Food

1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) onion, diced
1 cup (250 mL) celery, diced
3/4 cup (180 mL) carrots, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2 mL) sea salt
Ground black pepper to taste
3/4 to 1 tsp (4 to 5 mL) curry powder
1 tsp (5 mL) paprika
1/4 tsp (1 mL) dried thyme
2 cups (500 mL) dry red lentils
3 cups (750 mL) vegetable stock
4 to 4 1/2 cups (l to 1.1 L) water
2 1/2 tsp (12 mL) fresh rosemary, chopped
2 1/2 Tbsp (37 mL) apple cider vinegar

The word sushi doesn’t actually refer to raw fish but to a boiled rice dish flavoured with vinegar. Hence sushi doesn’t have to contain fish.

A spoonful of jarred pesto, curry powder or paste, crushed garlic or ginger, or a shot of Tabasco stirred into the buttermilk will add subtle flavour to your finished chicken. Panko is available at Asian markets and gourmet stores as well as some grocery stores.

This salad is a one bowler; throw all ingredients into one bowl, toss, and go. You do need 2 cups (500 mL) cooked leftover rice, so make some extra the night before. Store the leftovers in the fridge for the salad.

Combining nutrient-dense watercress with heart-healthy avocados and lycopene-rich ruby red grapefruit make this salad a winner in more than just the taste department. Pack this healthy salad for your next picnic.

While flank is leaner than T-bone or prime rib, this marinade ensures you won’t miss the quintessential steak flavour.

This classic steakhouse appetizer has been given a healthy makeover by baking instead of deep frying.

Great as a steak sidekick, baked sweet potato fries save you plenty of calories and offer up hefty amounts of the antioxidant beta carotene. (pictured with Lemon Tofu Cheesecake, Caesar Salad, Herbed Sweet Potato Fries, and Baked Coconut Shrimp with Apricot Dipping Sauce)

2 yellow onions, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups (1 L) tomatoes, chopped
Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste
1 cup (250 mL) basil leaves

No time or energy to cook? This simple but flavourful dish is comfort food, Italian-style.

Use the best olive oil you can get your hands on for maximum flavour, says David Rocco. This whole grain salad works well warm or cold.

A foolproof way to make crowd-pleasing rice.

A classic that’s equally delicious with tuna, shrimp, mackerel, mahi-mahi, sea bass, flounder, and sole. Wild Pacific salmon is a less contaminated, more eco-friendly choice than farmed salmon.

Smoked trout and mackerel are good stand-ins for salmon. Choose wild Pacific salmon rather than farmed.

Slender apple wedges soak up the maple-ginger sauciness from the pork. Cooking apples such as Honeycrisp, Jonagold, or Golden Delicious work well here.

Apples, cheese, and leafy greens are the mainstay here—but feel free to add olive oil croutons, pickled onions or beets, or slivers of cooked chicken or turkey. Use Pink Lady, Empire, or Gala apples for their fresh, explosive flavours.

Tender soba noodles combined with meaty shiitake mushrooms, crisp snow peas, and a vibrant sauce flavoured with lime, ginger, garlic, and toasted sesame oil. Zesty, fragrant, healthy, and entirely delicious!

An upscale salad that is simple to make and always gets raves from company. The dressing alone is so wonderful you’ll want to double it and serve it over baby greens just for you.

If the thought of cooking the big bird makes you want to head for the hills, why not try the smaller cousin of the poultry family? Good old reliable chicken—make it organic and free-range, the lifestyle makes the chicken taste much better.

The black beans marry well with the vegetables and spices in what can only be described as a chili that warms even if the weather outside is frightful.

Roasted squash is a great alternative to potatoes. Eat it by itself, as a side, or add it to a salad or risotto.

You won’t miss the pasta with this savoury spaghetti squash dish.

Steaming fish in parchment paper packages keeps it juicy and moist. While the fish cooks, prepare the coleslaw.