Ricardo's Fattoush

The Oscar's are now over...they were a little underwhelming...but that is just my opinion. I suppose it is due to the fact that I had no one really to route for...I haven't seen any of the movies nominated. That all changes once the Oscar's are over because I feel the need to see what all the fuss is about. Once the show began I was routing for Ellen Page in the movie "Juno" as best actress because she is a Canadian from Halifax, Nova Scotia (if for no other reason) and is only 20 years old. The other young 14 year old actress I routed for was Saoirse Ronan from Ireland nominated as best supporting actress for "Atonement". She has 4 films scheduled for release in 2008. I'm sure we will hear a lot more from these young actresses in the years to come.

I am still eating the falafel that I had posted about in an earlier post. This time I baked them in the oven and added them to some Naan bread with tzadziki sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and onions. Very nice. With the falafel dinner the other day I had another recipe from Ricardo Larrivee from his Lebanese meal themed dinner. Fattoush calls for pita breads to be added for which I substituted naan bread. It is a delicious Lebanese salad!!!

Over the past twelve years, Ricardo Larrivee has become a household name in Quebec. He is touted as Quebec's answer to Jamie Oliver. In 2002 he launched a new cooking show on Radio-Canada television as well as a magazine. Both are simply called Ricardo. His television show is entering its third season while his magazine is published five times a year selling over 70,000 copies each issue. There should be award shows for our favourite chefs and up and coming chefs...then I would have someone to route for and be a little better informed. I'm sure there are such awards but they certainly are not televised to 200 countries worldwide.

**Fattoush**

3 pitas
30 ml (2 T) olive oil
1 heads romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
1 English cucumber, seeded and cut into cubes
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 green onions, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into squares
125 ml (1/2 cup) curly-leaf parsley, chopped
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
Salt and pepper

Dressing

60 ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice
60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
15 ml (1 tablespoon) honey

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For the Salad :with the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Brush both sides of the pitas with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Lay them on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then break into pieces.

For the Dressing :in a bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a salad bowl, combine all the salad ingredients, including the pita pieces. Pour the dressing over the salad. Toss well. Adjust the seasoning and serve immediately.

Variation: Add fresh mint leaves for a brighter, fresher taste.

Serves 6