Food

Yogurt completely transforms the texture of these chicken thighs, making them tender and flavourful with bright notes of lemon and cilantro. Ideal for a day trip, these can be marinated in the morning and cooked in the evening, but they also work well when cooked in advance and packed for a picnic to be eaten cold. Marinade mentions Marinate chicken thighs for anywhere between 4 and 24 hours. Discard excess marinade that has been in contact with raw chicken. It should not be consumed uncooked.

Cooked tomatoes are an excellent source of the powerful antioxidant lycopene. This simple yet luxurious dish is based on a dish from the south of Spain, similar to a North African shakshuka. The recipe draws on Spanish paprika and roasted red pepper for its smoky flavour. It’s a satisfying meal, equally at home on the dinner table as on the breakfast bar. Make ahead If you want to save yourself time on the day of preparation, you can make the tomato sauce in advance. It can be refrigerated up to a day ahead. Simply heat slowly on the stovetop and bring up to a simmer when you’re ready to cook the eggs.

Spanish-inspired flavours of almond and orange and a good punch of protein make this pudding a delicious and nutritious breakfast, snack, or dessert. The tiniest amount of large-flake sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil help bring all the flavours together. Amp up the orange For some additional orange flavour, when cooking chickpeas from dry, add a few strips of orange zest to the cooking water. Tastier toast Take your toast to the next level by using this pudding as a satisfying spread.

Reminiscent of the stuffed cabbage of yore, the flavour profile of these stuffed chard smacks of cozy fall. It looks all fancy, but everything comes together surprisingly quickly. If desired, you can use turkey or pork sausage and brown rice. Time-saver tip For larger grains, such as wild rice and spelt, it’s a very good idea to soak them for several hours before cooking. This will slash the cooking time by about a third. If not soaking the wild rice, add roughly 20 minutes to the simmering time.

We took classic cheesy nachos and gave them a breakfast vibe with scrambled eggs and then took them to the next level with satisfying add-ins including beans and creamy avocado. This is a perfect dinner to share around the table where a bit of mess is to be celebrated. You can also serve it with your favourite salsa. Low and slow The key to perfectly custardy scrambled eggs is to start them in a barely warm pan and then gently cook over lower heat. Being too aggressive with the heat and cooking speed is what results in rubbery eggs.

Brilliant orange sweet potatoes blended with black beans and spices create a perfect warming dish for January. But this dish provides more than just eye appeal. It’s got a wealth of antioxidants to protect your body from chronic disease. By any beans necessary 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 inches. Then add to cooked sweet potato.

You might never want to go back to regular lasagna after this plant-based version. The creamy tofu-cashew ricotta with lemon zest is the perfect foil to juicy eggplant cooked with a minimal amount of oil. You should probably make two trays and freeze one for later. Or at least make a double batch of the ricotta for a high-protein snack on crackers or carrots the next day. Allergen-friendly tip If you’re avoiding cashews or soy, use cooked or canned and drained chickpeas or sunflower seeds and coconut amino or nectar in place of miso.

These are so delicious! They’re ideal hot or cold as a mezze dish, starter, snack, or spicy picnic addition. Kaffir lime leaves are commonly used in Thai, Indonesian, Cambodian, Malaysian, and Vietnamese cooking and can be sourced in frozen form quite easily from Asian grocers. They impart a very distinct citrus note unlike any other ingredient I know—just their aroma makes me hungry. Inevitably, lemongrass goes very well with them, but the sweetness of roasted carrot and the slightly bready caraway seeds just make this dish irresistible. Lime leaves are double-shaped, making them perfect to wrap around things for cooking. Otherwise, wrap a large single leaf around each carrot piece. You don’t eat the leaves, by the way … but you knew that, right? Tips You can leave out the chili if you prefer—these kebabs still work really well. For quicker prep, instead of roasting the kebabs at 200 C (400 F), preheat the oven broiler and broil the kebabs for 1 to 2 minutes to get them lightly charred. Carrot and Lime Leaf Kebabs and Beetroot and Coconut Dip recipes were extracted from Cooking for the Senses: Vegan Neurogastronomy by Jennifer Peace Rhind and Gregor Law, published by Singing Dragon. Order your copy at singingdragon.com.

Buttery, sumptuous, and full of omega-3 fatty acids, black cod (also known as sablefish) is healthy, rich, and full of flavour. Here, prepared with maple syrup, sake, and mirin, black cod is taken to the next level. Did you know? Black cod is also known as sablefish and is a forgiving choice for novice cooks due to its high fat content. It can be grilled, poached, smoked, roasted, or slow-cooked.

