Celebrate strawberry season with this classic ruby-red jam. The vanilla bean is what makes this the ultimate jam recipe — it elevates the flavour and scent to warm, heady heights. For all you purists out there, simply omit the vanilla.
Traditional mole is a dark, rich sauce that contains a variety of chilies and spices. It's just perfect for this hearty chili – even without the beans. Serve with sour cream and toasted raw pumpkin seeds, or pepitas.
Canned tomatoes and beans add low- cost flavour and filling protein to this satisfying stew, but they're typically high in sodium. Using no-salt-added varieties means you have much more control over how much salt goes into the dish.
High-fibre, low-GI beans add body to this filling main-course soup from "The GI Diet Made Easy" story in our October 2004 issue, and the whole wheat croutons have a little more fibre than store-bought white croutons.
Fresh cilantro also goes by the name of fresh coriander. The combination of the fresh leaves and the dried seeds of this plant fives the lamb a slightly citrusy, herbal taste. Serve the lamb with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans.
Smothered in our two-minute homemade barbecue sauce, these juicy veggie- and fibre-packed mini meat loaves are a nutrient-dense, inexpensive meal that your little ones will gobble up. Serve with steamed green beans and quick-cooking brown rice.
Even the most economical of cuts can be tantalizing when it's slowly cooked to tenderness and warmed by the sunny seasonings of southern France. Serve with mashed parsnips and green beans. Reheat any leftovers in the sauce the next day.
Instead of the usual spaghetti and meatballs in tomato sauce, add some excitement to your weeknight dinner with this twist. You can find fresh pasta refrigerated in the deli section of the grocery store. Serve with green beans or asparagus.
For the tastiest game around, get the kids to churn a can of ice cream inside another ice-filled can by gently kicking and rolling it around. Vanilla beans give the ice cream a real depth of flavour, and the minuscule seeds are attractive.
Melting cheese into poaching liquid makes a quick, smooth sauce. You can substitute a dry white wine for half of the stock. Serve with green beans and roasted squash. A boiled potato tossed in parsley can't be beat as the starch.
