Half Your Plate

One of the best ways to fill Half Your Plate (and all of your soup bowl) is with a simple puréed soup. They’re a time-honoured and super-simple way to get a whole lot of vegetable flavour on the table in a hurry – maybe even hide vegetables from finicky eaters. This one was custom created by Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick with Chef Michael Smith’s coaching!

One of the best ways to fill Half Your Plate (and all of your soup bowl) is with a simple puréed soup. They’re a time-honoured and super-simple way to get a whole lot of vegetable flavour on the table in a hurry – maybe even hide vegetables from finicky eaters. This one was custom created by Health Minister Terry Lake with Chef Michael Smith’s coaching!

Parsnips are my all-time favourite root vegetable, which makes them ideal for roasting. Their sweet earthy flavour and firm texture are complemented with just a hint of delicious sharpness. My kids call them ‘white carrots’ and love when Dad fills up Half Their Plate with their tasty goodness.

You can fill more than Half Your Plate with this traditional Indian dish. It’s a complete vegetarian meal and a super-simple way to fill all your plate with big flavour and a last-second blast of dark green nutrition. You’ll love the bright finishing touch baby spinach adds to the dish and how easy it is to try this healthy trick anytime you cook up your favourite soup, stew or pasta!

Pumpkins are not just for carving into pretty faces they’re vegetables, so you can eat them too! As members of the squash family they’re deliciously versatile, inexpensive and packed with nutrients. Your best choice for cooking though are not the various jack-o-lantern varieties, they tend to be too big and bland. Instead, try this simple yet stunning idea with a few mini decorative pumpkins during harvest. With all this seasonal flavour they’re a great way to fill Half Your Plate!

You can fill more than Half Your Plate with this traditional Kenyan dish. It’s a complete vegetarian meal and so tasty that you just might end up filling all your plate. It’s often made with old-fashioned maize but even tastier with sweet corn.

This is a delicious way to fill Half Your Plate during grilling season with a unique technique and fun group of flavours. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to grill watermelon and how well these tantalizing tastes complement each other.

You haven’t lived until you’ve slow roasted a tomato. This simple method unlocks the deepest possible flavour from just about any tomato. A long slow roast surrounded by lots of aromatic flavours easily melts whole baby tomatoes into a tasty sauce for your favourite pasta that more than fills Half Your Plate!

Celery gets top billing in this amped-up picnic classic. No back-up role this time. Ubiquitous and surprisingly healthy celery steps up with cool crisp texture and light aromatic flavour to balance the earthy potatoes. Tossed in lemony dressing they come together as an awesome way to fill Half Your Plate!

This time-honoured meal-in-a-pan is a wonderfully tasty way to show off your favourite potatoes any time of the day. Toss in some crisp bacon, crack in a few eggs and you’re ready to fill Half Your Plate with breakfast, lunch or dinner. Next level? For a full plate of flavour just top with a few handfuls of your favourite simple salad!

These quickly pickled cucumbers are half light salad, half bright condiment. You won’t believe how easy it is to simply simmer together an aromatic pickling liquid to soak a mess of sliced cucumbers. These tasty pickles are strong enough to top fish, chicken or pork but light enough to be an excellent side salad. You’ll love filling Half Your Plate with these big bright flavours!

When I toss romaine hearts into my shopping cart, chances are I’m heading home to make my family’s favourite salad. Every cook should know the joy of crafting a true Caesar salad while avoiding the also-ran dressings at the supermarket that never quite measure up to the real thing. Over time we’ve experimented with lots of additional flavours in this salad but, more often than not, I toss in lots of fresh basil leaves and brightly flavoured cherry tomatoes. What a great way to fill Half Your Plate!