Food

Give veggies and dip a punch of protein with this savoury white bean dip. Roasted garlic gives this dip a mellow but rich flavour. The vegetables can be changed up according to the season, but don’t skip the beautiful Belgian endives. Their slightly bitter flavour makes an excellent contrast to the slightly sweet dip, and they work as a built-in scoop. Make-ahead dip This is a great dip for making in advance. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. However, before serving, allow it to come up to room temperature. This will accentuate the rich flavour.

Our beetroot hummus has plenty of eye appeal. With a healthy dose of beans, it satisfies any nighttime snack attack. And it’s so pretty, it’s bound to lure even the pickiest of eaters. Packed full of healthy nutrients and an excellent source of fibre from the cannellini beans, this dip is excellent as an appetizer as well as a full-meal deal. Share the pretty Heading into the festive party season, this brightly coloured hummus becomes a star attraction on any buffet table. Double up the recipe and spread out onto a shallow platter, tucking snap peas, cucumber sticks, and assorted sweet peppers all around. Scatter with microgreen toppings and voila! No time? No problem No time to bake fresh beets? Pick up a couple of 14 oz (398 mL) cans of diced beets. Drain thoroughly and blot dry. Use in place of baked and peeled beetroot. Reserve a few diced beets for garnish if you wish.

Next stop, Asia! This shrimp burger combines classic Asian flavours with unique toppings for rich umami flavour with the saltiness of the ocean. Whether served on a bun or over rice in a more traditional Asian-style meal, try some unique miso yogurt or wasabi mayo dressing for a fabulous flavour bomb. Keep those burgers juicy Place raw patties on a plate or tray, and cover and freeze or refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes to keep them together and to lock in moisture.

The brilliant orange of sweet potatoes blended with black beans and Indian spices create a perfect warming dish for January. But its tremendous eye appeal provides more than just looks. The flavour and nutritional benefits contribute a wealth of antioxidants that will protect your body from chronic disease. Any bean’ll do We used black beans for a visual punch, but any bean, lentil, or legume will make a great substitute. And if dried beans are your preference, soak overnight, drain, and cook in a large saucepan with enough water to cover by 3 in (8 cm). Then add to cooked potato.

These burgers have an addictively crispy outside and are soft and chewy inside, with plenty of protein from cooked black beans. You can use commercial gluten-free panko or bread crumbs or make your own by grinding a few pieces of bread in a food processor. You can also replace panko with bought or homemade almond meal. To make it yourself, simply grind whole peeled almonds or almond slivers to a coarse powder. This makes a big batch of burgers, so freeze any ungrilled patties on plates or baking sheets so they don’t stick together and then transfer them to freezer-safe containers. To cook from frozen,  bake for 30 minutes at 375 F (190 C) then broil for a few minutes on each side to crisp exterior.

A warming winter taco meal is everyone’s favourite. Our delicious hummus made from heart-healthy lima beans and spinach is an excellent way to fill up on healthy plant proteins. Lima beans help lower cholesterol and provide heathy fibre. Coupled with a medley of diced veggies, it becomes an über-healthy crowd pleaser!

This taco riff proves that a salad can come together to create a meal substantial enough to satisfy a hungry man. Both the pork and herby dressing can be prepared up to two days in advance. If desired, chicken or steak can stand in for pork. To make it vegetarian, simply omit the meat and bump up the amount of beans. Stack it up This salad can also be the star of the office break room. To bring it along for your lunch, simply layer your ingredients in wide-mouth jar. Place dressing in bottom of jar and then top with pork, beans, cheese, tomato, avocado, mango, salad greens, onion, and finally tortilla chips. Seal jar shut and keep chilled until ready to eat.

Adolescent girls and young women have an increased need for iron-rich foods. And enhancing vitamin C consumption is essential for optimal iron absorption. Our iron-rich pasta dish is a simple and tasty dish that scores on all levels. With the combination of tomatoes, clams, and parsley, it’s the perfect marriage for an iron-clad, vitamin C meal.

Here, cauliflower is roasted with a medley of spices to create depth of flavor and warmth. It pairs especially well with the black beans, but you could swap in chickpeas or cannellini beans instead if you want to change things up.

