A tofu dish any day of the week is always welcome, especially since everyone will love it, without exception. Its sweet and savoury, slightly spicy sauce is made from maple syrup, hoisin sauce and chili crisp. As for the tofu, it’s fried in oil and becomes extremely crispy thanks to the use of cornstarch. Serve it with rice and green vegetables, and we promise even the kids will ask for more.

For busy evenings when you still want to take the time to eat well, turn to this spring-inspired recipe. All you need to do is brush the salmon with a maple syrup, lemon and butter sauce, and then bake it on the same sheet pan as the asparagus. Use the cooking time to whip up a gremolata, made with pecans, capers and lemon, making for a bright and flavourful garnish.

For instant comfort, serve up a hearty bowl of this ham soup garnished with croutons topped with raclette cheese, somewhat like a French onion soup. It’s loaded with cubes of ham, white beans, peas and corn, making it a complete meal.

When sweet potatoes and zucchini meet, you get a sweet combination with just the right crunch. To this mix, add air fryer shrimp, which harmonizes well with the vegetables. This is a lunch salad that’s anything but boring, served with couscous, fresh cilantro and lemon.

Apple and Marmalade Pie

This wonderfully comforting slow cooker dish is always welcome in the heart of the cold season. Simmer the chicken in a fragrant broth with roasted red peppers and green olives. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes, and that’s it. This recipe is budget friendly because it allows you to use jarred peppers when the price of fresh peppers peaks in winter.

In this recipe, use leftover roasted ham by incorporating it into a sauce similar to a Bolognese, where it replaces ground meat. The sauce is made from ham broth, vegetables and tomato paste that simmer until rich and thick. At the end of cooking, add radicchio to balance the sweet taste of the carrots in the sauce with its bitterness, and then add a bit raw as a garnish for extra crunch and finesse. Mixed with pappardelle and a generous dose of Parmesan cheese, it’ll be a pretty fancy dish for entertaining.

With its roasted, golden, maple-glazed cheese and bits of chili that add a touch of spice, this gyro-inspired sandwich is absolutely irresistible. The pita breads are spread with tzatziki sauce and filled with a crunchy red cabbage salad with fresh mint. It’s a delicious lunch that is a refreshing change from the classic Greek chicken sandwich.

A multitude of meals can be made with this juicy, flavourful roasted ham. It can be shredded or sliced once cooked, to add to any pasta dish, quiche or sandwich. Make sure to keep the flavour-rich broth to cook soups (such as pea soup) or to substitute for chicken broth in some recipes. You can also simply serve the ham on its own with vegetables imbued with its flavour.

This Asian-inspired dish will spice up your weeknight dinners. The sauce base consists of red curry, fish sauce and soy sauce, and adds plenty of flavour. Drizzle it over ground beef at the end of cooking, then add baby bok choy, rice noodles, roasted peanuts and cilantro. A round-trip to Asia in under 30 minutes.