Food

Worthy of a special occasion, but easy enough to pull off on a weekday, time-friendly pork tenderloin is used for a stunning plated dish to add to your winter meal plan. Roasted with a maple mustard smear, and adorning a wintery pilaf of Brussels sprouts, rice, and seasonal fruit, it’s a perfect pork dinner that will have diners reaching for seconds.

Roasting technique

New baby potatoes, also known as creamers, are so satisfying. They’re easy to prepare because you don’t have to peel them. Simply said, they roast or cook in an instant. These little babes are sweeter than big potatoes because their sugar content hasn’t converted to starch. Just rinse and scrub off any marks. Toss them with handfuls of fresh greens such as garden-fresh arugula and you have a delicious meal in practically minutes. Tip: Depending on what gardens are growing, pick from baby yellow, red, blue, purple, or fingerling potatoes. Or mix them up to create your own colourful and flavourful dish. Tip: Switch it up and substitute baby spinach leaves for arugula. Delicious served as a side dish with salmon fillet.

This marriage of nutritional superstars is sure to bowl you over with fresh flavours, great textural contrasts, and visual appeal. Not just for the birds, millet has great corny flavour, and cooking it in cilantro water is a way to make it even better with extra herby taste. To make each bowl shine even brighter green, you can swap out black beans for edamame or lima beans. It can also become vegetarian by swapping out chicken for cubes of smoked tofu. Serve the bowls for lunch or dinner.

Pile It On

After-school snacks offer an opportunity to add important nutrients to a child’s diet and also to curb appetites until the dinner bell rings. Peanut butter anoints hummus with a kid-approved flavour profile (and some extra protein) making this healthy dip something that little legs will run home for. Possible dippers include apple wedges, baby carrots, sliced red pepper, celery, and baked tortilla chips. It can also be spread on brown rice cakes.

Kids in action

Gravlax is a traditional Scandinavian preparation of fish, cured with seasonings and dill, resulting in deliciously velvety flesh. In this version, beets bring earthy, sweet flavour and bright, bold colour to cured Arctic char. The cured char should be used within five days. Substitute salmon or rainbow trout for the char if you like.

More ways with cured char

• Stir together cream cheese with chopped herbs and lemon zest, spread on rye crackers, and top with slices of cured fish.
• Fold into soft scrambled eggs or add finely chopped pieces to devilled eggs.
• Use in place of smoked mackerel in the Mackerel Potato Egg Salad recipe.
• Try it with cooked linguini.
• Smash avocado on toast and top with slices of cured char and microgreens.

Buttery fettuccine noodles, dubbed “alfredo,” laced with Parmesan and butter have been a fixture in Italian cuisine since 1914. Over the years, it became popular in America and increasingly richer with the addition of cream and eggs. Today, there’s a reversal stirring as people search for plant alternatives to rich, creamy dishes without compromising flavour. Enter a truly vegan pasta chock full of creamy garlicky flavour. The silky smooth tofu sauce coupled with garlic and cashew cheese is a delicious vegan alternative with the rich essence of traditional alfredo pasta.

Tip

I almost accidentally discovered how good cabbage is roasted. I’d been looking at broiled cabbage recipes online, but they were all for big wedges of cabbage (which seemed too time-consuming for an everyday recipe). Instead, I sliced my cabbage really thin, like a slaw, and roasted it spread thinly over a large baking sheet. Since that moment, it’s been on repeat in our house! The heat changes the cabbage into something much sweeter and full of umami, and the small pieces of lemon add a surprising, aromatic burst to every few bites. I started adding in cooked chickpeas or tofu to make it into a simple weekday meal (a combo that’s amazing wedged with avocado in a tortilla!). Since it’s so easy to make and tastes good cold, it’s great for bento too.

Just as lavender grows alongside thyme and rosemary, it is often included with these herbs in the French dried herb mix called herbes de Provence, a classic seasoning for lamb. This recipe gets a double dose of lavender by using it first in a similarly inspired fresh herb rub to season lamb prior to cooking and then with the addition of a blueberry jus amped up with fragrant lavender. Dried lavender works best in this recipe; find it in your local specialty grocery and make sure to look for products marked “culinary grade.”

