Food

During the blustery winter months, it’s always nice to serve salads with a warming element. Here, oven-roasted plant-based meatballs, tender farro, and oh-so-sweet sautéed tomatoes give this meal in a bowl star power. It’s a family meal that’s healthy, colourful, and satisfying. Instead of farro, you can use your favourite cooked grain, such as quinoa. Or leave the whole grains out altogether and serve with toasted pita bread. It’s also possible to make meatballs with ground beef, pork, or chicken. Raise a toast To add more flavour to your salad grains, you can toast them first. Simply heat 2 tsp (10 mL) oil in heavy-bottomed saucepan and add farro grains. Heat, stirring a few times, until grains darken a few shades and smell a bit like toasted nuts.

Consider this a hefty one-bowl meal with minimum fuss and maximum taste: proof that straightforward and simple can also be delicious and satisfying. You can also add dollops of sour cream. If you want fewer carbs, it’s possible to omit the rice. Hot stuff Consider canned chipotle peppers your answer for infusing meals with a wallop of smoky heat. These are smoked and dried jalapenos that are rehydrated and canned along with adobo sauce, a purée of tomato, vinegar, garlic, and other spices. Opened cans will keep in the fridge for several weeks.

This protein-packed superfood salad combines omega-rich trout, lentils, crispy veggies, and a creamy warming curry dressing to create a nutritious and elegant weeknight meal in a bowl. Salmon can be substituted for trout if desired. Great white Yogurt is a great choice as a base for creamy dressings. For this purpose, it’s best to use regular yogurt, which is thinner in consistency than Greek yogurt.

Tahini adds richness to the broth of this satisfying plant-based stew that’s perfect for any nippy night. If possible, prepare this stew a day or two in advance of serving, as the flavours only get better with time. Each bowl is also a rich source of fibre to help bolster digestive health. Look for za’atar and harissa at Middle Eastern grocers. Hail the harissa Harissa paste is a spicy condiment that is a staple of North African and Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s made from a blend of chili peppers, garlic, olive oil, and a bunch of aromatic spices including cumin, coriander, and caraway. This vibrant red paste adds a fiery, tangy kick to dishes. But, once stirred into soups and stews, its fieriness is tamed.

This is basically a warm hug in a bowl—a simple stew that celebrates the flavours of the season. With nourishing ingredients and minimal effort in the kitchen, this meal tastes best with a big hunk of sourdough for dunking and good company to share it with. If desired, you can swap out the turkey sausage for a plant-based version and the sage for fresh rosemary. Simmering = flavour When making stews, it’s best to gently simmer the contents instead of letting them go at a roaring boil. If you want to concentrate the flavours of the dish, you want a slow simmer.

A tribute to the bounty and beauty of nature, this chocolate bark is studded with nuts, seeds, and berries and flavoured with the warming spices of ginger and cinnamon. Adding sweet paprika and chili also gives an interesting kick to a winter favourite. Cut back on the red pepper flakes if you prefer a less spicy version. Chocolate contains tryptophan—an essential amino acid—that helps our brain produce serotonin. Eating chocolate is a delicious way to get a mood boost, which can help lift our spirits when sunlight levels are low. Food of the Gods In the taxonomy of plants, the cacao plant, from which chocolate is derived, is called Theobroma cacao. Theobroma comes from Greek for “food of the gods.” Cacao comes from the Mayan word for the plant.

Up your omega-3 intake with these easy-to-make salmon parchment pockets. The sockeye fillets are first rubbed with a marinade of juniper berries, citrus zest, and garlic before being enclosed in parchment. Juniper has a strong and piney flavour and lends a unique tang to this dish. It also contains antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties. Be sure to capture the juices that arise during steaming. No mortar and pestle? Crush juniper berries by laying them between two sheets of parchment and bashing them gently with a rolling pin.

Escarole is a bitter green that stands up to heat and is suitable for grilling, braising, or using in soups. In this salad, it’s broiled with radishes before being dressed in a sweet, garlicky dressing that cuts the bitterness. Escarole is high in folate (vitamin B9), important in red blood cell formation, and vitamin A, important in immune function and eye health. Like kale and other cruciferous vegetables, it’s also very high in vitamin K, which assists in blood clotting. Bitter green substitutes If you can’t find escarole, use frisée (also called curly endive), mustard greens, or radicchio. Romaine also stands up to heat well and makes a good substitute, but it lacks the characteristic bitterness of the others.

In Japan, it’s a custom to eat kabocha squash on the day of the winter solstice as a symbol of good health. In fact, kabocha squash contains cancer-fighting antioxidants such as beta carotene and lutein. It’s also full of fibre and vitamins A and C. We’ve made a roasted version dressed in a sweet and tangy marinade that’s sprinkled with sesame seeds before roasting in the oven. The remaining marinade, full of ginger, tamari, and red pepper flakes, is used as a dressing to further flavour the squash. Know your squash You’ll recognize kabocha squash by its dark green rind and round shape. Its yellowish-orange flesh is sweeter than other types and has been likened to a cross between sweet potato and pumpkin. The rind is quite hard but is edible when cooked. Wash squash well and take care while cutting. You can microwave the whole squash for 4 to 5 minutes prior to cutting to help soften the rind and make things a bit easier.

This is a spin off the classic, without the Grand Marnier. The depth of orange is derived from a generous piece of orange peel simmered in the tea.

Tarts are timeless, and a good tart is always a people-pleaser. And who doesn’t love something with chocolate in any form? This classic tart is so easy to make with fresh fruit and hints of orange in a delicious chocolate crust. Once firm, it cuts like a dream into 16 easy slices. Fruity faves This remarkable tart lends itself well to a bevy of flavours. We conjoined raspberries with chocolate and orange in our tart. But you can stretch the boundaries with all sorts of fruits such as mango, pineapple, and papaya. If you’re longing to go somewhere tropical but the opportunity has scooted away, make this timely tart and fill it with the flavours of the tropics.

