Duck with a Plum Marmalade

We cut this recipe out of the newspaper years ago, and it is always a crowd pleaser.  Duck seems like such a decadent meat, probably due to the fatty skin, and a rich marmalade really complements it nicely.

Marmalade Ingredients: 1/2 cup diced red onion, 1 tsp minced garlic, 2 large plums diced, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, salt/pepper

Begin with the marmalade since it can be made a day ahead of time, or it can sit while you cook the duck.  Add your onion and garlic to a tbsp of olive oil to saute.

Once softened, add the plums.  Now we had trouble finding fresh plums in November, so we went with canned plums.  These work well since you're using them for a sauce as opposed to eating whole.  Don't go with dried plums.  We did find fresh pluots, which would also substitute nicely.  

After a few minutes when everything is nice and soft now, add the brown sugar then the broth, vinegar, and salt/pepper.  

One of our diners is allergic to balsamic so I cooked it with just the broth first, then once reduced, portioned some out for her and added the balsamic to the rest of the ingredients.  Cook for several minutes until the sauce is very thick...like a marmalade...that's when the flavor is strongest and the broth/vinegar are reduced enough.  

You can set aside the marmalade until ready to serve, or cook the duck concurrently, but if you cook the duck at the same time, make sure the duck doesn't finish before the sauce because either your duck will get cold, or you'll be forced to overcook it...neither one ideal.  

For the duck, season both sides with salt and pepper, heat some butter and olive oil in a skillet and add the duck breast, skin side down to begin searing.  

Cook for about 5 minutes on the skin side over medium/high heat.  There may be some splatter, so feel free to cover the pot with a splatter shield, but don't cover with a lid just yet.  Once you can see some of the meat above the skin cooking, flip the duck to heat the other side.  Cook at this point until your desired doneness.  I prefer my duck medium rare, so I char both the fat and the meat, then flip back over to the skin side and put a lid on the skillet for another 2 minutes or so to allow the heat to cook the insides.  

To serve, slice each breast and fan out the pieces on the plate.  If at this point you find your duck is undercooked, go ahead and place the slices back in the skillet over medium heat, but only heat on one side, so the remaining side stays pink, yet you maintain proper cooking.  Spoon the marmalade over the duck or to the side.  We served with rice and brussels sprouts and the marmalade tasted nice on the sides as well as the duck.  

Shrimp Ratatouille

This is my variation on a ratatouille.  I pretty much define ratatouille as a vegetable stew with a tomato sauce base.  Typically squash and eggplant are involved with other veggies, spices, and the tomato sauce.  For this variation I was lacking the eggplant but included shrimp and served it over rice with a dollop of hummus on top.

So the first step is to saute your base vegetables.  I used zucchini, onion, mushrooms, and garlic in a little olive oil until they were slightly browned and mostly softened (about 5-10 minutes).

Next I added the tomatoes.  I used canned diced tomatoes with the juice included.  Perhaps you would like to make your own sauce, or take a pre-made tomato sauce, but I find the caned variety do the trick when you add enough extra herbs/spices and the liquid cooks off.  

I added salt/pepper and thyme (and would have added oregano or marjoram had I had some) and allowed this mixture to stew for about 10 minutes before adding the shrimp and some frozen spinach.  

I let this stew for about 5 minutes until the shrimp were cooked completely.  You don't want to stew shrimp for too long because they'll end up getting tough and chewy, so add them right before you're ready to serve your dish.  I scooped this over some white basmati rice, but this is also typically a side dish in French cuisine, so without the shrimp this could go well with chicken, steak, or fish...just don't pair it with another stew because then you have too many competing sauces going on.  

Lemon White Wine Chicken Over Rice

I made a thick lemon wine sauce for some chicken tenders to eat over rice pilaf.  This way it felt like the sauce had substance, but it used lighter ingredients and flavors to be a little more subtle.

First up, I sauteed my veggies (garlic, onion, mushrooms) in a little olive oil (butter works well too).

