Lamb Tagine with Artichokes and Mint

In Morocco, tagines, or stews, are cooked in a special pottery dish called a tagine slaoui, which has a conical lid that helps capture the steam to produce moist stews in thick sauces. You can use a large Dutch oven or saucepan for similar results. Serve this stew with couscous or warmed flatbreads.

Creamy Pasta with Broccoli

This creamy pasta fools you into thinking it's sinfully rich. The evaporated milk is the culprit: it is much lower in fat than cream. Plus, it has 80 per cent more calcium than regular milk. Chicken provides protein in combination with pasta, a carbohydrate. Did we mention that it tastes good, too?

Santa Fe Pot Roast

This updated standby has a bit of a kick, which can turn into a punch by adding 2 tbsp (25 mL) more chilies. If you can't find canned chilies, use half a sweet green pepper plus 1/2 tsp (2 mL) hot pepper sauce.

Meat Lasagna with Spinach and Sausage

Beef Ramen Soup

Fresh grilled steak tossed with veggies, ramen, beef stock and a splash of teriyaki make this savoury soup a quick comfort classic. 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

A favourite dish made in the fall when peppers are at their peak. 2 1/2 cups of fresh, peeled, diced tomatoes can be substituted for the canned in tomato season.

Sweet-and-Sour Braised Beef with Prunes

Prunes flavour this rich sweet-and-sour beef stew. If using beef stock instead of beer, reduce the salt by half.

Tomato Vegetable Clam Chowder

The tomato base of this Manhattan-style chowder highlights the sweet, sea-salt flavour of fresh clams. Set a few clam shells aside to garnish each bowl.

Mushroom Bourguignon

This hearty vegetarian meal tastes delicious served with a side of mashed potatoes.

Curried Tofu Patties

These light, delicious “burgers” showcase the versatility of tofu. Easy-to-crumble extra-firm tofu makes a terrific vegetarian “ground beef,” which, when mixed with a variety of finely chopped vegetables, becomes a great vegetarian alternative to hamburgers. Serve with lemon wedges and a green salad, or in a pita with all the fixings.