Quaffable beer tips

These days beer comes in a dizzying selection of flavours, in an equally diverse array of cans and bottles that bear labels with amazingly creative artwork. From large producers to microbreweries, there’s a flavoured beer to appeal to almost anyone. For our recipes, we’ve provided our best recommendations based on the recipes, although there’s never just one truly perfect match. Here’s a layperson’s guide to flavours in a widely diverse selection. Let your own beer bias prevail!

IPA stands for India pale ale and is understood to be one of the first brews of the “craft” beer movement. There are many flavours in the IPA grouping, ranging from citrus high notes to hoppy and bitter overtones. Given the immense variety, a flight of IPAs covering a citrus note, hoppy tone, and herbal flavour would be the best way to cover all ranges of taste buds.

LAGER is mild and easy to quaff for the beginner in the crowd. It’s a great bevvy for any grilled or chilled recipe. A honey-flavoured lager is an especially easy sipper. Pilsners fall into this grouping.

PALE ALE , not to be confused with India pale ale, is blonde in colour and has light alcohol content with a hit of malt.

STOUT is a dark and heavier brew stemming from unfermented sugars. Typically sweet overtones, roasted, and somewhat creamy on the tongue. Some brews come with hints of espresso and dark chocolate.

PORTER is much like stout but with a greater suggestion of chocolate overtones.

BELGIAN beers cover the gamut from light to dark and hoppy to citrusy with an enhanced alcohol content.

WHEAT BEER like the grain, is light in colour and in alcohol content—perfect for a summer day.

SOUR BEER is, as it’s called, “sour” as well as tart—perfect for someone with super discerning taste buds.

Everything-But-Meat Salad

If there’s a vegan or vegetarian in the crowd, then this dish will be sure to please. Chock full of complementary textures and flavours, it not only qualifies as eye candy, but is also a substantial stand-alone meal—a stunning meal in a dish!

Ingredients

2 cups (500 mL) packed kale, washed, spun dry, and torn into bite-sized pieces

1 Tbsp + 1/4 cup (15 mL + 60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 head Romaine, washed, spun dry, and shredded

1/2 head radicchio, shaved

4 large curly endive leaves, washed, spun dry, and torn into bite-sized pieces

1/2 unpeeled cucumber, cut into matchstick pieces

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

1 cup (250 mL) grape tomatoes, halved

4 large radishes, shaved

1 crisp, green unpeeled apple, cored and thinly sliced

1/4 small, sweet onion, shaved into rounds

2 Tbsp (30 mL) seasoned rice vinegar

2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard

1 tsp (5 mL) maple syrup

1/2 tsp (2 mL) sea salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup (125 mL) toasted nuts such as walnuts or hazelnuts, chopped, or pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup (60 mL) hemp hearts

Bestbeer?

Serve this salad with an IPA or pale ale. For a more adventurous sip, it’s equally delicious with a Belgian pale or dark ale.

In large bowl, place kale and drizzle with 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oil; using your fingertips, rub oil into leaves to soften. Add Romaine, radicchio, endive, cucumber, carrot, tomatoes, radishes, apple slices, and sweet onion, separated into rings. In small bowl, combine vinegar, mustard, syrup, salt, and pepper. Whisk to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup (60 mL) oil until emulsified. Drizzle over salad and gently toss to coat. Top salad with nuts and hemp hearts.

EACH SERVING OF 6 CONTAINS: 265 calories; 6 g protein; 21 g total fat (3 g sat. fat); 16 g total carbohydrates (9 g sugars, 5 g fibre); 339 mg sodium

From Cake To Cookies

We made this delicious dessert into a cake, but it can easily be made into individual ice cream cookies. Roll out dough into 1/4 in (6 mm) thickness and cut into 2 in (5 cm) rounds. Bake, cool, and chill. Once chilled, spoon ice cream in between chilled cookies. Freeze until firm. Drizzle with melted chocolate or dip into melted chocolate.

Bestbeer?

Extra yum when served with small glasses of chocolate-flavoured stout or porter.

GF Almond Tahini Ice Cream Cookie Cake

Ice cream cakes and/or cookies are everyone’s favourite. And here’s a great option for a delicious cookie cake that’s gluten free! A simple-to-make treat that’s made even easier when the dough is tossed together in a food processor. End a delicious outdoor feast with this cool and creamy sweet dessert.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (625 mL) gently packed ground almonds, preferably raw almonds

6 pitted dates

3 Tbsp (45 mL) blonde tahini

2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup

1 Tbsp (15 mL) miso paste

2 Tbsp (30 mL) buckwheat flour (optional)

2 cups (500 mL) prepared vanilla ice cream or frozen dairy alternative

1 oz (28 g) dark chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Lightly grease two 8 in (10 cm) round cake pans and line bottoms and sides with greased parchment paper.

In food processor, place ground almonds, dates, tahini, syrup, and miso paste, and pulse until it all comes together. Add buckwheat (or other type of gluten-free flour) if mixture is too moist. Mixture should be crumbly but able to stick together when pinched with your fingertips.

Divide mixture among prepared pans. Press with your fingertips into evenly packed crust right to edges. Bake in oven for 10 to 12 minutes until dough is almost firm when touched. Remove pans to rack to cool completely.

Soften ice cream just enough to be spreadable. Spoon on top of one of the chilled cookie cakes and smooth out to sides in an even layer. Remove cookie from cake pan and place on top of ice cream, gently pressing down. Place in freezer overnight to completely firm up.

To serve, remove cake from freezer and turn out onto flat serving plate or wooden board. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Using warm knife, cut cake into wedges and serve immediately.

EACH SERVING CONTAINS: 268 calories; 9 g protein; 13 g total fat (3 g sat. fat); 30 g total carbohydrates (18 g sugars, 3 g fibre); 43 mg sodium