Once softened and a little browned, if there is no oil/butter left in the pan, add about a tablespoon more and add some flour (1-4 tbsp depending on how thick and what quantity of sauce you want).  This will act as the thickening agent.  Stir everything well and you've got yourself a roux.

To the veggies/roux, add your white wine.  (Broth is also acceptable, or a combination of the two for a subtler wine flavor).  I used a pinot grigio, but chardonnay works well too (just use what you like/have).

As you stir, the sauce will thicken as the wine combines with the roux.  At this point you can add about a tablespoon of lemon juice.  This is when I added my (still raw) chicken tenders, so that they could cook in the sauce, but if you feel more comfortable using precooked chicken, that is also fine.  I put the lid over this to allow the chicken to steam in the sauce and to avoid too much evaporation.

Once cooked through, I plated the rice, added the chicken on top, then continued cooking the sauce over medium heat to get it to the desired consistency.  You can add a little more lemon juice here if you want that flavor to pop out, or more wine if you lost a lot of liquid volume while cooking.  Fresh herbs (like parsley, tarragon, thyme) would be a great addition here (I added pepper and dried tarragon because I didn't have any fresh).  If you want it to be a real cream sauce you can also add maybe a quarter cup of heavy cream or a tablespoon or two of butter.  I did not do that this time.  But once I poured the sauce over the chicken I did garnish with freshly grated parmesan.

Stuffed Cabbage

I inherited some cabbage awhile back and not having used it before, I decided to follow some Russian influences and make some stuffed cabbage.  The key for this dish is to boil the cabbage first so the leaves are malleable as you go to stuff them.  Then what you stuff them with is entirely up to you.  I used chicken, rice, and veggies for mine.

So first up, cut the cabbage in half and add the halves to boiling water.  You will lose the integrity of some of the leaves for wrapping, so some wraps may involve 2 leaves instead of 1.  But do be sure you split the cabbage in half lengthwise (so the stalk gets cut in half, otherwise every leaf will be cut in half.

Meanwhile, prepare your filling.  I cooked brown rice according to package instructions, and sauteed some red onions, mushrooms, and garlic in a little olive oil.

Once softened I removed the veggies to the sauce pan containing the rice and sauteed my chicken which I had chopped into 1/2 inch cubes.

Once the chicken was fully cooked, I transferred it too to the rice and veggies and made sure everything was nicely mixed.  I also added diced fresh tomatoes, chopped scallions, salt, and pepper.  

By this point, the cabbage was fully boiled (at least 20 minutes, but longer depending on how cooked you like your cabbage).  Carefully remove the hot cabbage from the water and when cool enough to handle, separate the leaves into individual "bowls" for stuffing.  To each leaf I added a spoonful of my stuffing and topped with freshly grated cheese.

At this point, roll them like a burrito and the next step is at your discretion.  I placed them seam-side down back into the skillet to char a little bit, but also heat through.  You could also put them in a baking dish and put them in the oven for 10-20 minutes.  I added a little broth to get a little steaming action going on, but if you have a sauce prepared, such as a tomato sauce, creamy bechamel, or something else you prefer, you can cook the wraps in the sauce.

To serve, I plated my wraps and added a dollop of sour cream (which is often served with stuffed cabbage at Russian restaurants, only it is a slightly different consistency than the sour cream available in US supermarkets).

Salmon and Collard Greens

I inherited some collard greens recently, and never having cooked them before, I decided they obviously needed to be wilted with bacon grease.  We couldn't make this dinner too healthy, could we?

First I cooked the chopped bacon and removed it from the pan to a paper towel, then utilized the grease to cook the chopped red onion and garlic.

Once softened, I added the freshly washed collard greens to the skillet.  I ripped them up a little, but you don't need to chop them too finely because once they wilt it will be like nothing is left of the original leaf.  

After a few minutes the greens will become wilted.  You can also add some water or broth to aid in the wilting process if you're low on grease/oil.  

At this point I added some chicken broth and then put my salmon on top of the collard greens to let the greens continue to stew and the salmon could be steamed from the heat of the greens.  

