Food

Meatloaf is a perennial favourite among younger generations at the table. And the best thing about baking up a batch of individual meatloaves is that they cook in half the time they would take if prepared in a larger loaf pan. These are deliciously moist and easily frozen for quick dinners later on. Look for a barbecue sauce without sugar as a primary ingredient. If desired, ground turkey or chicken can replace the beef.

Tip

This delightfully bright and flavourful side dish might just steal the show at your next meal. Quinoa gives this recipe a nice punch of plant-based protein, while a myriad of seeds and herbs come together in a symphony of flavour.

Just like everyone’s favourite lunchbox sandwich―but for breakfast. Protein powder is an easy addition to a pot of oats to beef up the numbers for that important macro. Peanut butter adds additional plant-based protein, creaminess, and nuttiness, while the jam-like raspberry sauce gives the meal a sweet-tart pop. For leftovers, heat a small amount of milk or water in a saucepan; stir in the oats and heat, stirring a couple of times, for 3 minutes.

Kick up your lunch routine with these open-faced sandwiches that feature fetching stacked colour contrasts. More proof that basil and tomato are a dynamic duo. Eating toast was never so exciting.

Dry Matter

While the GAPS diet doesn’t recommend combining fruit with other foods, a cup of halved grapes (either raw or roasted with the cauliflower) adds a comfortingly sweet and juicy touch that goes a long way toward balancing the lemony vinaigrette. Use as much nose-tickling ginger and anti-inflammatory turmeric as you like.

Diet alterations

Root veggies are coming on strong at this time of year. And the brighter the colours, the richer the nutrients. No matter where you live, you’ll find local root vegetables that are perfect for this colourful medley. We’ve chosen roots available in our region, but any root will do. Our selection of roots can be prepared any which way—raw, cooked, or roasted. Can’t find fresh burrata? Burrata (Italian for “butter”) is a semi-soft Italian cheese. Its outer curd—mozzarella cheese formed into a pouch—encases soft, stringy curd and fresh cream that has a milky, buttery flavour. If burrata is not available, substitute crumbled goat cheese or feta.

I love this dish for its great flavour, but also for its visual impact on the table. It is a perfect example of the senses working in union. You can’t hide the wonderful visual effect of the dish and then the joy of eating the textural contrast between the pieces of beetroot and the smooth yogurt. The chili provides a background lift, while the toasted caraway provides a second tier of bready flavour over the beetroot’s earthy sweetness. Carrot and Lime Leaf Kebabs and Beetroot and Coconut Dip recipes were extracted from Cooking for the Senses: Vegan Neurogastronomy by Jennifer Peace Rhind and Gregor Law, published by Singing Dragon. Order your copy at singingdragon.com.

The sweet-tart warm blueberry dressing is a wonderful counterpoint to the earthy elements of this simple yet satisfying salad. All the cooked elements of this salad—berry dressing, chicken, and farro—can be prepared ahead of time and then assembled for a quick weeknight meal. If farro is not available, other grains, including spelt berries, sorghum, or quinoa, can be used.

Tart cranberries, spicy jalapenos, and whole kernels of corn make an intriguing combination in these hearty plant-based cornbread muffins. Find most of the ingredients in your cupboard or freezer, and bake up these showstoppers in just over half an hour. Their individual format is perfect for sharing at a family dinner.

We grow many things well on our farm, but sweet potatoes are not one of them—our growing season is too short. So instead, we rely on farmers in much warmer climates to do it for us. Nonetheless they are a nutritional powerhouse, and one of my favorite vegetables. Baking is my preferred way to cook them. We do grow lots of fragrant cilantro, and through life-cycle harvesting we enjoy its aromatic leaves, green coriander seeds, and lacy white flowers. The pesto brings together lots of citrusy cilantro leaves and bright balancing flavors in a tasty condiment ready to complete a deliciously baked sweet potato.

Fairly mild in flavour and sturdy enough to hold plenty of fillings, collard greens are a fresh alternative to flour-based wraps. Roll them up with this verdant hummus and protein-packed chicken and you’ve got a hand-held midday meal that will be the star of the office. If you have some microgreens on hand, go ahead and toss those into the fold. For a vegetarian dish, swap out the chicken for slices of smoked tofu.

