Food

This riff on a classic Provençal dish of simmered vegetables gets an upgrade by imparting the veggies with a slightly smoky flavour from the grill and then tossing them into a salad with nutritious lentils and a refreshing minty dressing. A perfect vegetarian main dish for the summer season, the lentils and dressing can be made up to three days in advance, while the vegetables can be grilled the day before your gathering. But dress the salad only before serving.

We are deep into grilling season and you can’t beat a great flame-licked steak to win over a crowd. Organic grass-fed flank steak is a smart option for serving a hungry gathering because you just have to grill one piece of beef rather than several smaller cuts. Balsamic vinegar adds bold flavour to the marinade.

These meaty tofu steaks are so satisfying that even ardent carnivores won’t be left pondering, “Where’s the beef?” They are also a great way to get more plant-based protein into a diet, which the new Canada Food Guide now encourages. A herbaceous pesto sauce brightens up the whole dish.

Beautiful colours and flavours—perfect for accompanying any BBQ meal. Switch it up with fresh beans, artichokes, avocado halves, cauliflower … there’s no end to the choice of glorious veggies to grill.

A vegetarian, yet meaty, grilled delight—perfect for all ages. Adults can spice it up a bit, but we’ve developed it thinking of the little eaters in the crowd. A tender filling encased in crispy grilled tortillas, this grilled treat is absolutely delicious served with guacamole, salsa, and creamy chipotle sauce.

There’s always a BBQ favourite in the menu, and cedar-planked it is. Almost anything grilled on a plank offers exemplary smokiness and added depth. This combination of sweet, hot, and savoury coupled with juice is the perfect flavouring for salmon. In fact, it’s an amazing marinade on most anything—try it with chicken or vegetables grilled on wood.

From tempeh to organic chicken, this flexible grill selection offers delicious flavours to satisfy all palates. Marinating tempeh and organic chicken are the best prep options for a flavourful, juicy dish. Serving options include layered on a bun, in a bowl with greens, or on a bed of rice. The additional flavourful punch comes from the pickled veggies.

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.

This stir-fry comes together in under half an hour, which makes it the perfect fast food after a workout. Feel free to customize the heat level in the dish by adding more chili flakes as desired. Tip No tofu on hand? No problem. Replace it with a 19 oz (540 mL) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed well.

Socca is a savoury chickpea pancake enjoyed as a street food snack in Nice, France. Here we have repurposed it as a protein-rich pizza base. You could choose to top it like a classic pizza, but this fresh take makes eating your greens a whole lot more interesting. Tip Unadorned socca is also a great accompaniment to other dishes. Try serving it alongside chili, soups, or stews; or as a snack sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and chopped herbs such as rosemary, parsley, or chives. Did you know? Soaking red onion removes some of that harsh bite raw onions can have, and also mellows the taste a bit.

Here’s a delicious method to tenderize chicken that’s simple to boot! It’s also great for a crowd—simply double or triple the recipe. Be sure to pass on any remaining wheat beer for the chef to wet his whistle while he works ... over the barbecue. Tip Kebabs are delicious served with steamed rice. Another option is to serve them in warmed pitas with shredded greens, grated carrots, and dollops of yogurt. Best pairing suds Given the combination of honey, soy, and citrus, a delicious wheat beer with overtones of mild sweetness and light zest would pair well with this tasty chicken kebab recipe.

This delicious soup is chock full of vegetarian goodness and packed with hearty flavours. The harissa spices heat the taste buds in a myriad of ways, but the true depth of flavour comes from soaking dried chickpeas in witbier, a delicious brew that’s beautifully smooth and refreshing. Tips Dried harissa spice is a blend of cumin, chilies, coriander, garlic, mint, caraway, cayenne, and salt. It’s found in gourmet food shops or well-stocked grocery stores. Also available online. Cooking chickpeas from scratch is well worth the effort, given the results. Double or triple the quantity, adding plenty more water for soaking and cooking. Drain and spread out on a cloth-lined baking sheet. Blot dry and freeze in small containers. Perfect for soups, hummus, or tossed into salads or stir-fries. Don’t forget to add baking soda to the water when cooking, as this helps tenderize the chickpeas. Best pairing suds Summertime dishes spiced with complex harissa flavours and laced with a hint of citrus pair well with light-bodied and refreshing craft Belgian wheat beers (witbier). Their distinct citrus flavours finished with stone fruits are ideal beverages to quaff.

This fresh and simple dish is perfect for late spring and early summer. A quickly seared tuna loin is melt-in-your-mouth juicy, can be cooked in minutes, and goes a very long way. With the ale-spiked dressing, this dish goes well with a craft lager laced with Citra hops and orange peel. Tip Switch out tuna for large prawns or organic boneless chicken breast, if preferred. Best pairing suds Given this dish is laced with orange and fennel, a fruity lager or IPA with notes of orange and lemon and subtle hints of hops works extremely well. Crisp and cold, it’s the perfect accompaniment when serving almost any gently prepared seafood dishes.

