Food

This warm and satisfying dish pays homage to slow-cooked North African tagines, but comes together in no time, combining sweet apricots with savoury and tender vegetables, legumes, and chicken. As with the black quinoa and lentil pilaf, the spices can be premixed at home if you’re heading out of town, making for efficient packing without sacrificing flavour. Using a fresh lemon (which doesn’t need to be refrigerated) also means you won’t need to lug a bottle of lemon juice along. Feel free to add other vegetables such as sweet potato, squash, parsnips, turnip, or cauliflower, or swap in dried figs, dates, or prunes for apricots. Any type of olives will work––e.g. green, purple, or black––and though you don’t need an entire jar for the recipe, you can serve the rest as an appetizer or snack. You can use dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, drained, and simmered in water until tender, or you can use canned, which saves time. Be sure to drain and rinse canned chickpeas thoroughly in water before using to significantly reduce the sodium content.  

Pilaf is a term liberally used to simply mean “grains cooked in broth.” There are usually onions, garlic, and spices involved, and the grains are often sautéed in butter or oil before being simmered in the liquid. This getaway-friendly version calls for dried spices instead of fresh, which you can combine in advance to save space in your bags and time in your cooking. Feel free, though, to add fresh diced onions, garlic, or other vegetables if you prefer. Toasting tips  To toast sunflower seeds, in small saucepan or skillet, heat seeds over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned and aromatic. Remove seeds immediately from the pan so they don’t burn. Many variations for ultimate flexibility  Don’t be afraid of the long ingredient list. You can skip pretty much any of the spices––except the salt––or replace them with others that you have on hand, such as parsley, thyme, or paprika. You can also use white or tri-coloured quinoa instead of black; the dark colour gives the dish a more dramatic visual effect.  

Rooibos tea, along with green tea, is very high in cancer-fighting antioxidants and is highly beneficial for promoting health. The flavonoids in rooibos have been shown to make cancer cells die, decrease tumour growth, and also inhibit cancer cell proliferation.

This is one-pot comfort cooking at its finest! A new twist on the classic shepherd’s pie, this casserole is sure to become a favourite midweek meal.

This is a wonderfully versatile spice blend to have on hand when you’re looking to add an exotic touch to your next meal. Sweet, savoury, and spicy all at once, it means “head of the shop,” implying that it is a store’s best spice blend.

Perch in the pan is a freshwater delight: low in fat and calories and rich with selenium, it is deliciously simple to prepare. Although the filets are small, their flavour is sweet and the price is reasonable enough to make it enjoyable on a regular basis.

This smoothie is really a cross between iced green tea and a green tea milkshake. If it isn’t sweet enough for your tastebuds, add another 1 to 2 Tbsp (15 to 30 mL) agave nectar. Matcha green tea powder is the entire green tea leaf that has been ground to a very fine consistency, resulting in higher concentrations of antioxidants. It is used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony and added to ice cream and sweets.

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

These rich chocolate mousse cups contain no sugar but offer a whole lot of satisfying sweetness from monk fruit, a natural plant-based sweetener. Not only that, but they are egg free by using aquafaba whipped up into fluffy stiffness. The result is a light, airy, and most definitely chocolatey mousse which is paired with the perfect partner—ginger and vanilla poached pears.

This woodsy, one-pan meal feels like something you’d cook over an open fire—but comes together easily on the stovetop. The pine needles infuse the fish with a gentle, woodsy aroma, balanced by buttery potatoes, tender kale, and a bright, winey broth. If pine boughs aren’t within reach, feel free to substitute a mixture of other evergreen herbs as the base of this dish.

This smoothie is more proof that green is the colour of health. It’s often overlooked, but subzero spinach is a great addition to smoothies, as the freezing process helps lock in nutrients. Soft tofu adds extra protein without making the drink taste beany, while hemp hearts are a good source of beneficial omega fats. If you want a sweeter smoothie, you can blend in some honey.

