LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2015

FLAVOURS  PURE & SIMPLE

Roast ½ cup (125 mL) each unsalt- ed sunflower and pumpkin seeds (pepitas), ¼ cup (60 mL) hemp hearts, and 2 tbsp (30 mL) chia seeds. Process until finely ground. Then add 2 tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup, 1 tbsp (15 mL) coconut or vegetable oil, 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla and a pinch of salt. Makes ¾ cup (175 mL) USES : Stir into liquid ingre­ dients of your granola recipe, before tossing with oats and baking. Dollop onto yogurt along with fresh peaches and nectarines. Vanilla Maple Multi‑Seed

Roast 1 cup (250 mL) salted or unsalted pistachios. Process until nut butter begins to form. Add 1 tbsp (15 mL) tahini, 1 tsp (5 mL) za’atar, ½ tsp (2 mL) smoked papri- ka, ¼ tsp (1 mL) cayenne and salt to taste. Makes ¾ cup (175 mL) USES: Spread over crostinis, top with a slice of goat cheese and roasted cherry tomato halves. Thin with yogurt; use as a dip for vegetables or grilled pita. Smoked Pistachio with Za’atar

Roast 1 cup (250 mL) maca- damia nuts. Process until nut butter begins to form. Add 1 tbsp (15 mL) coconut or veg- etable oil, ½ tsp (2 mL) ginger, ¼ tsp (1 mL) each of carda- mom and cayenne, generous pinch each of nutmeg, cloves and fennel seed. Add salt to taste. Makes ¾ cup (175 mL) USES: Add texture and fla­ vour to a marinade made with coconut milk or yogurt. Excellent for Indian or Thai chicken, pork or tofu dishes. Chai Chili Macadamia Nut

TIPS

➤ The amount of oil needed will be depen- dent on the freshness of your nuts. It also helps makes the butter a bit creamier. Co- conut oil gives the nut butters great tex- ture, but if you’re refrigerating your nut butter, it will harden, so butter may need to be reprocessed.

➤ The best-flavoured butters come from buying fresh nuts (store them in your freezer if not us- ing right away). Toast the nuts beforehand, then process the nuts while still warm. While home- made nut butter will never be as smooth and creamy as store-bought, you can customize it to your taste.

➤ Nut and seed butters are an easy way to incorporate a heart-healthy snack (they may help lower your cholesterol) into your meals. While the nuts and seeds may be high in calories, this is offset by the fact they are rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids and contain fibre, too.

138  FOOD & DRI NK AUTUMN 2015