Showing posts with label lentils. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lentils. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Canada Day - Great Canadian Salad

CANADA  DAY is just a couple of weeks away.

Are you busy making plans for Canada Day and trying to figure out what you are going to eat?

Yes, I know you are.  Holidays always centre around food.

What's your must have dish for your Canada Day Celebration?  Do you include pulses in your famous salad? 

Tell us for a chance to win an Ipad mini or a $100 President's Choice gift card.  

Take the #PulsePledge this #CanadaDay

I took the #PulsePledge and created my own Great Warm Canadian B.L.T with Smoked Cheddar Salad (Bacon, Lentil, Tomato and Smoked Canadian Cheddar with a warm Maple vinaigrette on lettuce.  This really is a Canadian Salad that could be your Canada Day Lunch even.

It tastes great and is packed with things that make it a great addition to your BBQ fare.

Great Warm Canadian B.L.T. with Smoked Cheddar Salad

Here's my RECIPE:

1 small can of Lentils
2 whole lettuce leaves
1 garlic clove
1/2 pack of good smokey bacon.
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
6 cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. grainy mustard
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt or to taste depending on your bacon.
1 tbsp red onion diced
1 small bunch of parsley chopped
pepper or pepper flakes to taste *optional


DIRECTIONS:

Open a small can of lentils and drain and set aside.  I used Eden Organic green lentils.

I wanted to make bacon cups but they didn't turn out as planned because I was in a hurry but basically cut a pack of bacon in half and fry or bake the strips of bacon until they are crispy.  Whatever method you prefer.  Sometimes I bake off a whole pack in the oven and use for other things.  Less mess on the stove and you don't have to flip it.
If you are baking save some of the bacon fat and if you are frying leave about a tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan and drain off the rest.
In the frying pan with the bacon fat add a clove of garlic on medium heat and take it out when the garlic is golden brown and flavours the bacon fat and then add the drained lentils and add the chopped onions and the smoked paprika, salt,and pepper.  Stir to coat and mix the flavours.  Cook until the onions have softened about a minute or 2.  Add the vinegar, mustard, maple syrup and combine.  Add some the cherry tomatoes cut in half and toss until warmed and then add the parsley.

Place some lettuce on a plate.  I used Romaine but you could use iceberg or butter lettuce.  Add  the bacon strips or if you had more time than I did the bacon cups on top of the lettuce and then spoon the lentil mixture on top.  Sprinkle with more parsley and crumbled bacon and small diced smoked cheddar cheese.  I used St. Albert's Cheese from Ottawa, it's mild but has a great smokey flavour.

That's it... and eat.  You could also eat this salad cold if you reserve the lentil mixture separate from the lettuce and tomatoes.


NOW IT"S YOUR TURN!  Enter the Contest and show us your Great Canadian Salad - Take the #PulsePledge on Woodbox http://woobox.com/inhdq7  and and tag your photos on social media with the #CanadaDay hashtag so we can see them.  The contest closes July 4, 2016.

Don't forget to follow PulseCanada on Facebook

Thursday, June 4, 2015

FunDeLentils - 24 dishes in 7 cities

EAT VOTE WIN


Canadian Lentils have launched an amazing promotion in 7 different cities across Canada at 24 different restaurants and with the common theme of showcasing Canadian Lentils.

You would think that 24 dishes of lentils might be similar but in the hands of very talented Chefs across Canada it becomes an unbelievable experience and a food journey of sorts in savouring the different flavours of each region.  Most of the Chefs have focused on local ingredients to pair with the Canadian Lentils but no 2 dishes are alike in the 24 different plates of food.


Today I was very fortunate to be able to take the #FUNDELENTIL tour with Food Advocate and Food Day Canada founder Anita Stewart who was an amazing tour guide for a very small group of food industry writers and professionals and we travelled on our mini party bus to 4 Amazing Restaurants in Toronto to sample the dishes that are included in the selection of the 24 restaurants.
Each dish was incredible. The versatility of the different lentils was unbelievable.  I thought i had a favourite dish and then tried the next one and it was just as great so you need to be the judge for yourself.  I hope you get to try a whole bunch of different restaurants and choose your favourite one.

OUR #FUNDELENTIL TOUR went like this:

STOP #1 - We started our day having with a breakfast for dinner dish by Chef Tom Wade at the Farmhouse Tavern on Dupont Street.  The young chef Tom gave us Warm Beluga Lentils with Ontario Fiddleheads, Dry-Aged Rib Eye Bacon and Soft-poached Duck Egg.

 

STOP #2 - We headed to Boralia on Ossington Ave.  A very modern restaurant scene is popping up in this area with a lot of the hipster crowd and the neighbourhood restaurants.  Boralia is a beautiful modern but comfortable space.  Chef Wayne Morris prepared a dish of Lentil Hodgepodge with Spring Vegetables.  This was the most beautiful plate of the day with all the fresh spring vegetable colors.

STOP #3 - Was a bit of a quicker stop at George on Queen St. East. where Chef Lorenzo Lesoto presented us with Dungeness Crab, Lentil Salad, Fava Bean.


STOP #4 - We ended our beautiful day in a very elegant space at Pangaea Restaurant on Bay Street where Chef Martin Kouprie assigned his Sous Chef Spike to create a dish because he is allergic to lentils but Chef Spike didn't disappoint with his global fusion of spices and flavours.  
He prepared Celeriac-dusted Veal Loin on Spiced Black Garam and Red Lentils, 24-hour Marinated Scallop, Grilled Fine Herb Lentil Cake with Shaved and Pickled Spring Vegetables.




Here are some fun facts about lentils.  

  • Did you know that 95% of Canada's Lentils are grown in Saskatchewan?
  • Canada is the World's largest lentil producer.
  • Canada only began growing lentils in the 1970's.
  • Lentils grow in pods connected to the plant typically 1-3 per pod.

Canadian Lentils has a contest for all of you food lovers.  From JUNE 1- 30th 2015  
EAT-VOTE-WIN.  Just login to  http://www.lovelentils.ca/  and Vote for your favourite restaurant dish and the winning Chef will get some special prizes and YOU will have a chance to WIN too!  

You could WIN 
  • Flight/transportation for two (2) to city of choice (Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, or Vancouver) from anywhere in Canada
  • 3 nights’ accommodation
  • Car rental
  • $200 gift certificate to each participating restaurant in chosen city *Note - flights/hotel/car awarded in form of travel voucher in the value of $3,200
These are the Host Chefs in Toronto

Darcy MacDonnel Owner of the  Farmhouse Tavern
Chef Tom Wade from Farmhouse Tavern
Chef Wayne Morris from Boralia
Anita Stewart & Chef Lorenzo Lesoto from George Restaurant

Sous chef Spike and Chef Martin Kouprie from Pangaea Restaurant

For more info on Lentils. www.lovelentils.ca