Food

Serves 6 Infusing these burgers with creamy goats’ cheese and adorning them with a lively pesto solves the concern that lentil burgers are always too, well, earthy. In lieu of zucchini, other good vegetable topping options include tomato, cucumber and/or barbecued eggplant slices. 1 1/4 cup (310 ml) dried green lentils 3 cups (750 ml) baby spinach 1/2 cup (125 ml) flat-leaf parsley 2 Tbsp (40 ml) extra-virgin olive oil Juice of 1/2 lemon 2 garlic cloves, crushed, divided 1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt, divided 1/2 cup (125 ml) wheatgerm or ground flaxseed 120 g soft goats’ cheese, crumbled 1/3 cup (80 ml) chopped walnuts 1 1/2 Tbsp (30 ml) balsamic vinegar 3 tsp (15 ml) Dijon mustard 3/4 tsp (4 ml) ground cumin 1/4 tsp (1 ml) black pepper 2 medium-sized zucchini Sprouts or micro-greens (optional) 6 organic wholegrain buns (optional) Place lentils in medium-sized saucepan with 4 cups (1 L) water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 25 minutes. Drain lentils and set aside to cool. As lentils are cooling, place spinach and parsley in food processor container and pulse until well chopped. Add olive oil, lemon juice, 1 garlic clove and 1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt to container and blend until well combined, wiping down sides as needed. Set aside. Add lentils to food processor container and pulse until most of the lentils have broken down but are not completely smooth. Add remaining garlic, remaining salt, wheatgerm or flaxseed, goats’ cheese, walnuts, balsamic vinegar, mustard, cumin and black pepper; pulse until well combined. Form mixture into 6 equal-sized patties. Slice zucchini in half along their width. Stand the 4 halves upright and slice each into 4 or 5 thin slices. Preheat barbecue to medium. Brush burgers and zucchini slices with oil. Cook burgers for 4 minutes per side, or until they have developed a crispy crust. Cook zucchini slices until tender, flipping once, about 5 minutes. If using buns, heat them on the barbecue for 1 minute, or until toasted. Serve lentil burgers topped with spinach pesto, zucchini slices and sprouts or micro-greens, if using. Each serving contains: 1465 kilojoules; 18 g protein; 16 g total fat (4 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 35 g total carbohydrates (3 g sugars, 15 g fibre); 289 mg sodium source: "Vegie Burgers", alive Australia #18, Summer 2013

Dukkah is a nut and spice blend that has infinite possibilities in your recipe repertoire. Use it as a flavourful garnish, in vinaigrette, or as a crust for chicken or fish. Don’t have any pistachios on hand? Try using hazelnuts or pecans.

Homemade salad dressing should be an integral part of everyone’s cooking repertoire—the basic formula is easily adjusted based on what you have in the cupboard. The nutty flavour of pumpkin seed oil combines beautifully with peppery arugula.

Choose your favourite hearty grain bread and pile it high with this savoury mixture of mushrooms and leeks. Bright green watercress adds a peppery snap to this quick, light lunch or snack.

Fall is plenteous mushroom season. Mushrooms, both fresh and dried, are available all year round, but fall brings out the best of the best with a myriad of varieties. Whether you cook with fresh or dried, the healthy components of mushrooms provide a compendium of antioxidants, no matter what the season.  

This Mexican-Mediterranean hybrid dish gleans its tempered kick from parched ancho chilies, the dried form of poblano peppers known for their smoky quality and sweet to moderate heat. It’s a fantastic saucy, and comforting, appetizer or meal on its own. Serve with crusty bread to sop up every last bit of the red sauce, or spoon over cooked grain.

If you’re a fan of sardines and looking for a new way to incorporate them into your diet, these lemon-scented fishcakes are sure to satisfy. They’re tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. And for the timid, the strong “fishy” taste of canned sardines is subdued, especially when the patties are adorned with a vibrant tomato-red pepper sauce. You can store formed uncooked fishcakes in the fridge overnight. If needed, quick-cook oats can be used as a substitute for bread crumbs.

In Japan, it’s a custom to eat kabocha squash on the day of the winter solstice as a symbol of good health. In fact, kabocha squash contains cancer-fighting antioxidants such as beta carotene and lutein. It’s also full of fibre and vitamins A and C. We’ve made a roasted version dressed in a sweet and tangy marinade that’s sprinkled with sesame seeds before roasting in the oven. The remaining marinade, full of ginger, tamari, and red pepper flakes, is used as a dressing to further flavour the squash.

Beans, squash, and corn are known as the “three sisters” and are a key part of the diet of centenarians in the region of Nicoya, Costa Rica. These breakfast bowls draw on those reliable sisters with a nod to the Costa Rican dish gallo pinto, a mixture of rice and beans, spiked with cilantro, often eaten alongside scrambled eggs. We've topped these bowls with a fried egg instead, but the choice is yours.

A big pot of chili is the perfect batch-cooking project, as everything is prepared in one pan and leftovers become even more flavourful. Here, butternut squash forms the base of a sumptuous sauce, while plenty of beans and veggies pack each bowlful with big-time texture. You can make it vegan by swapping out the turkey for a couple blocks of crumbled tempeh.

Deep freeze

A little bit of cooking and a high-speed blender is all that’s required for this delicious soup. The mild flavours of asparagus mingled with fresh sweet peas, sautéed garlic, and a hint of mint and lemon bring a medley of savoury, sweet, aromatic, and fresh together in one bowl.

DIY lemon-infused olive oil

3 cups (750 mL) mashed potatoes
2 cups (500 mL) cooked dino kale, chopped
1 large beaten egg
4 oz (125 g) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Fresh grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

I resisted the urge to include a chopped salad recipe in each of the seasons, even though I love them so much. They are both hearty and fresh and are a good use of some pantry staples. This recipe starts with salami cooked until crisp and then sautéed with chickpeas and spices to add a warm, soft crunch.