I put a lid on the skillet and cooked for about 10-15 minutes to allow the fish to cook and the collard greens to soften more.  Once done I cooked without the lid to allow the last of the broth to evaporate.  I then mixed the bacon back in with the collard greens and plated them with the salmon.  

Shrimp Sandwich

I'm a fan of a good sandwich, and when you're lucky enough to get fresh ingredients and good bread, you're pretty much guaranteed a tasty sandwich.  This particular lunchtime delight features shrimp, avocado, bacon, tomato, goat cheese, mayo, and a little parmesan for good measure on Tuscan Pane bread. 

Toast your bread.  I toasted one slice with some parmesan cheese to melt into it.  Spread your condiments of choice on each side.  Slice your toppings and layer away.  I did avocado on one side, since the avocado would stick well to the bread when it came time to flip.  Then the other side I started with the bacon and weighted it down with the tomato slices.  Next I topped with the shrimp that I quickly poached to cook through beforehand.  I added the goat cheese for the final touch, combined the two sides, and sliced on a bias down the middle. 

Teriyaki Shrimp over Israeli Couscous and Endive

Trader Joe's offers a new Harvest Blend product featuring Israeli couscous, red and green orzo, split dried garbanzo beans, and red quinoa.  I decided to try this new mix, but obviously needed something with more flavor to serve atop it.  I had some shrimp, veggies and teriyaki, so figured that would be a bold enough taste.  And for good measure I threw some belgian endive leaves on the bottom to add a little fresh crunch.

Saute your veggies as per usual.  A little mushroom, red onion, and garlic in olive oil is what I went for this time.

Add the shrimp and then the teriyaki.  As the shrimp cooks it will draw in the flavor.  Add more teriyaki as desired for a saucier product.  Or for a less strong taste, add some broth at this point to cut the flavor of the teriyaki.

Assemble your endive on the plate.  You could chop it up if you want it to be more salad-like, but I also utilized these as little handheld cups of couscous and shrimp.  Very graceful.

Pile your grains, rice, etc. on top.  Then you just top with the shrimp mixture and let the juices seep in.  This way you get your salad, grains, and fish all in one bite!

Burritos

What's better than a meal you can eat with your hands, and is teeming with flavors and ingredients?  For when you don't want to be constrained by forks, burritos are a sure bet.  If you really want to do these right, I recommend getting large, thin four tortillas that are easily foldable.  I did not have those.  All you need to do next is choose your fillings and go to town.  I went with ground beef.

For this meal I began by sauteing the ground beef with some red onions and corn.  Once fully cooked I added the taco seasoning.

If you don't mind the extra fat contact, skip the part where the taco seasonings tell you to drain the fat and add water to the beef.  It tastes way juicier if you use the meat fat.  But if you don't want a complete calorie bomb for dinner, go ahead and ditch the fatty juices.

Once your meat is cooked, assembly is all that is left.  To prepare the tortillas, put them in the oven on low (200 degrees or so) to warm and soften them.  You can do this while the meat is cooking.  Then grab a plate and throw on your toppings.

Add the cheese to the warm tortilla so it will slightly melt and then be melted again by the heat of the beef.

If adding beans or rice, add them next before the meat.  I was lacking beans and I also forgot about the rice until the end so it was added a little out of order.

Cold ingredients come next.  Starting with the tomatoes.  And followed by the fresh avocado.

 

You can also do pico de gallo and guacamole in lieu of tomatoes and avocado, but at this stage add whatever veggies you want.  Lettuce works too.  

 Here's the rice I forgot to add earlier.  

The final touch is anything saucy.  I added sour cream and some salsa verde.  Then all that is left is to fold and wrap.  Fold the two sides in so they touch the toppings.  Grab the back flap and pull it over and around the innards, pushing the fillings inside as much as possible.  Continue to roll until your wrap is complete.  As you can see in the first image, my burritos were a tad overstuffed for these tortillas, so I had to keep one end open.  As long as you have one burrito butt to avoid food getting all over your hands you should be good. 

