Food

The apple in these turkey meatballs might not be immediately visible, but it’s working behind the scenes to help bind them together and adds sweet flavour and juiciness. Chinese five-spice powder—a blend of star anise, ground fennel seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon—lends lively flavour, alongside ginger and garlic. Packed full of protein, these meaty bites are a good source of vitamin D and iron and make for a tasty party appetizer. Meatball magic Handle with care A light touch is the key to a well-formed, juicy meatball. Using a tablespoon measure or cookie scoop, spoon heaping tablespoons into individual meatballs and toss them back and forth between your hands a few times, very gently, to round them off. Avoid squeezing or compressing the meat. Make ahead You can form meatballs 4 hours in advance and refrigerate before cooking. Lay meatballs in a single layer on parchment in glass dish; cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Remove meatballs from refrigerator about 30 minutes before you begin to cook to allow them to come to room temperature. This will ensure they cook evenly. Blot any excess moisture before adding to the hot pan. Turning with this trick When browning meatballs, use a cookie scoop to nudge and turn the meatball. If it loses its round shape, use the scoop to gently re-form.

Cookies are a holiday staple, and these are sure to become a fast favourite. Experiment with your favourite nut or seed butter here to make it your own new family tradition. Picture perfect Make quick work of shaping cookies by using a cookie scoop. They come in a variety of sizes and help ensure picture-perfect cookies every time.

This quick curry is great with a variety of proteins, including fish, says Cosco. You can use as much or as little trout as you like. Seasoning the fish as soon as you’ve cut the fillets ensures the salt permeates the flesh, making for a more delicious result. Don’t toss that fish skin! There’s no point leaving it on the trout in this recipe because it won’t be crispy, but Cosco uses it to make fish skin chips. “I’ll cut it into little triangles, put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, layer parchment paper overtop and another cookie sheet , and put them in the oven until they’re crispy. It makes these perfect Dorito-like chips,” he says. Don’t knock ’em till you try ’em!

Ice cream cakes and/or cookies are everyone’s favourite. And here’s a great option for a delicious “Dad’s” cookie cake that’s gluten free! A simple-to-make cookie cake that’s made even easier when the dough is tossed together in a food processor. End a delicious Dad’s Day meal with this deliciously cool and creamy sweet dessert. Best beer? Extra yum when served with small glasses of chocolate-flavoured stout or porter. When Dad loves his cookies We made this delicious dessert into a cake, but it can easily be made into individual ice cream cookies. Roll out dough into 1/4 inch (6 mm) thickness and cut into 2 inch (5 cm) rounds. Bake, cool, and chill. Once chilled, spoon ice cream in between chilled cookies. Freeze until firm. Drizzle with melted chocolate or dip into melted chocolate.

These savoury gluten-free cookies will be the unexpected hit of your holiday gathering. Make sure to source sweet rice flour for this recipe. This type of rice flour is ground from short-grain glutinous rice and, although it’s called “sweet,” it has a mild, almost milky flavour that’s not at all sugary. Sometimes you’ll find this flour labelled as “mochiko.” The sky is the limit for fillings in these savoury cookies. Other great options include olive tapenade, pesto, or hot red pepper jelly with blue cheese.

These are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast, on-the-run snack, or post-workout nosh. This recipe makes a lot of large cookies, but fear not: They freeze beautifully. This means they’ll be close at hand when a cookie craving strikes.

This large-format dreamboat of a cookie (crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle) stars plenty of gooey dark chocolate, which can legitimately bring on feelings of calmness and perk up your mood. Cut this Zen-like pie into wedges and feel good about serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If needed, an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend can replace the spelt flour.

These cookies are the heartiest, most complete, yet delicious cookies you will ever eat, no matter the name. It’s a cookie you can feel good about feeding your family (or snacking on yourself). I love cookies with lots of nuts and seeds, as they feel so satisfying. These cookies also freeze very well, so you might want to consider doubling your batch.

I love these cookies because I always have the ingredients on hand to make them. Plus, since they’re so easy to make, they’re a great way to get my daughter involved in the kitchen. Raisin the Bar These cookies taste just as yummy with raisins if you don’t want the refined sugar in chocolate chips.

A cross between cookie dough and a chewy oatmeal cookie, these bites also pack a good protein boost from the almond butter. Where should you get CBD? At your local natural health retailer, staff can recommend reputable CBD brands that test their products for purity.

Consider this swoon-worthy dessert hybrid of cookie and tart your secret weapon for entertaining, since it easily feeds a crowd. A tender crust is bejewelled with a fruity, creamy fool (a traditional English dessert) that will send your guests home on a high note. Both the crust and fool can be made in advance, but it’s best to assemble everything shortly before serving to prevent the cookie base from turning too soft.

These cookies are a favourite of grown-ups and kids alike, especially in my home! I love these cookies because I always have the ingredients on hand to make them. Plus, since they’re so easy to make, they’re a great way to get my daughter involved in the cooking. They taste just as yummy with raisins if you don’t want the refined sugar in chocolate chips.

These spice-kissed breakfast cookies are a perfect way to start your morning. By giving them, you’ll ensure your host also has a sunny start to their day. Oats and quinoa both provide a good amount of dietary fibre, which helps you feel satiated until your next meal. Tip Customize your breakfast cookies by substituting any nuts, seeds, or dried fruit you have on hand for the cranberries and pumpkin seeds.

This protein-packed smoothie will fuel you up for all the merriment of the season. The recipe will make more coconut sprinkles than needed, but they’re great for adding a festive touch to plenty of seasonal dishes. Go (coco)nuts Experiment with different natural color dyes for the sprinkles. Just mix 1 Tbsp fruit or vegetable juice with 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut. Carrot juice, raspberry juice, blueberry juice and kale juice will all yield beautiful results.

