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Month: April 2010

Spotlight Montréal: L’Express (Chicken with Mustard Sauce)

yholmes 3 Comments

L’Express

location: 3927 rue St-Denis, Montréal, QC

Any restaurant that begins a meal with cornichons, dijon mustard & bread is made for me. L’Express is a well-known Parisian-style bistro and needs no introductions for lucky Montréalers. It’s been nearly a year since I stumbled upon this gem. If you aren’t looking for it… you will stroll right by without noticing the only marking of its location: its name spelled subtly in white tiles on the sidewalk.

I’ve dined here on every trip to Montréal… and I will be back for round 3 this summer. My first experience was a gorgeous lobster risotto. This last trip I chose a chicken with mustard sauce. I could go on for quite sometime about the perfect sauce… rich and creamy with the perfect amount of lemon. However, I was equally impressed with the preparation of the vegetables: a melee of haricots verts, potatoes, cherry tomatoes and French black olives.

L’Express… I miss you. You are hands down my favorite place to enjoy a meal in Montréal. I love that your plates lack fancy garnishes and are full of only beautifully classic and simple French food. I will see you soon.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
  • olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon garlic
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Coat an oven safe skillet with a little olive oil and place over med/hi heat until hot.
Add chicken skin side down and cook for 3 minutes per side (ending with skin side up). Place skillet in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside to keep warm.

Drain most of the chicken fat from the skillet. Add the butter, shallot and garlic. Season with salt & pepper and saute until translucent.

Add wine or broth to skillet, deglaze by scraping particles that cling to bottom.

Combine flour and 1/2 cup cream, stirring until smooth; add to skillet. Stir in mustard. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Serve chicken with sauce.

Polenta with Swiss Chard & Roasted Tomatoes

yholmes 1 Comment

After many years of mistakes and some dead plants, I have finally grown a green thumb. I’ve been really lucky with a great herb garden but this year I’ve decided to try my hand at some new edibles. My rainbow swiss chard and leeks are growing like mad so the chard was my first harvest. Preparing organic, fresher than fresh and inexpensive vegetables from my backyard was pretty damn satisfying. And tasty.

This vegetarian recipe is from The Food Network magazine. I made a few modifications and additions – but was really impressed with the hearty flavors overall.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 28-ounce can San Marzano plum tomatoes, drained
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 cup instant polenta
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup Half & Half
  • 2 bunches Swiss chard (about 2 pounds)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 8 ounces fresh ricotta, crumbled
  • 8 large basil leaves, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350. Toss the tomatoes, garlic, balsamic, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large ovenproof skillet. Roast in the oven until the tomatoes are charred around the edges, about 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 but keep the tomatoes inside.

Meanwhile, bring 5 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta until smooth and creamy. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste and the cream. Stir to combine. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Slice the chard leaves into wide strips and the stems into 1-inch pieces. Boil the stems until almost tender, about 5 minutes, then add the leaves and cook until both are tender, about 3 more minutes. Drain the chard.

Remove the skillet from the oven and place over medium-high heat. Push the tomatoes to one side, add the butter and swirl until the butter is golden brown. Add the chard and toss to coat. Divide the polenta among 4 bowls. Top with the tomatoes and chard. Season the cheese with salt and sprinkle over the top.

Spotlight Dallas: Restaurant Ava (Seared Scallops with Meyer Lemon and Tarragon)

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Well not quite Dallas… but Rockwall is a small trip worth taking for the menu Restaurant Ava so skillfully serves up. Chef Randall Copeland is brilliant and his tenure at Bolsa makes him a shoe in for tastefully putting it on the table.

The choices for the evening: Possibly the best spinach salad I’ve had in ages – the balsamic dressing is killer. Creamy risotto with morels – you want more? How about perfectly seared diver scallops on a bed of creamy potatoes and roasted vegetables?

This was the inspiration behind my seared scallops with my favorite citrus – meyer lemons. Yes, I still have plenty of the beauties in the kitchen and am proud I’ve managed to stay away from making lemon bars.

The meal didn’t end there. The spring pasta (homemade I may add) with lobster and pesto was equally delicious. And lets not forget the finale… the s’more brownie covered in homemade marshmallow and peanut butter ice cream.

The dinner was excellent and the company even better (love it when they like to share). Restaurant Ava is a treat you should indulge in. I loved it all.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Make the vinaigrette, but substitute the herbs de provence with fresh tarragon or basil.

Pat scallops dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Tip: Moisture can keep the scallops from getting that golden crust, so be sure to not skip this step.

Heat skillet over high heat for 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium and add a drizzle of olive oil or a tablespoon of butter. Add scallops to the pan and DO NOT TOUCH for 2 minutes. When they are ready to be turned they will easily release from the pan. If not – be patient they aren’t ready.

Serve with mixed greens, roasted vegetables and top with the meyer lemon vinaigrette.

 

Spring Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

yholmes 2 Comments

Meyer lemons are just brilliant. The sweet mandarin orange and lemon hybrid is the perfect citrus for just about any dish. It is much more sweet and less tart than a typical lemon. They make a perfect salad dressing, are incredible squeezed over roasted vegetables or fish and make a fabulous lemon tart.

With my leftover roasted asparagus from Easter I threw this simple salad together. Throw in what you have in the fridge and forget about measurements.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • tomatoes
  • radishes
  • avocado
  • red onion or shallot
  • dried cranberries
  • pine nuts, toasted
  • blue cheese, goat cheese or feta cheese
  • spring mix or any lettuce mix

For the dressing:

  • Juice and zest from 1 meyer lemon (about 1/4 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp herbs de Provence
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375. Toss asparagus with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast until crisp tender, about 10-15 minutes depending in the diameter of the asparagus.

For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar and shake until well mixed.

When asparagus has cooled, chop into bite size pieces (about 1-2 inches)and add to a large bowl with remaining salad ingredients. Pour salad dressing over the top and mix to combine.

https://www.barbieinablender.org