This cheerful yellow soup not only has plenty of eye appeal, but it’s also delicious served hot or cold, making it über versatile as well. As with all bell peppers, these yellow beauties are chock full of vitamin C—four times more than a medium orange. Tip An excellent way to develop an especially creamy soup in place of potato is adding canned white beans such as kidney or navy beans. Puréed with soup ingredients, it becomes silky smooth while adding essential fibre to your diet.

If green is the colour of health, then this artfully prepared verdant salad is the fountain of youth. Vinegary peppers, ribbons of tender seasonal asparagus, crunchy greens, and a herby dressing for a creamy finish all team up to add layers of deliciousness. How to achieve creamy green goddess dressing minus the dairy? Look no further than avocado; when teamed up with punchy herbs, avocado creates a luscious dressing that will elevate salads of all stripes. You can also use it as a dip or strewn over taco fillings and grain bowls. For extra protein, you can include a sliced hard-boiled egg in the salad. Tip To pack this salad for nourishment away from home, reach for a wide-mouth jar. Simply place avocado dressing in the bottom of jars and then top with your vegetables, beans, lettuce, and nuts. Seal shut and chill for up to 3 days. Nutrition boost Beans, avocado, and vegetables make this salad a fibre powerhouse that helps feed the billions of bacteria in our guts. The latest scientific theory is that eating more dietary fibre indirectly bolsters our health by keeping the beneficial bugs in our guts happy, and that means our digestive and immune systems remain in good working order.

Don’t be surprised if this dessert gets you a few extra smooches. While the chocolate mousse is delicious on its own, the extra flourishes make it truly special. Feel free to substitute any type of bean aquafaba if you don’t have a can of black beans on hand. Tip Don’t discard scraped-out vanilla pods—they still contain a lot of flavour. In airtight container, place the pod and 1/2 cup (125 mL) coconut sugar. Shake, and set aside for a week, shaking occasionally. Your patience will be rewarded with the loveliest vanilla-scented sugar to use however your heart desires.

Arame is a dark brown Japanese sea veg sold as long, wiry strands that are rich in dietary fibre. Its mild flavour makes arame one of the most versatile seaweeds and a great addition to salads and soups, as it won’t overpower other ingredients. Each spoonful of this nourishing guise of minestrone is sheer comfort. Tips This soup will thicken upon resting, so stir in additional broth when simmering leftovers. Rehydrated and chopped kombu or wakame can be used in lieu of arame, and other bean choices include cranberry, kidney, cannellini, or orca. Spill the beans In Asia, lightly sweet red aduzki beans are used in everything from soups to desserts. The legumes are also packed with a nutritional bounty including fibre, protein, and vital minerals. Soak dried aduzki beans overnight, and then simmer in a pot of water until tender, about 40 minutes.

Light in the backpack and easy to tote, these crispy chickpeas topping tossed greens are loaded with flavour and provide a delicious boost of energy. DIY chickpeas from scratch Soak dried beans in large bowl covered with several inches of water for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse well. Place chickpeas in large saucepan and cover with several inches of water. Bring to a boil. Cover, leaving lid ajar, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until chickpeas are as tender as you’d like. Season with salt only after cooking, as salt toughens beans during cooking. Tip Want to try something new? Substitute canned chickpeas with frozen, thawed edamame beans and follow the same steps to bake and dry. Tip Make a pot of tea and transfer it to a bottle. Freeze, then pack it with your salad to keep it fresh and you hydrated. The tea not only complements the roasted chickpea salad, but also boosts your antioxidants.

A delicious start to a day includes eating beans. Plant-based, naturally nutritious, and oodles of filling fibre—you’ll be satisfied all morning with this Mexican breakfast. DIY cooked beans Making your own beans from scratch is a healthy alternative and not that complicated. Soak overnight. Place in large saucepan with aromatics such as bay leaf, onion, garlic, and cumin. Cover with water at least 1 in (2.5 cm) above beans. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until as tender as you like. Drain. Season with salt after cooking.

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 To transport this recipe for workday lunches, pile ingredients into Mason-style glass jars. Simply divide sauce among 4 jars and then top with millet, chicken, beans, greens, and pumpkin seeds, in that order.

