Food

This nutrient-dense, colourful take on traditional “toad in the hole” is an easy-to-prepare meal the whole family will love. Served with a large salad or steaming bowl of soup, it’s an economical entrée that’s as comforting as it is delicious.

Serves 4

Perfect for a nippy autumn night, this Mexican-inspired stew has a smoky kick courtesy of the chipotle peppers. It also comes together quickly, so it’s an excellent meal for a harried weeknight. Garnish options include sour cream, diced avocado, and crunchy tortilla chips.

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.

A simple stir-fry is a quick and easy meal that makes the most of fresh vegetables. This spring-inspired stir-fry leans on spring onions, the first fresh snow peas, baby spinach, and fiddleheads. Szechuan (a.k.a. Sichuan) peppercorns add a layer of complexity to this dish with a pleasing citrus flavour and a slight numbing heat. They can be found in specialty spice stores, but if you can’t find them you can still enjoy the gingery-garlicky, spicy heat of the other ingredients.

Light in the backpack and easy to tote, these crispy chickpeas topping tossed greens are loaded with flavour and provide a delicious boost of energy.

DIY chickpeas from scratch

• Drain and rinse well.
• Place chickpeas in large saucepan and cover with several inches of water. Bring to a boil. Cover, leaving lid ajar, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until chickpeas are as tender as you’d like.
• Season with salt only after cooking, as salt toughens beans during cooking.

Organic Vegetables

If Mom is more lunch than brunch, this simple and delicious plate is sure to please. Spring asparagus gets a delicious savoury treatment full of flavour from soy, ginger, garlic, miso, and chili flakes. Served alongside sweet scallops, it’s a beautiful and sophisticated combination that’s easy to make and enjoy.

If you enjoy a savoury snack, look no further than this yogurt bowl. Protein- and probiotic-rich yogurt is topped with spiced sweet potatoes, pumpkin seeds, and a drizzle of olive oil and cilantro. A little prep goes a long way toward making this a convenient and satisfying snack. Cook the potatoes in advance so the bowl can be quickly assembled at snack time.

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.

Cooking homemade beans is easy, especially if you own a slow cooker. Not only do these tasty beans improve with the long slow cook, but using a slow cooker (Crock-Pot) will save you money on electrical bills. At first glance there appears to be a lot of carbohydrates per serving, but bear in mind that beans are a source of complex carbohydrates. There are only 2 tsp (10 mL) added sugar per serving; the rest of the carbohydrates are coming from the beans and the naturally occurring sugars found in the onions, apricots, and tomatoes. The addition of dried apricots adds some natural sweetness plus a small dose of beta carotene.  

Did you know?

Shepherd’s pie has two names: traditionally called cottage pie, it was made with beef while shepherd’s pie was made with lamb. These English/Irish dishes were made with leftover roasted meat chopped finely and whatever mashed potatoes and cooked vegetables were left over from the Sunday night dinner. To put a healthier spin on this dish, I substituted extra-lean ground turkey for the lamb or beef and sweet potatoes for regular white potatoes. Whichever way you make it, this dinner is economical and easy to make, especially if you are using leftover cooked vegetables. Serve with a tossed green salad.

Did you know?

Both the flowers and the fruit of the yucca are edible. Only eat the flower petals, however, as the flower centres are extremely bitter.

Sumptuous and rich, this dish finds full expression with the exotic addition of truffles and truffle paste (available at specialty stores). Looking to lighten up? Halve the cream or measure to taste.

The sunny flavours of the Mediterranean are guaranteed to brighten a dark winter’s day.

Crumbled tempeh provides incredible texture to this crowd-pleasing (and serving!) chili. It freezes well for a healthy heat-and-serve weeknight meal.

Potatoes 2 lb (1 kg) sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter 2 Tbsp (30 mL) pure maple syrup 1 tsp (5 mL) cumin 1 tsp (5 mL) ground ginger Salt and pepper, to taste Mushrooms 1 Tbsp (15 mL) butter 4 cups (1 L) white button mushrooms, sliced 1/3 cup (80 mL) dry red wine Salmon Patties 2 - 5.6 oz (160 g) cans sockeye salmon 1/2 cup (125 mL) rolled oats 1 large egg 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced 1 shallot, finely diced 2 tsp (10 mL) curry powder Juice of 1/2 lemon Ground black pepper, to taste 1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil Potatoes: On stovetop, steam sweet potatoes until very tender. In large bowl, mash potatoes with fork or potato masher along with butter, maple syrup, cumin, ginger, salt, and pepper. Mushrooms: Melt butter in skillet over medium heat; add sliced mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in red wine and cook for another 10 minutes or until most of the wine has evaporated. Season with salt, if desired. Salmon Patties: In large bowl, flake canned salmon with a fork. Mix in oats, egg, red pepper, shallot, curry powder, lemon juice, and black pepper. Form into 4 equal-sized patties. Heat olive oil over medium heat in skillet and cook salmon patties for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Flip carefully to avoid breaking patties apart, and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Serve patties with mashed sweet potatoes and top with mushrooms. Serves 4. Each serving contains: 555 calories; 28 g protein; 20 g total fat (7 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 64 g carbohydrates; 9 g fibre; 437 mg sodium Source: "8 Sniffle-Busting Foods", alive #338, December 2010

Two servings of lamb in one week might be overkill, but test this dish in advance so you can entertain with confidence. “Frenched” lamb racks have excess fat and sinew between the bones cut to free ribs for presentation.

Fresh parsley, nippy lemon, and rich pine nuts elevate traditional stuffing laced with the favourite flavours of sage, onion, and celery. This makes enough stuffing for a 16 to 18 lb (7 to 8 kg) turkey.

Each spoonful of this sumptuous soup will warm your bones. Add a pinch of cayenne if you like it hot.

When tomatoes are at their summer flavour peak, why open a jar of tomato sauce for pasta night? Roasting tomatoes only serves to heighten their natural sweetness. For visual appeal, try using multicoloured cherry tomatoes. Stirring the greens with the warm tomatoes and pasta will slightly wilt them, helping to make this highly textured dish even more delightful.

Infused with salubrious quinoa flour and bejewelled with omega-3 rich smoked salmon, these individual pizzas are sure to be a dinnertime hit among tasters.

Potatoes

The recipe for this elaborate-looking dish can be easily multiplied if you are cooking for a crowd. The recipe also works for other delicate white-fleshed fish—just be sure to watch carefully for doneness during cooking, as other fish may cook faster.