These are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast, on-the-run snack, or post-workout nosh. This recipe makes a lot of large cookies, but fear not, they freeze beautifully. This means they’ll be close at hand when a cookie craving strikes. Tip To make these cookies even more indulgent, try adding a handful of vegan mini chocolate chips.

This recipe is a little diversion from a traditional path to wellness. Cookies aren’t typically on the list. Made with virgin coconut oil, this delicious melt-in-your-mouth wafer containing both spirulina and dark chocolate are excellent components of your healing diet. All you need is just one to satisfy the palate and get a dose of goodness into you. Tip It’s important to cool cookies thoroughly before dipping into chocolate, as they’re very light and flaky. For perfect results, freeze cookies until firm before dipping and chilling.

Decorating sugar cookies at this time of year is a great family tradition. This protein-packed smoothie lets you have your cookie and eat it too, while fueling up for all the merriment of the season. This recipe will make more coconut sprinkles than needed, but they’re great for adding a festive touch to plenty of seasonal dishes. Tip Try experimenting with different natural colour dyes for the sprinkles. Just mix 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fruit or vegetable juice with 1/4 cup (60 mL) unsweetened shredded coconut. Carrot juice, raspberry juice, blueberry juice, and kale juice will all yield beautiful results.

This wholesome ode to the packaged cream pie cookie combines a very grown-up flavour combination of warming spices, molasses, chocolate, and sesame. Vegan, unprocessed, and free of added refined sugars, it’s a nostalgic tribute that still feels like a treat. Molasses keeps the cookies chewy for a few days. Tip Use white chocolate instead of dark for a sweet, caramelized flavour that marries beautifully with ginger and tahini. And, if it’s handy, a grating of orange zest in the filling is tasty in both dark and white chocolate versions.

The flavours of an oatmeal raisin cookie come together in this balanced smoothie bowl. A surefire, scrumptious way to sustain a lengthy ride or recover spent muscles. Tip Turn any cookie into a cookie smoothie bowl by using this recipe as a base. Try peppermint chocolate (replace the cinnamon and raisins with chocolate and peppermint), peanut butter (replace almond butter with peanut butter; skip the raisins), or classic chocolate chip (replace raisins with chocolate chips).

Heart-healthy ingredients such as whole grain flour, oats, and olive oil easily replace the typical white flour, refined sugar, and butter often found in this classic cookie. Try making your own chia jam by mixing 2 cups (500 mL) cooked berries with 2 Tbsp (30 mL) chia seeds and some lemon and maple syrup, to taste.

Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfectly spiced with cardamom, a spice used in many traditional Scandinavian baked goods. These fragrant cookies use just one bowl, and can be jazzed up with any dried fruit you like (or chocolate chips). Tip: Find spelt flakes in natural health food stores or bulk stores.

Butter is replaced in the classic chocolate chip cookie with a touch of fruity olive oil. Loaded with almonds and dark chocolate chips, and accented with orange, it’s a snack worthy of your cookie jar. Tip: To make these cookies nut free, replace almonds with toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.

When a snack attack hits, there’s no time to wait for an oven to preheat. These healthy cookie dough bites come together in a New York minute so you can crush your craving fast! 3 Medjool dates 4 dried apricots 1 tsp (5 mL) coconut oil 1/4 cup (60 mL) pumpkin purée 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract 1 cup (250 mL) gluten-free organic rolled oats 3 Tbsp (45 mL) coconut flour 2 Tbsp (30 mL) hemp hearts 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cardamom 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) ground ginger 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) ground cloves Pinch of finely ground black pepper 1 cup (250 mL) grated carrot 1/4 cup (60 mL) unsweetened shredded coconut, for garnish In bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade attachment, pulse together dates, apricots, coconut oil, pumpkin purée, and vanilla until well combined and dates and apricots have broken down into small pieces. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add rolled oats, coconut flour, hemp hearts, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, pepper, and carrot. Process until well combined and mixture sticks together when pinched between your fingers. Roll mixture into walnut-sized balls before coating in coconut. Devour right away or refrigerate on parchment-lined baking sheet for a few hours and savour later. Cookie dough bites also freeze beautifully stored in an airtight container. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating. Makes 16 cookie dough bites. Each cookie dough bite contains: 74 calories; 2 g protein; 3 g total fat (2 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 11 g total carbohydrates (5 g sugars, 2 g fibre); 8 mg sodium source: " Smart Snacking ", alive #387, January 2015

(pictured with Harvest Pecan Pumpkin Hummus, left) The chickpea flavour disappears into the background, leaving you with pure cookie dough bliss. This also makes a sneakily healthy after-school snack. 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) cooked chickpeas 2 Tbsp (30 mL) almond butter or peanut butter 2 Tbsp (30 mL) coconut oil, room temperature 2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract 1/4 tsp (1 mL) sea salt 1/4 cup (60 mL) mini dairy-free chocolate chips Place all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in food processor. Purée until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides if necessary. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and stir in chocolate chips. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with apple slices, pear slices, or celery sticks for dipping. Once chilled, hummus can also be rolled into bite-sized balls and served as cookie dough “truffles.” Hummus can be kept covered in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Serves 6. Each serving contains: 193 calories; 5 g protein; 11 g total fat (6 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 22 g carbohydrates (10 g sugars, 3 g fibre); 103 mg sodium source: " Heightened Hummus ", alive #383, September 2014