This is a veggie-powered, peanut-free version of the popular stir-fried Thai noodle dish. Experiment by preparing it with buckwheat noodles, black bean noodles, mung bean noodles, rice noodles or veggie noodles and a variety of veggies—but really, it’s all about the sauce here. Psst … If you have a sensitivity to wheat or gluten, make sure the ingredients in your buckwheat noodles don’t include wheat. While buckwheat is gluten free, many buckwheat noodles contain a combination of buckwheat and wheat flour. Get saucy Prepare extra sauce to season rice, kale and sautéed vegetables for a tasty veggie bowl. The sauce is also phenomenal as a dressing for salads. (No judgments from me if you lick the bowl.) Play with it Sometimes I’ll add a red bell pepper or mushrooms to this recipe. Feel free to skip the yellow squash and just use zucchini or vice versa. Instead of packaged noodles, make zucchini or yellow squash noodles.

Peaches and radishes introduce kids to the adage, “What grows together, goes together.” They can also learn about the different varieties of these foods. Kid-friendly kitchen jobs: Peeling peaches (if choosing to do so), stirring yogurt, mixing salsa, and building their own tacos. Kid-friendly food swaps: Substitute trout for black beans. It’s available at farmers’ markets across Canada and provides a sustainable choice for getting more omega-3s throughout the year. If your kids don’t like trout, use shrimp or chicken instead. Change your salsa with what’s in season at the farmers’ market. Grapes and cucumbers in fall or tomatoes and plums in late summer are just a couple of new ideas to try.

This vegetarian tray uses a handful of fresh ingredients and an economical pantry staple: white beans. Full of fibre and protein, this tray gets a touch of Moroccan zing when served with a garlicky, spiced yogurt perked up with orange. Tip: Roast sweet potatoes ahead of time and add kale and beans on top immediately before reheating for a meal that comes together in under 20 minutes. The spiced yogurt can be made up to one week ahead.

The velvet texture of avocado is pure heaven when blended with complementary ingredients. Avocado is a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, and fibre. Make a batch of this mayo on the weekend to enjoy throughout the week. Make it with mayo Serve Avocado Mayonnaise with baked yam fries bean salad whole grain toast carrot, cucumber, and celery sticks rice, bean, and vegetable bowls

With its heart-healthy benefits, the Mediterranean diet has long been touted as a smart and enjoyable way to eat. A typical meal is primarily made from vegetables, pulses (such as beans), whole grains and either lean meat or fish with a liberal dose of olive oil. The cooking moves quickly in this dish so it’s best to prep all ingredients before starting.

This soul-satisfying soup features an epicurean twist on the classic minestrone—protein rich quinoa replaces traditional macaroni. Packed with fresh vegetables and flavourful basil, served with crusty artisanal bread, this soup is a meal in itself. 1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, peeled and minced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 6 cups (1.5 L) low-sodium chicken or veggie stock 3/4 cup (180 mL) dry white wine 1/2 cup (125 mL) quinoa, well rinsed 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) lengths 2 cups (500 mL) canned white beans, drained and rinsed 2 large carrots, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 1/2 cup (125 mL) frozen petite peas 2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped 3 Tbsp (45 mL) chopped fresh basil Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Parmesan cheese, for garnish In large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. When garlic is fragrant, add stock, bringing it to a boil. When stock is boiling, lower heat to allow mixture to come to a simmer. Next add wine, quinoa, beans, and other vegetables and continue to simmer (covered) for 15 minutes. Add fresh basil and ground black pepper, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve with grated Parmesan cheese and crusty gluten-free or whole grain buns. Serves 6. Each serving contains: 314 calories; 16 g protein; 7 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 44 g total carbohydrates (9 g sugars, 8 g fibre); 394 mg sodium source: " Legume Love ", alive #388, February 2015

