Food

This rich and creamy gravy is both hearty and healing. Pour over vegetarian patties or loaves, sautéed vegetables, noodles, squash, or potatoes.

Freekeh is prepared similarly to rice and other grains. It is available in both cracked and whole forms. Cracked freekeh takes approximately 20 to 25 minutes to cook, while the whole grain takes 40 to 45 minutes. You can use freekeh just as you would any healthy whole grain. Its unique nutty flavour imparts an exotic cachet to even the most banal of recipes! The following recipe can be prepared as a side dish or stuffed inside peppers or squash for a vegan entree.

This easy-to-make tangy soup will cause bowls to empty quickly. Hasty chefs who want to chill the soup quickly can place the soup in a bowl, set it in an ice-water bath, and stir it frequently until cool. Serve garnished with some grated zucchini and cracked black pepper.

Zucchini becomes a whole new vegetable when flame licked. As for peppadew peppers, their perky name says it all: these vibrant peppers add an irresistible sweet-fiery pep to dishes. Native to South Africa, these up-and-coming fruits can be found in the deli section of most grocers.

These seemingly sophisticated rolls are perfect for party fare or as a light lunch. They are best served fresh, but keep well in the fridge for a day or so. You can also use smoked mackerel or trout and even try grilling the zucchini strips. Extra sun-dried tomato spread is excellent when strewn over crackers or rolled up in sheets of nori.

Look no further for a new twist on a fall favourite! All the goodness of pumpkin pie has been transformed into a cool and refreshing pudding. The bottom layer is tart apple caramel topped with rich creamy pumpkin. Caramel 4 cups (1 L) unfiltered apple juice 1 Tbsp (15 mL) coconut oil or butter 1/4 tsp (1 mL) vanilla extract Panna Cotta 3 Tbsp (45 mL) cold water 2 1/2 tsp (12 mL) powdered gelatin or 3 Tbsp (45 mL) agar agar 2 cups (500 mL) coconut milk or homogenized milk 2 Tbsp (30 mL) molasses 3/4 cup (180 mL) pumpkin, sweet potato, or squash purée 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground ginger 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground nutmeg To make caramel sauce, pour apple juice into medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until juice foams and turns deep amber, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in coconut oil and vanilla. You should have about 1/2 cup (125 mL) sauce. Divide mixture among 8 ramekins, thick glasses, or coffee cups. Refrigerate to set while preparing panna cotta. To make panna cotta, pour cold water into 4 cup (1 L) measuring cup or medium bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over top. In saucepan, stir milk with molasses. Place over medium heat, stirring often, until hot. Remove from heat and whisk in pumpkin and spices. Gradually pour into measuring cup with gelatin and whisk to blend. Remove ramekins from fridge. Divide pumpkin mixture over top. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or overnight. Serves 8. Each serving contains: 234 calories; 3 g protein; 16 g total fat (14 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 23 g total carbohydrates (17 g sugars, 2 g fibre); 20 mg sodium Substituting agar agar for gelatin In saucepan, stir agar agar with milk and molasses. Let stand for 15 minutes, then bring to a gentle boil, stirring to dissolve. Remove from heat and continue with recipe. source: "Naturally Sweetened Deserts", alive #385, November 2014

This recipe reminds me of my childhood. My mother did all the cooking, but my father would always prepare the buckwheat crêpes, called galettes de sarrasin in French.

If packaged pressed tofu is unavailable, make your own. Place firm tofu on a plate, putting another plate on top of the tofu. Place a heavy, stable object (such as a can of food) on top of the upper plate. Let sit for 15 minutes so excess liquid in the tofu is “pressed” out onto the bottom plate.

Cinderella pumpkins are a bright orange heirloom variety increasingly available at farmers’ markets. If not at hand, substitute pie pumpkins or switch it up with a squash such as butternut.

Almond Blueberry Pancake Mix Place 4 cups (1 L) organic whole wheat pastry flour, oat flour, or whole spelt flour, 2 cups (500 mL) almond flour, 1 cup (250 mL) dried blueberries, 2 Tbsp (30 mL) cinnamon, 2 Tbsp (30 mL) baking powder, 1 Tbsp (15 mL) baking soda, and 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt in mixing bowl and use whisk to distribute ingredients evenly. Divide among gift jars. Instructions: Place 1 cup (250 mL) pancake mix in mixing bowl. In separate bowl, stir together 1 beaten egg and 1 cup (250 mL) milk. Stir wet ingredients into dry and let rest for 10 minutes. Pour 1/4 cup (60 mL) batter for each pancake (makes 8 pancakes). Orange Licorice Rooibos Tea Mix Using vegetable peeler, remove rind from 2 oranges. Place orange rinds on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at your oven’s lowest temperature for 3 to 4 hours, or until rinds have dried completely and curled. Turn off oven and let cool in oven. Pulverize orange rind in spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Stir together orange powder, 2 oz (56 g) plain rooibos tea and 1 oz (28 g) licorice root. Divide tea mixture among small glass containers. Instructions: Place a heaping tablespoonful of tea mix in tea strainer and add steaming water; steep for 3 to 4 minutes. Mayan Hot Chocolate Mix Finely chop 6 oz (170 g) dark chocolate and mix with 1 cup (250 mL) cocoa powder, 2/3 cup (160 mL) coconut sugar, 1/3 cup (80 mL) powdered milk or powdered coconut milk, 1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon, 1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne or chili powder, and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt. Pour into airtight jars. Instructions: Mix 2 to 3 Tbsp (30 to 45 mL) cocoa mixture with 1 cup (250 mL) milk of choice and warm in a saucepan. Za’atar Spice Mix Mix together 1/2 cup (125 mL) dried thyme, 1/4 cup (60 mL) crushed sumac, 1/4 cup (60 mL) toasted sesame seeds, and 1 tsp (10 mL) sea salt. Divide among gift jars. Instructions: Use in dips; blend into pasta salads; rub on fish or chicken; or sprinkle on roasted vegetables (such as winter squash, potatoes, eggplant, mushrooms), pizza, toasted pitas, scrambled eggs, and popcorn. source: "Love Bites", alive #386, December 2014