A descendant of the doner kebab, a Turkish dish made with sliced meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, shawarma is a popular street food with Middle Eastern provenance. This shortcut version of chicken shawarma skips the long marinating and roasting time and relies, instead, on seasoned roasted poultry that is stuffed into greens, instead of pita, to keep it tasting extra fresh. Served topped with a herby yogurt sauce, it makes a satisfying meal any day of the week. Both ras el hanout and za’atar are available in many Middle Eastern markets.

Fairly easy to catch and blessed with great texture and delicious flavour, lake perch has long been a cherished ice fishing prize. It cooks in a flash under the oven broiler, and when stuffed into tortillas along with punchy pickled vegetables and creamy avocado sauce, you have the makings of a tasty taco night as a fitting reward for a long day on the ice.

Other fish to try

I ate so many instant noodle meals as a university student—back then I had no idea I could make my own wholesome version in minutes! Thin, dry rice vermicelli rehydrates quickly in hot water, so just place the noodles dry in a heatproof container and add a delicious miso paste and ginger soup base, plus raw veggies (you can use any veggie as long as it’s thinly sliced or grated). When you’re ready to eat, it’s just like the original—pour boiling hot water over, wait a few minutes, and then slurp down your warm instant noodle soup.

STAY READY

These taco-inspired lettuce wraps are full of vibrant flavour tempered by subtle heat, all topped off with a zingy tomatillo salsa. Shredding the chicken helps to make a small quantity of chicken feed a crowd, and the texture pairs well with the light wrapper. The bright salsa features heart-healthy tomatillos, which contain phytochemicals called withanolides, which studies have found can help inhibit cancer cell growth.

Bet you’ve never considered making breakfast or Sunday brunch on the grill. Consider cooking your egg-soaked bread over flames as a way to coax even more flavour out of brag-worthy French toast. You can also use slices of brioche bread and whatever fruit happens to be in season. Of course, nobody could fault you for topping it all off with a drizzle of maple syrup. If you want it dairy free, you can use dairy alternatives such as oat milk and coconut yogurt.

3 Tbsp (45 mL) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (60 mL) honey
3 Tbsp (45 mL) dessert mead
4 pears, pitted and halved
1/4 cup (60 mL) sliced almonds

Several years ago, some dear friends and I spent a week in Oaxaca, Mexico, eating and marveling at the artistry and community of that incredible place. On one of the days during our visit, we took a mole class. The day started at the market, gathering our many ingredients, and then, back at the place where we were staying, we started a fire to toast the chiles and spices on the unfinished terra-cotta comal, a round cooking griddle that can be used directly over a fire. The smoke was filled with spice, and soon the sesame seeds were popping. I’ve taken the essence of what I learned in that class and pared it down just enough so that it can be made in much less time while still maintaining the integrity of the complex flavors mole is known for.

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.

Sandwiches are a picnic essential, but these ones have a bit of a twist. These uncomplicated sandwiches are fresh and full of flavour made extra special with homemade flatbread studded with fragrant nigella seeds. The chickpea filling is dressed with olive oil, pomegranate molasses, honey, and chili crisp for a delicious and unexpected flavour that belies the simplicity of the preparation. You can find chili crisp in Asian or specialty grocery stores.

Pad Thai is one of the dishes that first comes to mind among Canadians when thinking of Thai cuisine. Sadly, most North American restaurant versions are little more than a big plate of uninspiring saucy noodles. A good pad Thai will be a medley of carefully matched ingredients that combine to create a plateful of sweet, sour, and salty flavours. If your wok or skillet is small, you may need to make this recipe in two batches.

Growing up in California, one of my favourite meals was scrambled eggs with Mexican chorizo sausage. Now I enjoy tempeh “chorizo” crumbled into scrambled tofu every bit as much. The “chorizo” can be made up ahead and frozen, then browned, crumbled, and added to recipes, rather than eaten on its own like a sausage patty—delicious in tacos, burritos, quiches, and empanadas. 8 oz (230 g) tempeh 1 tsp (5 mL) dark sesame oil 1 tsp (5 mL) extra-virgin olive oil 4 oz (115 g) firm tofu, mashed 2 Tbsp (30 mL) red wine vinegar 1 1/2 Tbsp (22 mL) low-sodium soy sauce 1 1/2 Tbsp (22 mL) cornmeal 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp (10 mL) paprika or sweet smoked paprika (pimenton) 2 tsp (10 mL) mashed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or chipotle or ancho chili powder (see sidebar below) 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) brown sugar 1 tsp (5 mL) onion powder 3/4 tsp (4 mL) dried oregano 3/4 tsp (4 mL) ground cumin 3/8 tsp (1.8 mL) cinnamon 1/4 tsp (1 mL) fine salt Cut tempeh into 1/2 in (1.25 cm) cubes. Heat oils over medium-high heat in medium seasoned cast iron skillet. When oils are hot, but not smoking, add tempeh and brown on all sides. Transfer browned tempeh to medium shallow bowl. Mash tempeh roughly with fork or potato masher. Add remaining ingredients to bowl. Mix everything together well with clean hands. Form into 8 small patties. Place patties in steamer basket or rack lined with cooking parchment. Steam, covered, over gently boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove patties to plate and cool. Wrap well and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Patties can also be frozen on plate and, when fully frozen, placed in airtight container and frozen for future meals. To brown before using in a recipe, cook patties in covered cast iron skillet, greased with a little olive or dark sesame oil, over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side. Makes 8 patties or 4 servings. Each serving (2 patties) contains: 174 calories; 14 g protein; 10 g total fat (2 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 11 g carbohydrates; 6 g fibre; 353 mg sodium