Food

Our tasty tart is the quintessential harbinger of spring with its new asparagus and spring leeks. All tucked into a flaky crust with tiny tomatoes and sprinkled with pine nuts, it’s a delicious meatless alternative for the vegetarian palate.

Fresh baby carrots are beginning to surface this month. They’re especially delicious eaten fresh from the garden. However, if you’re looking to sip a soothing bowl with healing spices, simmering young carrots in a lovely broth really delivers. We added nutty-tasting wild rice to up the protein quotient along with added fibre, potassium, and zinc.

Broccoli rabe, also called rapini or Chinese broccoli in Asian markets, hits peak season in early spring. Its pronounced bitter taste is tamed somewhat with cooking. This elegant plant-based recipe proves that overcooked vegetables are sometimes a good thing.

Together, arugula pesto and hazelnuts add a whisper of bitterness to this dish that offers a fresh take on pasta night to welcome spring. Tossing chickpeas into the mix adds some satiating plant-based protein. If orecchiette pasta is not available, other shaped noodles such as penne work as stand-ins.

Within each bowl is a delightful play of flavours and textures with curly endive (sometimes labelled chicory) and the tahini-turmeric sauce delivering just the right amount of bitter punch. All the elements of this dish can be prepared ahead of time for a quick toss for lunch or dinner, but keep everything separated until just before serving.

These pillowy little gnocchi are delicious with just about any sauce. We’ve made them with rutabaga so they’re full of healthy vitamins, then paired them with saffron-laced salmon and thyme. Absolutely scrumptious. Coupled with pucker-up lemon and dill, it’s a sensational blend of flavours.

A little blend of “N’awlins” with Tuscany makes this spicy cauliflower steak platter a hearty dish. We tempered the southern heat with fresh spinach and tomatoes. And then scattered it with cooling goat cheese and a little added crunch of pine nuts. Beautiful colours with amazing flavours, it’s delicious paired with fresh tomato soup.

These hearty wraps are perfect for either lunch or supper. And they can even be made ahead. The combo of a Mexican-style wrap coupled with Korean flavours is a win-win. Plus, it provides gut-healthy kimchi. We’ve chosen black beans for our wrap, but feel free to sub in some cooked shredded chicken or crumbled plain tempeh—it’s all delicioso!

This all-in-one recipe has a lot going for it. It brings together a myriad of flavours and textures to awaken your palate, but it also might just bring a smile to your face. The salmon in this recipe packs a punch of omega-3 fatty acids, which research has shown can improve your overall mood.

This is one of those recipes that defy categorization and could easily be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Sweet potato is one of the best natural sources of carbohydrates, which can help improve your mood as it promotes the production of serotonin, a feel-good brain chemical. The vitamin D found in fortified eggs is necessary for many of your body’s important functions, and it may also help improve your mood.

Vegetable steaks have become very popular lately and for good reason. They’re a perfectly comforting meal during chilly winter days. This recipe takes advantage of lentils and their abundance of folic acid. It has been shown that getting enough folic acid in our diet not only aids in the optimal function of our bodies but might also help maintain a more positive mood.

This creamy soup combines fresh and sun-dried tomatoes to add a depth of flavor. Be sure your nondairy milk is plain and unsweetened to use in this savory bisque.

This healthier take on a soul-food tradition can be served as a side dish or, as shown here, it can become a hearty main dish with the optional addition of cooked beans and served on a bed of cooked rice. Note: If you are adding the optional Scotch bonnet chili, be sure to use gloves when handling it.

Gumbo is Southern comfort food that’s packed with flavor. Many vegan versions have beans, but the jackfruit in this version gives it a nice hearty texture that absorbs the strong flavors from the spices. Shiitake mushrooms give it the umami flavor. Serve with corn bread or whole-wheat crackers.

Consider this easy, breezy recipe a little bit of comfort food with Latin flair for a howling winter night. Nutritious pumpkin seeds are an ideal thickener for the bright sauce. And you can transform the dish into taco night by slicing the cooked chicken and stuffing into warmed corn tortillas and then dolloping on the sauce.