Vegetarian

The many different mushrooms at your supermarket are all prized for their deep earthy flavours and unique textures. These distinctive vegetables are uniquely the above-the-ground fruit of a below-the-ground fungus. Mushrooms are at their meaty best in a batch of slowly simmering barley cooked like a batch of classic risotto. You’ll fill more than Half Your Plate with this hearty dish!

Bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage prized for its sweet tender flavour and off-the-charts nutritional density. This beautiful vegetable forms heads of tightly clustered light green stems with dark green leaves. This simple dish is our favourite way to cook one of our favourite vegetables and fill Half Your Plate!

Spaghetti squash is known for its distinctive inner threads and their unique resemblance to cooked pasta. That unique texture and sweet flavour anchor this dish and its group of familiar Mediterranean flavours. I love the convenience of the one baking-pan method too. A tasty and easy way to fill Half Your Plate!

Leeks are milder cousins of the onion with a sweet neutral texture that absorbs any flavour and complements everything on your plate. They’re a long cylinder of bundled leaves, easy to cook and a deliciously simple way to fill Half Your Plate.

Green Beans are one of the tastiest and healthiest vegetables in your kitchen repertoire. They’re also one of the easiest, kids love them and steaming beans is super simple. Craving an upgrade though? It’s equally easy to add the addictive scent of sage and garlic toasting in brown butter to the works. What a great way to fill Half Your Plate with classic deliciousness!

There are many, many ways to serve up healthy vegetables but perhaps none as easy or versatile as a classic salad. Here’s how to transform a few simple ingredients into a memorable salad that will easily fill more than Half Your Plate with homemade goodness!

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 MP Pat Finnigan with Chef Michael Smith’s coaching!

Every chef knows how easy it is to jazz up dessert by pureeing fruits into simple sauces. With just a few simple ingredients, a bit of gentle heat and a strong blender you too can transform almost any ripe fruit into a colourful backdrop for almost any dessert. Apricot uniquely creates the smoothest sauce of them all though. Its’ juicy tender flesh and fresh aromatic flavour go well with everything. Even at dessert you can fill Half Your Plate!

This is a delicious condiment to add to your grilling or snacking repertoire. Like any great salsa it’s packed with big, bright, balanced taste that easily complements other ingredients. What a great way to fill Half Your Plate with zesty flavours!

Rhubarb chutney is a tasty condiment side-kick for whatever hits your grill this season. Meat, fish or fowl – even grilled veggie burgers – get a big bright boost from this balanced classic. Rhubarb’s sour tang is mellowed with sweetness, fragrant spices and spicy heat in this make-ahead topping. You can perk up more than Half Your Plate with this fragrant chutney!

Hummus is most often made with dried legumes like chickpeas but it’s just as delicious whipped up with fresh, green peas. Especially when it’s brightened with lots of spicy flavour balanced with cool mint. And what better dipper for dipping such dip than a crispy pita chip? What a great way to fill Half Your Plate with fruits and vegetables!

Parsnips are a root vegetable, the way a plant stores sunshine as sugar. They keep well which makes them a traditional winter vegetable. Their sweet earthy flavour and firm texture means they’re great for slow cooking, especially when they absorb the flavours of a delicious glaze along the way. Parsnips are a great way to fill Half Your Plate with root vegetable goodness.