Show all the dads in your life how much you appreciate all that they do by making a delicious meal in their honour this Father’s Day (or any other day of the year, there aren’t many dads who would turn down a healthy, homemade meal!). From brunch to backyard barbecue, there’s a dad-approved recipe for any time of day!
Serve up a DIY waffle bar
Skip the mediocre restaurant breakfast buffet option and assemble a build-your-own waffle bar in the comfort of your own home (and stay in your pajamas the entire time!). Make your own waffles from scratch or purchase a good-quality frozen version and serve while hot alongside any of his favourite waffle toppings. Keep it simple with maple syrup or make some next-level waffle toppings using fresh ingredients such as finely diced fruit, berries, fruit compote, nonfat plain yogurt mixed with a swirl of honey, dark chocolate chips or shredded coconut.
Grill up some cedar plank salmon
Soak cedar planks in cold water or white wine for 2-4 hours before grilling the salmon (or experiment with Applewood, oak or maple planks). Grilling salmon using the plank method produces delicious results without the use of excess fat (not to mention the salmon sticking to the grill). Try rubbing the salmon with a homemade or store-bought spice rub or use bottled jerk seasoning to add plenty of complex flavour with little heat. Serve the salmon with grilled veggies and boiled new potatoes.
Sweeten up on sweet potatoes
Baked or barbecued whole sweet potatoes or yams are all you need to create the base for a tasty and vitamin A-rich plant-based entrée. Cook the sweet potatoes until creamy-soft in the centre and top with nonfat plain yogurt, pico de gallo, salsa verde, grilled or roasted vegetables or guacamole. Ground or shredded turkey and chicken breast can also be used as toppings for extra protein (and will make an incredibly filling meal in combination with the fibre-rich sweet potatoes).
Slide in with sliders
Sliders make perfect Father’s Day fare, they can be adapted to suit any taste and can be served as an appetizer or as the main meal. Experiment with different types of protein when making sliders; ground turkey, chicken, black beans, quinoa, and tofu can all be used to make amazing sliders either in the oven, the grill or even in a pressure cooker! Use traditional burger toppings for your sliders or experiment with ingredients from around the globe such as hummus, tzatziki, pickled vegetables, kimchi, blue cheese or salsa.
Serve an in-season strawberry shortcake for dessert
Father’s Day occurs right in the middle of strawberry season, which means strawberry shortcake is a logical choice for a dessert course (or the strawberry-based dessert of your choice). For the shortcake, use boxed biscuit mix or make your own from scratch; don’t apply the strawberries and whipped topping while the shortcake is still warm or else the ingredients will melt into the shortcake. Not a strawberry fan? Try using other seasonal fruit such as blueberries or pitted cherries