Dan Clapson shares four farm-fresh recipes celebrating the Canadian Prairies

The Prairies may evoke images of flat lands where howling winds create snowdrifts as high as cars, but “it’s a dry cold,” as they say. But they lean into all things comfort foods and preserving. Dan Clapson shares four Prairie-inspired recipes to warm you up this winter. 

The Caribou Cocktail

This drink has a storied history and allegedly one that initially involved caribou blood, but today, the homemade Caribou cocktail can be viewed as mulled wine with a kick. 

Bison Cabbage Roll Soup

Cabbage rolls are one of the most beloved comfort foods in the Prairies. With many folks having Ukrainian family roots, a made-with-love-by-somebody’s-baba batch of cabbage rolls is never more than a stone’s throw away. This soup is an ode to the dish but further embraces Prairie ingredients by using ground bison instead of beef, sage, and a little chilli vodka from a famous Saskatoon distillery for a kick.

Roasted Squash and Halloumi Salad

This grillable cheese helps take this squash and apple salad to the next level. 

Mustard and Brown Sugar-Glazed Meatloaf

There is plenty of nostalgia to be found in meatloaf. This one features Canadian beef puréed dried red lentils and a deliciously easy-to-make mustard and brown sugar glaze that fits this cookbook.