This cozy winter drink is perfect for sipping by the fireside. Serve it up with our Maple Pecans. It’s soothingly delicious and creamy served hot or cold. Plant milks We’ve suggested oat milk for an ultimate creamy beverage in our recipe. But any plant milk will be equally delicious. Other possibilities include unsweetened soy, almond, rice, and regular dairy milk products. Iced maple milk affogato A true Italian affogato is vanilla gelato or ice cream doused in espresso. In our version we place 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream in a glass and douse it with our hot Dreamy Maple Sipper. Shave some dark chocolate on top and gratings of nutmeg. Serve with a tall spoon. Delicious!

Here’s the perfect recipe for a fireside snack attack. It’s so easy and can be made ahead and stored in a tightly covered container in the fridge or freezer without losing crispness. Delicious served with a hot toddy. Crunchy munchies Switch out pecans for Brazil nuts or walnuts, or even mixed nuts. The trick is to use raw nuts, as opposed to roasted, as these would become too toasted. Try playing with different spices such as cinnamon or curry powder. These are delicious served on crostini that’s been spread with our Creamy Feta Dip.

With tons of citrus hints in this dish and the pungent Greek flavours of olives, artichokes, and garlic, keeping it simple is the perfect choice. Fill a beer glass with ice cubes and top with equal parts unsweetened grapefruit juice, sparkling soda, and a splash of honey syrup. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

This recipe is something of a classic; it’s so easy to make. But this version introduces a little extra zing for when the season revs up and all you want to do is curl up in front of the fire for a cozy eve. All it takes is one pot for cooking and a single bowl to toss with remaining ingredients. It doesn’t get much easier than that. The gremolata gives it that zesty, zingy punch. Bowl comfort Orzo is an excellent pasta to have on hand; it lends itself to so many variations. If you’re looking for another flavourful combo, toss orzo pasta with your favourite miso dressing and a medley of chopped sweet peppers, cucumber, and cilantro. Scatter with crumbled goats’ cheese and toasted pepitas. Mmmm.

A nonalcoholic full-bodied red wine works well with this Mediterranean staple-with-a-difference. But if you’re looking to keep it light, simply fill a glass with ice, sparkling water, and equal parts fresh mint and lemon slices. It doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that.

With its smoky paprika and subtle earthy flavours of saffron, anyone eating this paella will be looking for seconds. It’s a delightfully cozy dish and easy to make ahead for a crowd. Serve with crusty bread, a dish of roasted Spanish olives, and roasted peppers; finish with a drizzle of good quality olive oil. Beautiful bomba Paella can be made with most types of rice, but for best results, “bomba” rice is the ideal way to go. It has the ability to absorb plenty of liquid and will hold its shape after cooking. Otherwise, spring for arborio rice, which is typically used for making risotto but works well for paella too. Make-ahead tip When rice mixture is cooked, remove from heat and cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to a day or overnight. To finish cooking, transfer to oven-safe dish with tight-fitting lid. Heat in 350 F (175 C) oven for 30 minutes. Add chickpeas, asparagus, and prawns and continue to heat in oven, covered, until piping hot. Add more seasonings, to taste, and garnish before serving.

Most curries are well served with nonalcoholic semi-sweet white wines such as Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer. But if you’re looking for a mocktail with a different punch, a mixture of lime, mint, and ginger is also refreshing and cooling.

This one-dish curry is a perfect dish to have on hand when the fire’s cozily crackling and guests are lingering. It takes just minutes to prepare and no time to cook. Serve ladled over steaming forbidden black rice, it’s comfort in a bowl. Plus, it’s low on dishes too! Add some more wow Break out some additional colourful veggies for this dish. Add broccolini spears to simmering rice near the end of cooking just until bright green but still crisp. Using tongs, remove and set aside. Then serve curried dal over rice with broccolini placed on top of each serving. Make it even more visual and tastefully delicious with halved cherry or grape tomatoes and wedges of lime. Join the nobility Black rice is called “forbidden rice” because it was, at one time, grown only for aristocracy. It’s available in most fine food stores. Substitute with risotto or quinoa, if you wish.

The perfect companion for our Middle Eastern-inspired comfort in a bowl, this mocktail is as easy as it is unique and delicious.

Cozy comfort in a bowl—this dish with charred vegetables offers flavours from Tunisia and other regions in the Middle East. And who wouldn’t want a bowl of Middle Eastern spices to warm the tongue while satisfying the belly on a cold winter night? Make mine a meal Jazz up soup into a stew by puréeing it only a bit to keep it chunky. Stir in canned lentils and fold in some chopped spinach or kale for a festive seasonal colour. Round up the flavours with a smattering of coarsely chopped Marcona almonds, dollops of thick plain yogurt, and fresh mint.

Serve your delicious Creamy Feta Dip with this zesty sparkling mocktail and you’ll have folks lining up for more. For an extra flavour boost, add a little fresh tarragon.

Fireside nibbles—one simply can’t get enough of them. This eye-catching dip is so easy to prepare: just whip it up in a blender and serve with your choice of veggies or bread crisps for scooping. It’s equally delicious spread on crostini and topped with bruschetta. Bubble-licious Dip can also be served warm. Transfer dip without toppings to small baking dish that is microwave or oven safe. Heat in microwave until bubbly, or bake uncovered in 400 F (200 C) oven until bubbly and golden on top. Garnish with toppings and serve.