This virtuous salad is reminiscent of what you’d be served at a well-reviewed bistro. The process of oven-blasting the vegetables serves to intensify their naturally occurring flavours by drawing out excess moisture, leaving behind a new, and improved, concentrated taste. And when caramelized veggies are paired with lacy greens, silky poached egg, and a mustard-forward dressing, you have a salad that wins. For a special finishing touch, garnish egg with a pinch of smoked salt.

This lovely open-faced sandwich is at once earthy, bright, briny, and fruity. Combining garden-fresh carrots and raspberries not only provides a great flavour profile but also delivers a good dose of anti-inflammatory properties. Also, feel free to play around with the herbs in this recipe. Be inspired by the soft herbs growing in your garden to make this recipe your own.

Nothing against romaine, but you’ve never met a better, brighter riff on the classic Caesar than with this raw broccoli and kale twist. They can stand up to the creamy dressing, so there’s no reason you can’t make this crowd-pleaser well in advance. Dare we say the salad gets better with time—the dressing will continue to tenderize the leaves without turning them soggy. Lacinato (dinosaur) kale is better suited for this salad than tougher and more fibrous curly kale, but the latter will work in a pinch. Crispy chunks of seeds offer an upgrade to croutons.

Egg bites are a delicious and convenient way to get some protein in the mornings. These ones get an extra nutrition boost with antioxidant-rich sweet potato and spinach. Using grated sweet potato ensures all of the ingredients cook evenly during the baking time. Once you’ve made these—and tasted their goodness—they’ll become an easy addition to your breakfast repertoire.

Brussels sprouts are an autumn staple in our family, and this version offers the added zing of lemon juice and lemon zest. Sautéing Brussels sprouts gives them a caramelized flavour and maintains a crispy texture, while the toasted pistachios add a layer of nutty crunch to every bite. Plus, these nutritious little cabbages are a great source of vitamins C and K and fibre!

The inspiration here is Greek Salad―but on a stick. We’ve added some savoury lemony garlic chicken packed with flavour so it’s delicious served cold. These skewers are packed full of veggies, which makes them easy to modify for those with dietary preferences. Just leave off the feta or the chicken for those who prefer veggies only. And while they’re delicious as is, the inclusion of a tzatziki-style dip adds an extra zing. To keep things on schedule, cook the chicken the day before or early in the morning of your picnic.

These burgers are hearty and slightly sweet with mild Indian spices. For quick and easy assembly, prepare the rice and sweet potato ahead of time. Sweet potatoes cook easily in a microwave in about six minutes. The burgers are delicious served in a bun or on their own topped with mango chutney, pickled red onions, and chives. They also make a fun appetizer, slider-sized, atop a toasted mini pita or bun. As an added bonus, these burgers freeze very well. Make a batch or two, eat some now, and freeze the rest for later.

Puréed cooked cauliflower has a velvety texture that produces deliciously creamy soups. This Asian-influenced version is sure to leave bowls empty quickly. The cilantro oil adds restaurant-worthy visual appeal. For a splash of added colour and extra flavour, use orange cauliflower if available.

Glean inspiration from Nordic cuisine with this nutritious and lovely tasting stew, which can be put on the table with little effort. Using evaporated milk adds creamy richness with fewer calories than heavy cream. For a nice textural contrast, break rye crisps into the stew.

Makes 12 rolls

Asian chicken salads have permeated the menus of many family restaurants. While the name is deceptively healthy, generous extras such as fried noodles and sodium-tsunami dressings make these salads less nutritional. This healthier incarnation swaps out ho-hum chicken for buttery salmon served on a bed of perfectly dressed vegetables. You can also prepare the salmon on the grill for added summer flair.

This dish provides an endless supply of nutrients. For eyes, nose, and taste buds, it’s mild enough with just a hint of smoky flavour, yet soothing to the stomach because it’s minus the spicy and typically fatty chorizo and crushed red peppers. Add some cooked julienned organic chicken or a few wild prawns if you have a craving for an extra boost of protein.

Most people drown their quinoa in too much water or stock when cooking. Check out the best way to retain the nuttiness of the grain following the method below. Add a few grilled ingredients, nuts, and fresh herbs, and it’s a powerhouse dish that covers all the bases for a healthy cancer-fighting meal.

A hint of lime on chicken kabobs is what really makes this dish pop. Served on basmati rice or tucked into warm bread with assorted toppings, it’s a recipe designed to please all palates.