Serves 8 You may have more fun than your kids squishing these butternut squash, bean and cornflour burgers into patties. Roasting the butternut squash and cooking the beans from scratch are simple but time-consuming steps, so cook them in advance or on the weekend. With the beans and squash out of the way, the recipe takes only 35 minutes. 1 cup (250 ml) mashed butternut squash from 1 small roasted butternut squash 2 cups (500 ml) cooked or canned pinto or kidney beans, drained and rinsed 2 1/4 cups (560 ml) ground organic cornflour, divided 1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt 1/8 tsp (0.5 ml) pepper 1/2 tsp (2 ml) mustard powder, or 1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard 2 tsp (10 ml) maple syrup Pinch of cayenne pepper or chilli flakes (optional) To roast butternut squash, cut in half, scoop out seeds and place cut-side down on baking tray in 400 F (200 C) oven for 40 minutes, or until squash is softened. Scoop out flesh when cool. To cook beans (if using dried), soak in cold water for 8 hours or overnight. Then cook with at least 3 times as much water and 1 bay leaf in large pot for 35 minutes or in slow cooker on the low setting for 8 to 10 hours. Add leftover beans to salads or rice dishes, or toss with your favourite dressing or olive oil, salt and wine vinegar for a quick marinated bean salad. Blend butternut squash, beans, 2 cups (500 ml) cornflour, salt, pepper, mustard, maple syrup and cayenne or chilli flakes (if using) using immersion hand blender or food processor. Add more cornflour if batter is too sticky to roll. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Place remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) cornflour in small bowl. Line baking tray with baking paper or grease lightly with oil. Get your kids to help roll dough into 8 balls. Then roll balls in bowl of cornflour and place on baking tray. Now the fun part! Squish balls down with the palm of your hand into burgers, trying to make them similar in thickness so they bake in the same amount of time. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and flip burgers. Bake 10 minutes more. Serve on wholemeal buns with Sweet Maple Carrot and Cabbage Slaw and Quick Homemade Sauce. Each serving contains: 804 kilojoules; 6 g protein; 2 g total fat (0 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 39 g total carbohydrates (2 g sugars, 10 g fibre); 157 mg sodium Sweet Maple Carrot and Cabbage Slaw Serves 8 Kids can mix these ingredients together, and if they’re old and strong enough, they can grate the vegetables. 1/2 small red cabbage, grated or finely chopped 2 large carrots, peeled and grated or finely chopped 1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt 3 tsp (15 ml) maple syrup 1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar Toss grated cabbage and carrot in large bowl with salt, massaging salt into vegetables with hands for at least 3 minutes to get vegies to release their juices. Add maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. Toss once again (using tongs this time, as the vinegar is acidic). Each serving contains: 155 kilojoules; 1 g protein; 0 g total fat (0 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat) 9 g total carbohydrates (6 g sugars, 2 g fibre); 98 mg sodium Quick Homemade Sauce Serves 8 1 – 19 oz (540 ml) can whole or crushed tomatoes, drained 1 1/2 Tbsp (30 ml) honey 1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt 1/4 tsp (1 ml) allspice 1/8 tsp (0.5 ml) nutmeg 1/8 tsp (0.5 ml) pepper 1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar Purée drained tomatoes in blender. Pour into medium saucepan over medium heat and add remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to pastelike consistency, about 10 minutes. You’ll need to stir more often as tomato sauce reduces to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Taste and adjust seasonings. Each serving contains: 147 kilojoules; 1 g protein; 0 g total fat (0 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 8 g total carbohydrates (7 g sugars, 1 g fibre); 91 g sodium source: " Cooking with Kids ", alive Australia #22, Summer 2014

White spuds slathered with a slick of mayo are not very inspiring (or healthy!). Gussied up with sweet potato and black beans lightly coated in a smoky yogurt dressing, this adaptation is sure to become a favourite dish to serve at summer backyard soirees. Be sure to put out a dish of lime wedges for those who want a little more tang. 2 lbs (1 kg) sweet potato, cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) pieces 2 tsp (10 mL) grapeseed oil 3/4 cup (180 mL) plain Greek yogurt 1 garlic clove, minced 1 canned chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce, minced 1 tsp (5 mL) lime zest Juice of 1/2 lime 1/2 tsp (2 mL) cumin 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt 1/4 cup (60 mL) pumpkin seeds 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) cooked or canned black beans, drained and rinsed 1/4 cup (60 mL) cilantro Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Toss sweet potato with oil and spread out on baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 25 minutes, stirring once halfway. Meanwhile, whisk together yogurt, garlic, chipotle pepper, lime zest, lime juice, cumin, and salt in bowl. Heat skillet over medium heat and toast pumpkin seeds until golden and beginning to pop, about 3 minutes, shaking pan often. Place sweet potato and black beans in large bowl and toss with yogurt dressing. Serve garnished with pumpkin seeds and cilantro. Serves 6. Each serving contains: 254 calories; 10 g protein; 5 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 44 g total carbohydrates (9 g sugars, 8 g fibre); 302 mg sodium source: " Raise the Salad Bar ", alive #381, July 2014