When sweater weather arrives, a cold smoothie may not be what you crave. So turn up the temperature and whirl together this mixture to beat the chill.

Serves 4

For this recipe, it’s best to use the coconut milk that is available in Tetra Paks or cartons in the refrigerator section of most grocers. Extra cooked black rice can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.

When cooking grains such as millet, try simmering them in different liquids such as apple cider for a variety of flavour twists.

You can also use quinoa, kamut, or wheat flakes for this porridge. Reheat leftovers in a saucepan with a small amount of additional water or milk.

This is like a grilled cheese sandwich, but for breakfast. Made with whole grain bread instead of white bread and filled with fruit instead of sugary jam, it is a low glycemic index food, meaning it will help keep your child full until lunchtime. 

In Hindi, “chai” means simply a cup of tea with milk and sugar. There are so many variations that an entire book could be written on ways to make chai. Vij’s chai goes very well with Indian desserts or as an after-dinner drink in place of dessert.

For outstanding performance in taste and nutrition the Oscar goes to–blueberries! These sweet, blue treats are rightfully occupying preferred status on the nutritional red carpet. For getting health-enhancing antioxidant protection in your bowl, you can’t do better than eating blueberries.

Dry ingredients:

3/4 cup (180 mL) almond flour
1/4 cup (60 mL) kamut, spelt, or whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp (45 mL) honey
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder
1 Tbsp (45 mL) applesauce
1 Tbsp (15 mL) butter, melted
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh or frozen blueberries, preferably wild

Lamb is a cross-cultural meat. Globally, it’s the second most popular animal protein after goat. During Christmas, it’s the Middle Eastern choice of entrée for a celebratory meal. We’ve paired it with truffle-scented whipped potatoes for a delicious twist. Preorder boneless lamb loin from your local butcher, allowing for a minimum of 24 hours. Know your source. Look for locally raised, organic, grass-fed lamb raised humanely and for optimal quality.

Make-ahead tips

• Cook and whip potatoes ahead. Refrigerate or freeze. To reheat, place in metal bowl over large pot of simmering water. Stir to thaw, then when piping hot, whip with whisk to return texture to creamy, whipped potatoes.
• Sauté mushrooms; stir in olives. Cool and store in tightly covered container overnight. Warm in reduced stock before serving.
• If serving with beets, roast unpeeled beets a day ahead and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, peel, cut into wedges, and reheat (uncovered) in oven alongside lamb.

This one-pan dish is the perfect combination of caramelized vegetables, tender lentils, and juicy pomegranate seeds, all drizzled with an addictive lemon sauce. You can use canned, drained lentils instead of dried, but if you start boiling dried lentils before you chop the vegetables, it’ll take about the same amount of time as using canned in the end. Feel free to punch up the vinaigrette with 1/2 tsp (2 mL) minced fresh ginger, garlic, or Dijon mustard. Time-saving and big-batch baking Freeze any leftovers or double the recipe and freeze in a freezer-safe, oven-safe casserole dish. To reheat, bake from frozen in preheated 375 F (190 C) oven for about 30 minutes, until hot. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Shopping local If COVID-19 has taught us anything about food security, it’s that buying local matters. Buying local means being less dependent on imports. More money stays in the local economy and can be directed into public services, including hospitals and schools, via taxes. And on the environmental side, while Canada has plenty of large-scale monocrop farms, by supporting small-scale organic farms you’ll help encourage biodiversity, improve soil quality, and put your money where your mouth is by supporting a model of sustainable agriculture for future generations.

Here’s a delicious vegan dish that’s perfect for heart health and a Valentine’s dinner. Red kuri squash hails from Japan and has brilliant orange flesh. And the skin is edible too! It’s not such a struggle to cut, and the flavour almost has a buttery nutty overtone. We paired it with a filling made of powerful nutrients that will keep your cardio ticking well.