Well, it wouldn’t be a vegan Christmas without a nut roast! Roasted in a wreath tin and topped with my cranberry sauce, it’s the perfect Christmas centerpiece. Sage wisdom To fry sage leaves for garnish, leave the saucepan on the heat after cooking the nut roast mixture in it. Add a couple tablespoons more of oil if there’s none left in the pan. Throw in the sage leaves and cook for 2 minutes, until crisp. Transfer the sage leaves from the pan onto a couple of sheets of paper towel to soak up any excess oil.

Breaking up a whole frittata into individual parts slashes cooking time, allows the egg cakes to be easily movable from the kitchen, and makes for an undeniably cute presentation. These can be served warm or at room temperature. Hot stuff Ovens can vary with respect to the amount of heat they produce and retain. Therefore, you should check for doneness a minute or two before the cooking time indicated in any muffin tin recipe. If your oven heats unevenly, rotate the muffin tin halfway through the baking time.

Indian-spiced flavours paired with any grain create a taste sensation. Folded into cooked barley, it’s a double win. The turmeric and mustard seeds coupled with barley are touted as excellent foods for brain health. Tips Allergic to barley? Substitute with rice or another gluten-free grain such as millet or sorghum. Time crunch? Cook barley ahead and refrigerate or freeze. Bring to room temperature and stir-fry a little bit longer to make sure it’s sizzling hot.

This highly nutritious version of the age-old common cold elixir will also work to keep you hydrated, which can soothe a sore throat. Other greens, such as kale and chard, work here too. Tip For maximum nutrition, opt for hulled barley, which contains more of its fibre-rich bran than pearled barley (which has its outer husk removed). Hulled barley takes longer to cook, but soaking the grains for several hours will serve to lessen its cooking time.

Lentils capture flavours beautifully in recipes. The combination of fresh herbs and the zip of lemon make it a delicious side dish to grilled meats. Tips If you’re making extras, this recipe can be refrigerated for several days and flavoured up to suit any meal. To soak or not to soak is always the question. The beauty of using French lentils is that, unlike peas and legumes, they hold their shape, even after cooking. Avoid adding seasonings such as salt or acids (like lemon juice) until lentils are cooked.

Composed, warm salads bring Mediterranean sunshine to the plate any time of year. Sous vide cooking’s precise and steady temperature control in a water bath means sustainable, better-than-canned tuna, is easier than ever. Crisp, tender, and decadent all at once, this French “comfort food” meal is tied together with a zippy lemon-mustard vinaigrette. Tip For the protein component, sous vide-cooked salmon or mackerel would be a great alternative to the tuna.

Here’s a simple bowl of comfort food with a soothing flavour that employs both steaming and poaching techniques to gently cook and soften. Although wonderful on its own, this dish becomes even more bolstering when served in a light, lemony broth—itself another great use for water. Tip When adding spinach to the broth, stir in a cooked grain such as barley to add a pleasing chew and heft to the meal.

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.

Fill this free-form rustic tart with your favourite combination of seasonal fruits, from sweet berries in the spring, juicy stone fruits in the summer, apples, pears, and dates in the fall, to pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and squash in the winter. Cook’s Tips: The dough can be made two days ahead. Store well wrapped in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to a month. Excerpted with permission from 21 of Canada’s greatest chefs present Inspired Cooking, benefitting InspireHealth Supportive Cancer Care (Fresh Air Publishing).

Fried rice is a takeout staple loaded with sodium, preservatives, and far too much oil. In this makeover, smoked tofu mimics the rich “fried” flavour; while black rice, an antioxidant-packed whole grain, replaces white rice, even keeping its shape in a scorching hot pan. Instead of tofu, boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts can be substituted. Cube and fully cook chicken in the wok or pot before adding the vegetables, or use leftover cooked chicken.

Miso and maple syrup are a surprising pairing that work together beautifully to elevate salmon’s buttery flesh. Serve with roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus spears, or even on a bed of soba noodles. Woodn’t you know? Cooking your catch of the day on cedar planks not only infuses the salmon with smoky, woody flavour, but also encourages even cooking and protects the fish from direct heat—so there is less risk of dealing with a sticky situation. Be sure to only use untreated cedar.

