LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2019

delicious & NUTRITIOUS from page 70

1 Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). 2 Cut carrots in 2-inch (5-cm) pieces on the diagonal. Toss with oil and Ras al Hanout. Sea- son with salt. Lay on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 to 40minutes or until ten- der and browned. 3 Combine tahini, water, parsley and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. 4 Drizzle sauce over carrots just before serv- ing. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and pistachios. Serves 4, makes ½ cup (125 mL) sauce Susana Balbo Crios Torrontés VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 1834 $14.95 This flavourful salad calls for the aromatic, fruit-forward nature of this Torrontés from Argentina. Its hint of sweetness, zesty acidity, spiced fruit and orange blos- som flavours provide a contrast to rich tahini sauce while complementing the cilantro, Ras al Hanout and carrot elements. Tawse Cider LCBO 569350, 473 mL $3.25 Discover the food-friendly nature of cider! This local creation presents bright apple tones and a hint of sweet- ness that will harmonize with the exotic flavours in this salad. Its delicate sweetness and lively sparkle will tem- per the heat from the spice and restore the palate. RAS AL HANOUT This will make more than you need. Store the rest in an airtight container in the pantry and use as needed. I usually double the recipe to make sure I have lots of leftovers. WHAT TO SERVE

WHAT TO SERVE Graham’s 20 Years Old Tawny Port LCBO 620641, 500 mL $38.95 Port is well received at any time of the year. This fan- tastic example offers toasted nut, brown sugar, spice and dried fruit tones that will harmonize with similar flavours in the crumble. Its level of sweetness matches that of the dessert, perfecting the match. Palladium Grappa Chardonnay & Strawberry LCBO 898635 $27.20 The light strawberry sweetness in this grappa liqueur will heighten the tart rhubarb and strawberry elements in the dessert. Enjoy it well chilled, straight from the freezer, or serve over ice.

HEALTHY RHUBARB OAT STRAWBERRY CRUMBLE The strawberries sweeten the mixture enough to keep the sugar down. Use almond flour for the crispest topping but, if it’s unavailable, ground almonds work too. These look beautiful when made in individual servings. 1 lb (455 g) rhubarb, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces 1 cup (250 mL) chopped strawberries 3 tbsp (45 mL) packed brown sugar 2 tsp (10 mL) grated fresh ginger TOPPING 1 cup (250 mL) rolled oats (not quick-cooking) ¼ cup (60 mL) almond flour 2 tbsp (30 mL) room-temperature unsalted butter, cubed 2 tbsp (30 mL) packed brown sugar ⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) salt 1 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). 2 Combine rhubarb with strawberries, brown sugar, ginger, star anise and flour, then spoon mixture into a 4-cup (1-L) baking dish (see TIP). Place on a baking sheet. 3 For topping, combine oats, almond flour, butter, sugar and salt in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until mixture has the tex- ture of coarse crumbs. Scatter over rhubarb mixture. 4 Bake until rhubarb is bubbling and topping is crunchy, 45 to 50 minutes, covering with foil after 30 to 40 minutes if browning too 1 star anise, coarsely chopped 2 tbsp (30 mL) whole wheat flour

ROASTED CARROT SALAD WITH HERBED TAHINI , POMEGRANATE SEEDS & PI STACHIOS You can buy the Mediterranean mixture Ras al Hanout, which is a mixture of warm spices with a slight pepperiness. You can also make a sim- ple one (recipe follows). Use Ras al Hanout on steaks or chicken for the barbecue or to give a slight spikiness to vegetables. If making ahead and the tahini sauce thickens, add a little extra water until it’s the desired consistency. 1 lb (455 g) carrots, scrubbed 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil 4 tsp (20 mL) Ras al Hanout ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt SAUCE

1 tbsp (15 mL) coriander seeds 1 tbsp (15 mL) black peppercorns

1½ tsp (7 mL) cumin seeds ½ tsp (2 mL) whole allspice

1½ tsp (7 mL) ground turmeric ½ tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon ½ tsp (2 mL) freshly ground nutmeg

quickly. Serves 4

¼ cup (60 mL) tahini ¼ cup (60 mL) water

1 Toast coriander seeds, peppercorns, cumin and allspice in a dry frying pan over medium heat for about 1 minute or until you can smell the spices. 2 Place in a spice grinder or coffee grinder. Stir in turmeric, cinnamon and nutmeg. Grind together until powdery. Makes about 3 tbsp (45 mL) Ras al Hanout

2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped parsley 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped cilantro ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt Freshly ground pepper to taste GARNISH 2 tbsp (30 mL) pomegranate seeds 2 tbsp (30 mL) pistachios

TIP  For single-serving crumbles, divide rhubarb mixture among four 1-cup (250-mL) ramekins. Scatter a heaped ¼ cup (60 mL) top- ping over each and place on a baking sheet. Bake until rhubarb is bubbling, and topping is crunchy, about 35 minutes.

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94  FOOD & DRI NK SPRING 2019