Simple Pear Tart

This recipe calls for only a few ingredients, but it has a lot of flavor.  I made it the other night when Ryan and I were having a band from out of town stay at the house, and it was gone in seconds.  It's quick, easy and versatile because you can make it with almost any fruit!

Pear Tart with Almond Cream (makes about 12 pieces)

For the tart:
2-3 ripe pears (I used green Anjou pears, but any variety will do), sliced
1 package of frozen puff pastry, thawed
½ cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

For the cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 Tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1-2 drops almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Lightly flour a clean, flat surface to work on. Using a rolling pin, roll the puff pastry out until it is about ½ inch thick.  The pastry should be roughly a 9 x 12 inch rectangle.  Transfer the pastry to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Using a sharp knife, gently score a 1 inch border around the pastry without cutting all the way through.  This will create the edge of the tart.

Arrange pear slices directly onto the pastry dough, along the inside of the smaller rectangle  (I alternated the pears along the tart to create a shingle-like effect).

In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of sugar with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.  Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the pears.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top of the pastry is golden brown and the pears are soft.

Simply whip the heavy cream with the sugar, cinnamon and almond extract.  Slice the tart into desired sizes, serve with the cream and enjoy!

Sangria Tapas y Bar

`oSangria is one of my absolute favorite places to go for Mediterranean style tapas.  It's owned by the Lombardi restaurant group, who also claim Lakewood's Penne Pomodoro and Cibus at Northpark Center, to name a couple. 

Here's what Ryan and I got last time we went...


First, we ordered the Cheese Croquettes and the special, Toasted Beef Ravioli.  I also had the Tomato Gazpacho that was served with Avocado Relish, Basil and Croutons. 

These raviolis were delicious.  They were filled with "spicy" beef, jalapeno, and cheese, and were topped with a sweet chili sauce.  I was wishing they had more of a kick and so was Ryan,  but then again, we both love really spicy foods.

We also ordered the Gnocchi "Parisien".  It's covered in a bechamel sauce that is flavored with Mediterranean cheeses.  A pistachio-walnut pistou is drizzled on top.

The gnocchi were soft and buttery, and melted in your mouth.  The nutty pistou was a tasty change of pace from the usual herb pesto you see on lots of gnocchi dishes.

This is the Spanikopita in country phyllo dough, with spinach, feta, and tzatziki sauce.  The textures of this yummy spinach pastry were on point.  The presentation was beautiful.  The flavors on the other hand, were a bit salty for my taste.  I'd probably give it a 4/5.

I love tarts, and frangipan.  When I was in culinary school, we made lots of pastries in baking class, and frangipan was always my favorite.  It's a pastry filling made of or flavored with almonds.  

So for dessert, we ordered the Apple Frangipan Tart.  It is served with an Apple Cider Caramel Sauce and Dulce de Leche ice cream.  I just realized I haven't talked much about desserts yet here on Devour Dallas, and this tart is definitely worth talking about.  It had a great balance of apple and almond flavors, and the ice cream with the apple cider caramel sauce added the perfect amount sweetness.
 

We went on a Thursday night and I wasn't aware that Thursday night's are ladies night.  When we were eating Ryan pointed out that he was the only guy in there!

I've heard the brunch on the weekends is fantastic, and they offer $1 Mimosas and Sangria.  I also learned that Mondays are Service Industry Nights and the entire menu is half price!  I think I'll go on a Monday next time!