Once you start making homemade perogies, there's no going back to storebought ones - your kids will boycott them. Revamp your old way of thinking and make them with spelt flour for more nutrition and try a cheeseless cheesy filling.

3 cups spelt flour

1/3 tsp salt

1/4 pound of butter

2 tbsp sour cream

1 egg, whisked

3/4 cups warm water

Blend flour and butter in bowl till crumbly. Add rest of ingredients and mix until smooth. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a quarter of the dough to an 1/8 of an inch thickness. Using a large mouth cup as a cookie cutter, press circle cut-outs onto dough. Take one cut-out into your hand and add about a tbsp of filling to the centre of the cut-out. Fold edge over to create a half moon shape and pinch edges closed. Once you have a batch ready, bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, drop about 10 perogies into pot and cook until they float - about three minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, then continue cooking the remainder of the perogies. Allow to cool and dry off on a platter. Once cooled and dry, freeze if desired or store in fridge for up to four days. To prepare perogies for a meal, heat olive oil on medium low, add chopped onions and perogies on top. Cook until lightly browned.

2 cups spelt flour

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup warm water

1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and knead till smooth. Cover bowl with a towel and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Continue with process as in above instructions.

Filling

4 medium potatoes

1 sweet potato

1 large carrot

1 large onion

1/2 tsp salt, garlic powder and onion powder

1 tbsp butter, or vegan butter

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

Boil potatoes, sweet potato and carrot till soft. In a food processor, process onions, add warm veggies and seasonings, along with butter and nutritional yeast. Process to a mashed potato consistency. Let cool before filling perogies.

2 cups *buckwheat noodles, cooked (or 4 cups cauliflower for cauliflower rice, a grain free option) 1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup each: sweet potatoes, cubed and broccoli, bite size florets, steamed. 1 cup each: red cabbage and kale, sliced finely ½ red bell pepper, diced

Dressing:

½ cup vegetable stock (low sodium and gluten free) ¼ cup tahini, raw 1 lime, juice of 1 tsp. maple syrup, pure ( grade B) 1 tsp. each: garlic & ginger, minced Sea salt & pepper to taste 1 chili pepper, sliced (optional) Garnish with sprouts, dulse, black sesame seeds and lemon, if desired.

Instructions:

1. Prepare noodles according to manufacturer directions. OR add cauliflower to a food processer and pulse until it resembles rice. Add to serving bowls. 2. Divide each ingredient into quarters and top noodles with black beans, sweet potatoes, broccoli, red cabbage, kale, and peppers. 3. Whisk together vegetable stock, tahini, lime juice, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and chili in a small bowl. Drizzle over toppings and garnish. Power Foods 101 is written by Dr. Joël, ND. In this book Naturopathic Dr. Joël shares her knowledge gathered from her over 25 years in practice at her clinic Revivelife™; teaching at the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation (ORCF) training with world leaders in their field. Power Foods 101 is in support of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. For more info visiit www.powerfoods101.com

With our long winters and seemingly short summers we want to spend as much time as possible outdoors during the summer season, instead of our kitchens, which is why I love rice bowls as a simple dinner idea.

It's the easiest dinner idea ever, and can be tailored to your own taste buds, and even those of finicky family members. They can also be prepared in advance and they will keep in the fridge for a few days, making yummy leftovers for lazier days when you just don't feel like cooking. What's more, by adding toppings of your choice, they become nutritional powerhouses.

Prepare rice according to directions. Organic brown basmati rice is my favourite. Prepare ahead of time if desired, then just reheat. Simply prepare the rice, add the toppings, then drizzle with dressing. My favourite dressing is the lemon tahini one, but you can use whatever dressing you prefer.

½ cup of olive oil

½ cup of lemon juice (I keep a bottle of organic lemon juice in the fridge for easy access)

2 heaping tbsp raw tahini

2 cloves of garlic (or more if you prefer a more garlicky flavour)

½ tsp Himalayan salt (or sea salt)

2 heaping tbsp nutritional yeast flakes Blend all ingredients in a blender or a Magic Bullet.

Italian dressing

½ cup of olive oil

¼ cup of white balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp of Italian seasoning

Mix in a jar and shake before serving.

Nutritional yeast

Adding nutritional yeast to foods is a great way to add nutrition to your meals. Nutritional yeast is high in B12 vitamins and is a complete protein, meaning it has all nine of the amino acids your body needs, but cannot produce on its own. Aside from using it in dressings, try sprinkling it over mashed potatoes, into soups, baked vegetables and other foods.

Tahini

Tahini provides one of the best sources of calcium out there. It's also high in B vitamins, and vitamin E, as well as minerals like magnesium, potassium and iron. It's also a complete protein.

Rice bowls are particularly scrumptious when loaded with toppings, but you can let your family members choose their own toppings for their rice bowls.

Grated fresh carrots

Grated fresh beets

Hemp seeds

Sunflower seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Walnuts or almonds

Chickpeas toasted or fresh

Falafels

Avocado

Sprouts

Fresh peas

Mixed baby greens

6-9 Kamut* lasagna noodles (or any other lasagne noodle) 450 grams firm organic tofu, drained and crumbled

¾ cup hummus

½ cup nutritional yeast

1 cup chopped fresh spinach, or frozen spinach

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp dried basil

3 cups of marinara sauce

Homemade marinara sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¾ cup hummus

1 large yellow onion

5 large garlic cloves, minced

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1/8 cup water

3 tbsp dried basil

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

Heat olive oil in a medium-sized pot on medium low. Add garlic and onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, including the juice from the diced tomatoes and the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer for at least half an hour. The sauce becomes more flavourful when simmered for a couple of hours.

Boil the lasagne noodles according to instructions on the package. Rinse under cold water and set aside. In a bowl, crumble the tofu by hand into fine crumbs, then add in the rest of the ingredients, except for marinara sauce. Blend well to meld flavours together. In an 8X8-inch baking dish pour marinara sauce just to add a small layer on bottom. Top with one layer of noodles, then spoon sauce on top, followed by a few tablespoons of the "cheese" mixture. Layer lasagne on top and repeat to use up the remainder of the ingredients. Be sure to finish the top layer with sauce and "cheese' mixture. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

*Kamut is a wonderfully healthy choice for pasta. It's low in gluten, easy to digest and chock full of nutrients.