As with zucchini bread, shredded zucchini can add a nutritional boost to pancakes. Folding in whipped egg whites produces truly fluffy pancakes that are brightened with lemon essence. The batter can be prepared the night before, but it’s best to leave it out at room temperature for about one hour before using. Top with berries and maple syrup.

I indulge with the cheddar biscuits in this recipe since the vegetables are leaner. This is also a great side dish for grilled fish or chicken.

Feel free to use other greens along with the spinach in this show-stopping side dish. Kale, Swiss chard, and beet greens all work well. Once you master this roll, try filling it with other delectable seasonal combinations such as roasted squash and goat cheese or apples, shredded turkey, and chestnuts.

Makes 16 bars

This dessert packs a punch! Chickpeas replace flour, making this a gluten-free option. They’re also a flavour carrier—letting the peanut and coconut flavours shine through while keeping the bars moist.

This ice cream uses five-spice powder, a Chinese spice mixture containing star anise, fennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon. It is available at most grocery stores.

This satisfying plant-based bowl of nutrition brings together many cherished victuals of Japanese cuisine―nutty soba, vibrant matcha, earthy miso, and feisty wasabi. Baking the tofu that’s been slathered with a miso sauce yields cubes with a meaty texture and some flavourful caramelization. If you’re eating gluten free, you can find soba noodles that are made entirely of buckwheat flour, which is free of gluten. If you don’t have wasabi paste, you can spice up the dressing with chili sauce or cayenne.

There’s a myriad of recipes for using the beautiful garlic scape—from pesto to grilled side dishes, whirled into hummus, tossed into a stir-fry, spun into a soup, or used as an artful garnish. Scapes look and taste delicious and don’t have the harsh bitter or zingy garlic overtone. The season for scapes is short, so this little scape vinegar recipe is perfect for giving you a few extra months of cherished scape flavours. It’s perfect for a salad pick-me-up or splashed onto a stir-fry.

Tip

Apple cider vinegar is easy to buy for a small price. But making your own is even easier. If you buy organic fruits, the skins are perfectly safe to eat. We’ve got a few ideas for using up your fruit peelings, which might just help neutralize your global footprint, but we’ll start with healthy and fermented vinegar. We can sip apple cider vinegar diluted with water to start every day, but there are hundreds of other wonderful ways it can be used.

These scrumptious, chewy squares are sure to pacify chocolate-sensitive folks previously forced to forgo brownies. To ensure moist brownies it is crucial not to overcook them—keep a close watch on these squares as they near their baking time.

Pizza is ideal for the lunch box as you can use any combination of vegetables you know your kids will like in order to slip in some veggie servings. To add protein, try using veggie salami slices, or add pineapple tidbits for a little sweetness. For the healthiest pizza, buy in bulk and freeze whole grain pizza crusts, made from whole wheat or spelt flour. Freeze and use as required. Children are more likely to eat something they helped prepare, so share the pizza building at dinner the night before. The next day, use cookie cutters to cut cold pizza into shapes for the lunch box.

To make this refreshing pick-me-up a little more indulgent, try adding a splash of almond or coconut milk.

This is what you want to reach for when craving something sweet ’n’ salty. The seedy figs add a pleasant crunch to the butterscotch sweetness from the dates. Slip a square or two into your purse or gym bag for an emergency pick-me-up.

If you’re up to speed on the latest food trends, you might have heard of this gorgeous indigo matcha. It’s actually not related to green matcha at all; it hails from the butterfly pea flower—a completely different plant (see Tip below). It doesn’t have quite the same benefits as green matcha. Nor does it contain caffeine. Take a nibble of one of these chocolates, though, and you’ll pop open a beautiful blue filling. Pure calm.

Tips

• To melt chocolate, it’s important to have it all chopped into equally sized small pieces so it melts evenly. Melting slowly is the key to ending up with shiny chocolate when it hardens.
• Blue matcha powder can be ordered online, but feel free to substitute with green matcha powder, if you wish.
• Making chocolate is easy with small square silicone forms. Just add a little melted chocolate into the base of each cup and place a square of filling on top. Drizzle with a little more chocolate to fully coat. Garnish and refrigerate until firm. Easy to pop out, and the chocolates turn out perfectly square every time.
• Butterfly pea flower is a beautiful blue flower that’s dried and ground and added to various recipes, providing a unique brilliant blue colour. It’s available in some specialty gourmet food shops and online.