Salads are so simple, yet they add the perfect accompaniment or entree for almost any meal. Generally when we think of salad we think of just vegetables or fruits, but sometimes adding that one extra ingredient or two can make the world of difference.
This salad is so simple but so sexy, it offers so many different flavors, we promise your mouth will be in shock.
Pancetta Pear Hazelnut Garden Salad (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
Salad:
1 Box of pre-washed fresh mixed garden lettuce
2 Chives finely chopped
2 Handfuls of chopped hazelnuts
8-12 Slices of pancetta (sliced and diced)
2 pears cut into 1/8's
Parmesan cheese shavings
Dressing:
3 Tsp of Dijon mustard
3 Tsp of Honey
1/8 Cup of Extra virgin olive oil
The juice of 1/4 a lemon
4 Pinches of Ground Sea Salt
8 Turns of Ground Pepper
Putting it Together:
Salad:
Make the dressing, adding the ingredients in order into a measuring cup or bowl, mix everything well together with a fork or small whisk, set aside.
In a frying pan add a couple swigs of extra virgin olive oil, turn the burner heat to medium, add the pears which should be peeled of skin and cut in to 1/8's. Let the pears cook for about 2 mins, then add your chopped pancetta slices and chopped hazelnuts. Let them cook until they are golden brown. Once finished, set this aside in a separate dish.
Take out four salad bowls or plates, start by placing two nice handfuls of lettuce on each plate, then put and equal amount of the finely chopped chives. Add your pancetta, pear and hazelnut mixture, equally divided of course, place on top of your lettuce and chives. Pour your already prepared dressing on each plate, then top each plate of with some parmesan cheese shaving, and the best part...serve and eat.
Hint: The easiest way to make parmesan cheese shavings is to use a vegetable peeler and to simply run it along the side of your parmesan chunk.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Review: La Montee de Lait
Date Visited: August 1st 2010
This quaint restaurant located at 5171 Saint-Laurent proved to be a great find. Sunday brunch was the plan and La Montee de Lait delivered.
What brunch would be complete without a Mimosa. So to start two Mimosa's and two cappucino's it was. The Mimosa's unlike many we've had were perfectly balanced, the bubbly was strong in character and was not overpowered by too much orange. The cappucino's served in double paned glasses and ample milk froth were a nice accompaniment for what followed.
Compliments of the Chef: Strawberry Oatmeal Cocoa Tarts. They were an excellent start to the meal, and when strawberries come from Quebec, its even better.
My Choice: Steak and Eggs. A poached egg, served on 2 chunks of beef, all served on a bed of sauteed onions and what I'd call a homeade coleslaw. The egg poached just right and the steak was cooked as should, medium rare. Both were tasty and the steak was not overspiced, which is too often the case. The homemade coleslaw and sauteed onions were a good contrast, however we found the vinaigrette to be slightly overpowering, which urged me to avoid enjoying the steak with the homemade coleslaw, which was the intended idea of the dish.
Her Choice: Crispy Halibut and Tomato Gazpacho. I'll be honest, I took my first bite of this dish and my immediate reaction was jealousy. The Halibut was tender and covered with a crispy light batter, served with fresh corn, and a homemade yogourt sauce. All presented on a slab of wood. Eloquent and delightful, everything on the main portion of this dish worked well. Were it went wrong was the gazpacho. Served at the right temperature, this soup was just too acidic and had too much tart. Ive always learnt that a great gazpacho should just melt in your mouth. This one kind of stung.
Dessert: Bread Pudding with a side of Caramel Ice Cream (we couldn't resist). A great combination, the bread pudding, although not large in size was large in flavor. It was soft and moist. The Caramel Ice Cream (not sure if it was homemade) was not overly sweet and had a great aftertaste.
All in all our experience was satisfying. The service was excellent and courteous. The waiter was informative and knowledgeable. The ambiance was warm and the crowd was tamer then your average Sunday Brunch gang, which was appreciated. Most importantly the food was very good. If you're looking for and affordable brunch experience, that will provide you with good food, great location and friendly service. La Montee de Lait is a great start.
Food: 8.2/10
Service: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 7.9/10
Price: 8.6/10
Overall: 8.3
Check them out here: www.lamonteedelait.com
This quaint restaurant located at 5171 Saint-Laurent proved to be a great find. Sunday brunch was the plan and La Montee de Lait delivered.
What brunch would be complete without a Mimosa. So to start two Mimosa's and two cappucino's it was. The Mimosa's unlike many we've had were perfectly balanced, the bubbly was strong in character and was not overpowered by too much orange. The cappucino's served in double paned glasses and ample milk froth were a nice accompaniment for what followed.
Compliments of the Chef: Strawberry Oatmeal Cocoa Tarts. They were an excellent start to the meal, and when strawberries come from Quebec, its even better.
My Choice: Steak and Eggs. A poached egg, served on 2 chunks of beef, all served on a bed of sauteed onions and what I'd call a homeade coleslaw. The egg poached just right and the steak was cooked as should, medium rare. Both were tasty and the steak was not overspiced, which is too often the case. The homemade coleslaw and sauteed onions were a good contrast, however we found the vinaigrette to be slightly overpowering, which urged me to avoid enjoying the steak with the homemade coleslaw, which was the intended idea of the dish.
Her Choice: Crispy Halibut and Tomato Gazpacho. I'll be honest, I took my first bite of this dish and my immediate reaction was jealousy. The Halibut was tender and covered with a crispy light batter, served with fresh corn, and a homemade yogourt sauce. All presented on a slab of wood. Eloquent and delightful, everything on the main portion of this dish worked well. Were it went wrong was the gazpacho. Served at the right temperature, this soup was just too acidic and had too much tart. Ive always learnt that a great gazpacho should just melt in your mouth. This one kind of stung.
Dessert: Bread Pudding with a side of Caramel Ice Cream (we couldn't resist). A great combination, the bread pudding, although not large in size was large in flavor. It was soft and moist. The Caramel Ice Cream (not sure if it was homemade) was not overly sweet and had a great aftertaste.
All in all our experience was satisfying. The service was excellent and courteous. The waiter was informative and knowledgeable. The ambiance was warm and the crowd was tamer then your average Sunday Brunch gang, which was appreciated. Most importantly the food was very good. If you're looking for and affordable brunch experience, that will provide you with good food, great location and friendly service. La Montee de Lait is a great start.
Food: 8.2/10
Service: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 7.9/10
Price: 8.6/10
Overall: 8.3
Check them out here: www.lamonteedelait.com
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