FRUIT&VEG SALAD

After a Christmas laden with heavy foods, I thought I would share a lighter salad recipe that can be easily transformed from lunch to dinner with the addition of a juicy nicely roasted chicken breast.

I had two girlfriends over for dinner last night, and this salad was inspired by the one that my friend brought for us!

A Refreshing Salad
Servers 4

Ingredients:
- 1 handful spinach
- 1 handful arugula
- 1 handful red or green leaf lettuce
- 1 green or yellow apple, diced (squeeze some lemon juice over the diced apple before adding it to the salad, this gives the fruit a nice tangy bite when you eat it!)
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 handful coloured cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 handful red and green grapes, cut in half
- nuts of your choice but I would suggest toasted pinenuts or toasted pecans
- Shaved parmesan cheese

For the dressing:
- 2 part good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 part rice wine vinegar (or white balsamic)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Wash and cut lettuce.
2. Wash and cut vegetables & fruit.
3. Shave the block of parmesan cheese by using a Y peeler
4. Toasts the pinenuts or pecans
5. In a glass jar, combine all the ingredients for the dressing and shake until emulsified.
6. Toss and serve immediately

TWENTY THIRTEEN

After a totally insane first Christmas as a caterer, I have welcomed the quiet January 2013 with open arms!

After indulging in great food all December and trying out different menu creations for the new year, I have a few inspirations to share as we head into our next few months of winter.

Here are my top three ingredients right now:

1. (DOVER) SOLE: After Christmas I spent a week in Florida where I ate fresh quality seafood all week long. I love eating fish when I am on a coast, it is super fresh and just tastes like the salty ocean. Dover sole is one of my favourite fish. You cannot always find Dover Sole in stores, but often they will have another type of sole. Sole is really quick to make, about three minutes a side. Pan sear and serve with a sauce composed of lemon juice, butter & parsley; a classic French sauce.

2. TRUFFLE HONEY: an absolute luxurious indulgence. With hints of the irresistible truffle flavour, truffle honey is a delicious accompaniment to cheese, sandwiches, & hors d'oeurves. The sky is the limit with this great product!

3. BARLEY: I am over mashed potatoes and plain old white rice! Barley is a great subsitute to your every day starch. Barley is a really great grain that contains 8 essential amino acids. Use in your next risotto, create a barley & wild rice salad. The opportunities are endless, as barley is a total vehicle for flavour combinations. It does however provide a nice nutty flavour on its own!