If you think pumpkin is best trotted out twice a year as a pie filling, think again. Chef Luptak prefers using Rouge vif d’Étampes pumpkin, a French heirloom variety, when he makes this salad. “Rouge vif d’Étampes” means “bright red from Étampes”—an old commune in France. These flat pumpkins were a fixture in Paris’s central market in the late 1800s.
If you have ground spices on hand instead of seeds, they’ll work fine in the pumpkin seed crust as well. Toast them in the frying pan, but skip the grinding.
Per serving:
Leave skin on Kuri squash. If using butternut squash, peel skin off. Cut in half and remove seeds. Cut squash into cubes.
In medium-sized pot, sauté squash in olive oil over medium heat until there’s some caramelization on the squash. Add onion and garlic and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
Add stock, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and thyme and continue to cook for 10 minutes, allowing all the flavours to come together.
Transfer mixture to blender and purée until smooth.
Cool and reserve. Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Leave skin on Rouge vif d’Étampes pumpkin. If using sugar pumpkin, peel skin off. Remove and clean seeds, reserving them for pumpkin seed crust.
Cut pumpkin into 1 1/2 in (4 cm) cubes. Toss with salt, pepper, olive oil, nutmeg, thyme, and maple syrup.
Transfer cubes to prepared baking sheet and roast in oven for 15 minutes.
Cool and reserve. Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
Toast cumin, cardamom, and coriander in frying pan over medium heat, shaking pan often, until spices begin to smell fragrant. Remove spices from pan and blitz in spice grinder to a fine powder.
Toast pumpkin seeds and almonds on sheet pan in oven for 5 minutes.
In food processor, pulse toasted spices, toasted almonds and pumpkin seeds, chili flakes, salt, pepper, and sugar to desired consistency. Store pumpkin seed crust in airtight container for up to 1 month.
Dollop “pumpkin” purée in centre of each of 4 plates. Top with sprouted lentils and roasted pumpkin, sprinkle with pumpkin seed crust, and garnish with a nice spicy green, such as watercress or arugula, if desired.
This take on “Texas Caviar” with the addition of quinoa lends an added punch of protein. It’s full of antioxidant-rich red vegetables and is a great source of iron, potassium, and dietary fibre. Savour it like a salad, spoon it over tacos, or scoop it like salsa; the variety of textures, flavours, and subtle spice makes this a party-perfect dish. Use those stems Cilantro stems are edible and, more importantly, highly flavourful—so don’t throw them out. Make sure they are well washed, as they can be sandy. Avoid any tough stems at the bottom of the plant, but use the tender part of the stem and chop it up, just as you would with the leaves.
Refreshing flavours with a spicy zing—and, at 15 g per serving, a whopping load of protein—come together in this classic ceviche. Rockfish, often sold under the name Pacific snapper, is high in selenium—an 85 g serving provides 44 percent of the recommended daily value of the mineral, which has a role in preventing infection and cell damage, as well as in the proper functioning of the thyroid. Rockfish is also a good source of healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Ceviche tips Keep an eye on the fish while it is “cooking” in the lime/lemon juice; 30 minutes is usually optimum to achieve a “just cooked” texture. You can extend that to an hour or more, but after about 2 hours, you’ll find that the texture will change and become “overcooked.” Waiting to add the tomatoes and avocado just at serving time keeps flavours fresh and distinct.
Crunchy, with sharp and satisfying flavour, this hearty salad is a great accompaniment to tacos (including the ones in the next recipe). Cabbage is high in fibre and vitamins C and K. Higher consumption of cruciferous vegetables such as radishes and cabbage is linked to lower rates of cancer. Make ahead Unlike a typical green salad, this one can stand up to an hour or two in the fridge, so if you want to make it ahead of time, go for it. The cabbage will soften up and some water will be released; just drain any excess before serving.
These taco-inspired lettuce wraps are full of vibrant flavour tempered by subtle heat, all topped off with a zingy tomatillo salsa. Shredding the chicken helps to make a small quantity of chicken feed a crowd, and the texture pairs well with the light wrapper. The bright salsa features heart-healthy tomatillos, which contain phytochemicals called withanolides, which studies have found can help inhibit cancer cell growth. Quick shred If you have a kitchen mixer with a paddle attachment, you can use it to quickly and easily shred chicken for taco lettuce wraps. After chicken has rested, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Reserve any pan juices that may have accumulated in the baking dish. Turn mixer on to a low-to-medium speed and process the chicken for 30 seconds to 1 minute, so that chicken is just separated, being careful not to overprocess. Add in cooking juices and mix through with spoon. To shred chicken by hand, use two forks to gently pull meat apart before combining with pan juices.