Tip

“Falagers” is the nickname we gave to falafels made from legumes soaked in lager beer before cooking. Making them from scratch is a bit of a give-and-take game. Too wet, add flour. Too dry, add more water or oil. It’s all about a feeling and making sure the mixture holds together while still staying moist. Want a heartier serving? Shape the falager mixture into burger-sized patties and, once baked, tuck each patty into a toasted bun, pita bread or lettuce wrap with avocado slices, creamy hummus and Smoky Tomato Sauce. As for any leftover Smoky Tomato Sauce, it’s delicious with pasta!

Umami-rich black garlic is the darling of this savoury fall dish. If it’s your first time cooking with black garlic, you won’t be disappointed. Sweet yet earthy, the sticky properties of fermented garlic add depth and datelike sweetness to the lightly seasoned lentils.

Tips

• Substitute oven-roasted regular garlic cloves for black garlic, if you wish. It’s not quite the same effect, but roasted cloves will add a subtle sweetness to the dish.
• Black garlic’s datelike flavour and sticky texture is also unique combined with chocolate. Dip individual fermented black cloves into melted chocolate and set aside to harden. Savour like a delicious chocolate truffle.

The best aromatic flavours come from the freshest ingredients. When cooking Italian, look for fresh vine-ripened tomatoes and good quality olive oil.

Which beans are best?

Tofu is crumbled before being quickly roasted with fragrant five-spice powder, giving it the texture and satisfying meatiness of ground pork. As with all spicy noodle leftovers, I’m just as eager to eat these cold for lunch the following day as I am to eat them piping hot.

Roasting technique

With the stealth addition of legume-based noodles you can fret less about pasta night when it comes to blood sugar control. Even more so when you beef up the dish with tender-roasted broccoli. A drizzle of nutty-tasting brown butter makes the whole dish seem extra special. From penne to shells, nearly any shaped pasta works here. Wash cycle  For traditional wheat-based pasta varieties, drain well after cooking but do not rinse with water. The rules change with legume-based noodles, including chickpea, which require a post-drain rinse to remove excess starch and reduce clumping.  

Filling up on green foods is an excellent way to boost your immunity. In our soup that’s chock full of brilliant antioxidant-loaded vegetables and nutrients, a hit of fiery cayenne is just the ticket to warm you from the inside out. Super for flu season. Easy to sip if you’re feeling congested and under the weather. Plus, it’s easy to digest. Trouble finding coconut aminos or nectar?  Substitute with low-sodium tamari sauce or a hit of miso for that umami-enhanced flavour. Meal-in-a-bowl  If you’re longing to make this soup a meal in a bowl, add some diced firm tofu along with cooked rice or barley. Or stir in some cannellini beans for additional satisfaction.  

Licorice-flavoured fennel, tart apple, and a hint of pleasant bitterness from radicchio combines with a touch of sweet dressing for a refreshingly delicious salad. Fennel contains a number of vitamins and minerals known to be involved in digestion, including vitamin C, manganese, and niacin which helps transform the food you eat into energy. Apple adds sweet crunch and all-important fibre.

Make no mistake, meaty grilled tofu, sweet flame-licked salsa, and chunks of crispy sweet potato make for a meal prepared in the great outdoors that puts the yum in plant-based eating. 

This recipe is something of a classic; it’s so easy to make. But this version introduces a little extra zing for when the season revs up and all you want to do is curl up in front of the fire for a cozy eve. All it takes is one pot for cooking and a single bowl to toss with remaining ingredients. It doesn’t get much easier than that. The gremolata gives it that zesty, zingy punch.

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.

Although it may look a little foreboding, don’t be intimidated by cooking octopus; it’s mostly a hands-off process. With a little time and patience, you’ll be rewarded with a stunning octopus antipasto—perfect as a starter or light lunch.

Tip

This fresh and simple dish is perfect for late spring and early summer. A quickly seared tuna loin is melt-in-your-mouth juicy, can be cooked in minutes, and goes a very long way. With the ale-spiked dressing, this dish goes well with a craft lager laced with Citra hops and orange peel.

Tip

This spicy curry soup is packed with aromatics like onion, garlic, and ginger and scented with makrut lime leaves. Thinner than a standard curry that you’d serve with rice, this soup is chock full of protein with hearty rockfish and mussels as well as vegetables, like sweet potato and spinach. Lime juice provides a dash of acid to balance the rich flavour of coconut milk. Serve with lots of cut limes to squeeze over soup bowl before eating.