3 Strange But Delicious Recipes You’ll Love (Trust Us)

Breaking All The Rules

Getting creative in the kitchen isn’t just about experimenting with different foods; it’s also about using old favourites in news ways- like think-outside-the-box new ways. We’re talking parsnips for breakfast and apples for your main. Sound crazy? We kindly ask that you reserve judgement until you try one of these recipes. We’re pretty sure you’ll find truth in the notion that opposites do, indeed, attract. We promise you’ll love these strange but delicious recipes (trust us on this one).

Abbey Sharp is a registered dietitian and owner of Abbey’s Kitchen.

Beans For Breakfast: High-Protein Avocado Smash Toast With Roasted Tomatoes

While breakfast sausage, yogurt and eggs have become well-accepted morning protein staples, we think it’s time to add one more player to the rotation. A large meta-analysis recently found that a diet rich in pulses, such as beans, may help lower total and bad LDL cholesterol, while the unique combination of fibre and protein may help with weight management. One cup of cannellini beans provides 17 grams of protein and 11 grams of fibre – and it does it all for a reasonable 250 calories. Good luck finding a healthy breakfast sandwich or pastry that can provide stats like that!

This recipe upgrades the super-trendy avocado smash toast by adding cannellini beans. The combination of protein, healthy fats and fibre-rich carbs will keep you fuelled until lunch.

Get the recipe: High-Protein Avocado Smash Toast With Roasted Tomatoes

Apples For Dinner: Middle Eastern Turkey-Stuffed Apples With Pomegranate Sauce

We’ve all heard the old adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but most of us reserve our fix for snacktime or dessert. Not anymore! If you can fill apples with sugar and oats and bake them until they’re soft and sweet, why not throw in some ground meat or a vegetarian alternative and serve them for supper? While more research in these areas may be needed before conclusions can be drawn, this Middle Eastern-inspired recipe seems like more than enough of an incentive to take that age-old advice.

Get the recipe: Middle Eastern Turkey-Stuffed Apples With Pomegranate Sauce

photo credit: andrew grinton

Parsnips for Dessert: Healthy Parsnip Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

Sweet, nutty, spicy and herbaceous, parsnips are anything but bland. And while they have long been thought of as the carrot’s pale cousin, their recent popularity on fine-dining menus suggests an overdue shift in thought. Parsnips are a perfect (and inexpensive!) tuber to showcase in savoury sides, often served mashed, fried, roasted and julienned for raw salads. But why not take advantage of their natural sweetness by giving your family’s favourite dessert a high-fibre makeover?

This recipe plays up a typical carrot cake flavour profile, adding extra zing from the zippy parsnips and ginger and, of course, slashing calories by cutting butter with low-fat yogurt. We say these bad boys are healthy enough for lunch boxes but decadent enough for a weekend treat.

Get the recipe: Healthy Parsnip Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

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