Not to worry, these swoon-worthy pancakes don’t taste beety despite including the root vegetable for its red touch. The batter can be prepared up to two days in advance and kept chilled in the refrigerator. But it’s best used at room temperature. Thin with additional milk or yogurt if the batter becomes too thick. Makes about 14 pancakes. 1 medium-sized beet, peeled and chopped 1 1/4 cups (310 mL) gluten-free oat flour 1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon, divided 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) baking powder 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt 1 cup (250 mL) milk 1/2 cup (125 mL) plain yogurt 1 medium banana 1 large free-range egg 1/3 cup (80 mL) chopped walnuts (optional) 1 Tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter 2 cups (500 mL) frozen pitted cherries 3 Tbsp (45 mL) pure maple syrup 1 tsp (5 mL) lemon zest 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) cornstarch, dissolved in 1 Tbsp (15 mL) water 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract Place beet in steamer basket set over at least 1 in (2.5 cm) of water and steam until tender. Set aside to cool. In large bowl, stir together oat flour, 3/4 tsp (4 mL) cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Place beet, milk, yogurt, and banana in blender container and blend until smooth. Blend in egg. Add beet mixture to dry ingredients and gently combine. Fold in walnuts if using. Let batter rest for 10 minutes. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add butter to skillet and melt. Pour 1/4 cup (60 mL) batter for each pancake into pan and cook for 2 minutes, or until darkened around the edges and bubbles form on the surface. Flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Test a pancake to see if it has cooked through. If not, increase cooking time. Transfer cooked pancakes to baking sheet and keep warm in preheated 200 F (95 C) oven as you prepare remaining pancakes. To make cherry sauce, bring cherries, maple syrup, lemon zest, remaining cinnamon, and 1/4 cup (60 mL) water to a simmer in medium-sized saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes and then gently mash cherries into a pulpy purée. Stir dissolved cornstarch and vanilla extract into cherry mixture and simmer for 2 minutes more, or until slightly thickened. Serve pancakes topped with cherry sauce. Serves 4. Each serving contains: 402 calories; 14 g protein; 13 g total fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 60 g total carbohydrates (27 g sugars, 6 g fibre); 236 mg sodium source: " A Red Inspired Menu ", 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

Serves 1 A breakfast classic made even healthier with the addition of cinnamon. Research suggests daily consumption of cinnamon may improve blood sugar levels, insulin sensitivity and blood pressure in those with type 2 diabetes. 1/2 cup (125 ml) sliced frozen strawberries, thawed 1 cup (250 ml) water 1/2 tsp (2 ml) cinnamon 1/2 cup (125 ml) large flake oats 3 tsp (15 ml) almond butter Place thawed strawberries in serving bowl. In large pot, bring water and cinnamon to a boil. Stir in oats. Reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to cook until desired thickness is reached, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and immediately spoon cooked oats over strawberries. Stir in almond butter and garnish with another dash of cinnamon if desired. Each serving contains: 1867 kilojoules; 16 g protein; 15 g total fat (2 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 66 g total carbohydrates (5 g sugars, 12 g fibre); 6 mg sodium source: " Cooking with Diabetes Superfoods ", alive Australia #21, Spring 2014

Parmesan, mushrooms, and a sun-dried tomato topping turn this version of socca bread, a gluten-free flatbread hailing from the south of France, into an umami bomb. 1 cup (250 mL) garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh thyme 1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper 1/3 cup (80 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or camelina oil, divided 1/2 cup (125 mL) grated Parmesan cheese 2 cups (500 mL) chopped brown mushrooms 1/3 cup (80 mL) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes 1 garlic clove, chopped Sift garbanzo bean flour into large mixing bowl. Stir in thyme and pepper. Whisk in 1 cup (250 mL) water and 2 Tbsp (30 mL) oil and stir until no clumps remain. Let mixture rest for 30 minutes and stir in Parmesan. Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Heat 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oil in 10 in (25 cm) ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in garbanzo batter and swirl pan so batter and mushrooms are evenly distributed. Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 15 minutes or until edges are set and batter is almost cooked through. Turn on oven broiler and cook for 3 minutes more, or until lightly browned on top. Meanwhile, place sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, 3 Tbsp (45 mL) oil, and 3 Tbsp (45 mL) water in blender container and blend until smooth. Add additional water if needed to help with blending. Allow socca to cool for about 10 minutes in pan. Using spatula, gently loosen edges. Slide spatula under socca to make sure bottom is completely loose from pan and then slide it out of skillet. Serve wedges of socca alongside sun-dried tomato sauce. Serves 4. Each serving contains: 323 calories; 12 g protein; 23 g total fat (5 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 18 g total carbohydrates (5 g sugars, 3 g fibre); 302 mg sodium source: " 5 Flavour Surprises ", alive #380, June 2014