LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2020

VEGGIE DELUXE

STUFFED PEPPERS WITH HERBED COUSCOUS, CHICKPEAS & ALMONDS Stuffed peppers get a Moroccan makeover with a punchy pilaf of couscous, chickpeas, almonds and herbs. These vegan peppers could moonlight as a side dish— they would be terrific with leg or rack of lamb. And don’t fret about serving them hot: they are equally delicious at room temperature. 1 ⁄ cups (310 mL) vegetable stock Salt 1 cup (250 mL) whole wheat couscous 3 green onions, thinly sliced, light and dark green parts separated 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can (540 mL) chickpeas, drained, rinsed ⁄ cup (125 mL) diced apricots ⁄ cup (80 mL) chopped cilantro ⁄ cup (80 mL) chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice 1 tsp (5 mL) cumin ⁄ tsp (1 mL) cinnamon Freshly ground pepper to taste 6 sweet peppers (mix of red and yellow) Lemon zest and parsley leaves to garnish 1 In a medium saucepan, heat stock over high heat. Season with salt. When it comes to a boil, stir in couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and transfer to baking pan to cool. 2 In a small frying pan, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil over medium heat. Add light sections of green 3 tbsp (45 mL) extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing ⁄ cup (125 mL) coarsely chopped roasted almonds

10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature sprinkled with lemon zest and parsley leaves.

and membranes. Place pepper halves on parchment-lined bak- ing sheet. Brush both sides with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange cut-sides up. Bake on middle rack until tender and charred around edges, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven. 6 Reduce oven to 375 F (190 C). 7 Using tongs, tip off any liquid inside peppers into couscous mixture. Stir couscous and stuff into pepper cavities, packing it in with back of a spoon. Return to oven and bake until cous- cous is heated through, about

onions. Cook, stirring, for 3 min- utes. Stir in dark sections and garlic. Cook 1 minute. Transfer to pan with couscous. 3 When couscous mixture has cooled, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add chickpeas, apricots, al- monds, herbs, lemon juice, spices and remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil. Season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Set aside. 4 Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). 5 Cut peppers lengthwise in half through stems. Using a pairing knife, remove and discard seeds

Serves 6 to 8

WHAT TO SERVE

Embrace the Mediterranean vibe of these stuffed peppers with Spanish rosé. Its expressive fruit and bright acidity resonate with the herb, chickpea and almond flavours. Gran Feudo Rosado LCBO 165845, $12.95

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HOLIDAY 2020 FOOD & DRINK