It’s time to once again fire up the grill so the flames can imbue wedges of romaine lettuce with a whole new flavour and texture profile. And when the hunks of flame-licked greens are adorned with chunky vegetables and a creamy tahini dressing, you have an epic meal. For extra protein, the romaine steak can also be topped with chickpeas, cooked lentils, high-quality tinned sardines, or chunks of smoked trout. Tip Stirring the little swimmers known as anchovies into dressings adds a “what’s that?” umami-salty flavour without making them taste fishy.

Fresh, healthy, and full of iron-rich spinach, chicken Florentine meatballs are a big hit for all ages. Ironically, when you peel back the layers of history, you find its origin has little or nothing to do with Florence, Italy, and everything to do with spinach, as we’ve done here. We scattered the meatballs with Parmesan to give it a hint of Italian. Tip Make and bake a double batch of meatballs and freeze in small portions in tightly sealed containers. Delicious tossed into a marinara sauce and served over noodles or rice.

If you’re looking for a midweek supper that requires little time to prepare, this asparagus and chicken is a perfect solution. The sauce merely needs a quick blitz in your blender and can easily be made ahead. Coupled with roasted asparagus and chicken tenders that take little time to bake, this meal is a quick solution filled with goodness. Tip This sauce is not just delicious with asparagus and chicken. Serve with fresh beans, prawns, or salmon. Alternatively, for a vegetarian menu, serve sauce with a medley of roasted vegetables atop rice and sprinkle with chopped, toasted cashews.

Simple and fresh, this recipe offers powerful long-chain omega-3 fatty acids from wild salmon, which carry powerful anticancer properties, including lipid mediators that help control inflammation—a factor in cancer spread. Tip This recipe is also delicious with grilled prawns or chicken and excellent for a midday meal.

This salad is a great way to welcome spring. Cha soba are buckwheat noodles that have matcha green tea added to them. They can be easily sourced next to the regular soba noodles in the Asian section of some grocery stores. To make this into a more substantial meal, serve topped with some slices of simply roasted chicken or salmon. Tip This salad is easily customizable to incorporate whatever vegetables are hanging around in your refrigerator. Ribboned carrot strands, julienned peppers, or thinly sliced celery would all add a great crunchy contrast to the soft noodles.

For lovers of sushi, this is a great way to enjoy your favourite Japanese flavours at home. Sushi-grade seafood can be found frozen in Asian grocery stores. Tip If you’re not a fan of raw seafood, feel free to substitute thinly sliced cooked salmon, chicken, or even pan-seared tofu.

Who says waffles are just for breakfast and must be draped in maple syrup? Adorned with herby tomatoes and oozy eggs, these green waffle stacks are worthy of the fanciest of bistros. Instead of fried eggs, the waffles can also be topped with poached ones. Don’t forget to place the hot sauce on the table. The waffle batter can be prepared up to two days in advance and chilled. Tip Made by grinding up dried chickpeas, garbanzo flour is one of the most nutrient-dense gluten-free options on the market. Not overpoweringly beany, garbanzo flour has a subtle sweetness that works well in an array of desserts or savoury dishes.

Yes, the riced version of cauliflower can anchor a wide range of lightened-up meals, including this chickpea stir-fry that’s imbued with an unmistakeable Indian essence. If you want to make it vegan, simply omit the yogurt.

If you like the jumble of sour, sweet, salty, and spicy flavours that epitomizes Thai cuisine, you’re going to be absolutely smitten with this Burmese influenced stir-fry that is reminiscent of laab—a herby minced meat. Cutting the chicken by hand results in a better texture than using ground chicken. Serve with brown rice and even some lettuce leaves for scooping up the mat. Tip You can turn this into a vegetarian dish by omitting the fish sauce and finely dicing up a block of drained firm tofu and then stir-frying the tofu pieces in place of the chicken.

Gleaning inspiration from Scandinavian cuisine, this unconventional stir-fry incorporates some of the most important elements of the health-hiking New Nordic diet—namely, fish, root vegetables, and whole grains. Arctic char is a sustainable seafood option that is rich in omega-3 fats, but you can also use rainbow trout or salmon. Most fish counters will do the skinning for you. High on rye Rye is a wonderfully chewy grain and is brimming with dietary fibre, but it’s rather slow cooking. So make sure to soak it for several hours to reduce the time it needs on the stovetop.

Why the name? All vegetables are botanically related! This salad fills you up with positive energy!