aerate soil. That means that, when rotated correctly, radishes can enhance soil health. The way we choose to eat these vegetables can also have an impact on reducing food waste. Radish tops rule! Don’t let radish tops languish in the fridge. Radish leaves can be blitzed into a spicy pesto with nuts, garlic, lemon juice, and a bit of Parmesan. Endless versatility After you’ve tried out a pesto, try wilting peppery-flavoured radish tops in a stir-fry. Likewise, young pea shoots and young leaves are also edible. Eating these vegetables when they’re in season means they take fewer resources to produce and, if sourced locally, can contribute to local economies.

A snack worthy of being called a meal, this delicious cauliflower combo will certainly satisfy your movie-night nacho craving! Say cheez Not a fan of cilantro? Try this vegan cheez dip instead. In medium bowl, soak 1 cup (250 mL) raw cashews in boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain cashews and add them to food processor with the following: 3 Tbsp (45 mL) nutritional yeast 1/4 tsp (1 mL) turmeric 1/4 tsp (1 mL) smoked paprika 1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp (2 mL) garlic powder 1/4 tsp (1 mL) onion powder 3/4 cup (180 mL) unflavoured, unsweetened almond milk, more to thin 2 tsp (10 mL) preferred hot sauce Blend until smooth and serve! Makes approximately 1 cup (250 mL) dip. Each serving contains: 239 calories; 10 g protein; 17 g total fat (3 g sat. fat); 15 g total carbohydrates (2 g sugar, 3 g fibre); 282 mg sodium

Creamy pinto beans and earthy black beans stand in for kidney beans and help make a hearty chili along with some smoky poblano peppers. A pinch of cacao in this chili enhances the slightly sweet flavour of lean bison. If you prefer a less spicy chili, feel free to reduce the amount of powder, or add it in stages. Sustainability cred Like grass-fed beef, bison is considered a more sustainable meat. Much of it comes down to the way they’re ranched. While grazing, bison move across large tracts of land quickly, causing less trampling than if they stayed in one spot. Because they eat only grass and avoid other plants in the grasslands, they play a key role in grassland ecosystems, aiding in biodiversity by stirring up seeds with their hooves and fertilizing the earth as they pass by. The meat itself is lean and healthy and can be used interchangeably with beef. Roasting those peppers It’s an extra step, although fairly simple, but roasting the peppers first brings out their smoky flavour.