Potatoes, Shrimp, and Veggies over Rice and Lettuce

This was an interesting dinner I made about a month ago.  For some reason I was craving potatoes (well, aren't I always?), but also kind of wanted something fresh and salad-like.  So I figured I'd assemble pretty much everything fresh in my fridge on top of lettuce, but added some rice for texture and substance.  It was pretty good.

Ingredients: Romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, potatoes, basmati rice, shrimp, red onion, garlic, tarragon, cumin, coriander, salt/pepper, yogurt sauce to garnish

Start by peeling and chopping your potatoes.  I chopped into ~1 inch cubes, but do whatever you prefer.  Then, just as if I was preparing breakfast potatoes I cooked them in the skillet with a little bit of olive oil and added the tarragon, salt/pepper, cumin, and coriander.  Let them cook for about 20 minutes to cook through, and if you want you can periodically add a little broth that will be absorbed and soften the insides. 

Once primarily cooked, I added the red onion, a little garlic, and the shrimp to the pan.  Saute until the shrimp are pink and the onion softened.  I opted to chop my shrimp for the sake of having more shrimp scattered throughout in smaller bites.  It makes the shrimp go further.

Once cooked through you can assemble your meal.  I layered lettuce on the plate first, covered with the rice (it was leftover from a previous dinner so I just reheated it), piled the potatoes/shrimp on next, topped with fresh cucumber and tomato slices, and finally drizzled the sauce over.

The sauce was also leftover from a previous meal (see: Salmon w/ a Zucchini Yogurt Sauce).  It's basically a combination of 1:1 yogurt and mayo.  Then you throw in diced zucchini and chives, but really you can add whatever you like.  Or make your own yogurt sauce. 

So this dish is kind of like a salad, kind of like an mediterranean burrito bowl, but the combination of hot/cold, heavy/light makes for a tasty, hearty meal.

Mediterranean Inspired Beef and Rice stuffed Zucchini

This dish was an attempt to recreate Middle Eastern inspired flavors in my kitchen that pretty much lacks typical spices/flavors/ingredients for that type of cuisine.  But really if you just throw some hummus on top, that counts, right?  I kid, I kid.  But it certainly doesn't hurt. 

The inspiration for this meal was to use the ground beef in my freezer.  Add some rice, veggies, and the right spicing, and you've got yourself a meal! 

Ingredients: ground beef (1 lb), 1 large zucchini, 1/4 white onion chopped, 1/2 lb mushrooms chopped, 1 can tomato paste, basmati rice, cumin, coriander, salt/pepper, toast/hummus/asiago cheese garnish

Begin by browning your beef.  While cooking, prepare the zucchini.  I cut the zucchini in half, halved it lengthwise again, and used a melon baller to scoop out the insides.  Save the insides for the stew and the outer portions for the presentation.

As the beef is browning, add the chopped mushrooms and onions to cook in the heat and fat from the meat. 

Once the meat is browned and the veggies are tender, add the zucchini innards (they'll take less time to cook than the onions/mushrooms).  Cook another minute or two then add the can of tomato paste and your spices.  Add spices to your desired tastes.  And if you're lacking tomato paste, I'm sure you could use tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes instead.  This just gives a stronger flavor.  Once everything is mixed, I put the zucchini boats on top of the beef stew to cook them a little too. 

I put a lid over the skillet and let everything steam for about 15 minutes.  The flavors melded and the zucchini softened.  To begin arranging the meal I started with some toasted sourdough bread.  You could use pita, lavash, whatever you have.  The bread was just a means to sop up extra stewy goodness.  I put two zucchini boats on the plate and filled them with the cooked basmati rice. 

I then covered the zucchini + rice mixture with the beef.  I garnished with some hummus and freshly grated asiago cheese.  A bizarre combination, yes.  Perhaps we should call this a fusion dish.  Anyway, garnish with whatever you'd like...fresh herbs, cheese, yogurt sauce, or nothing at all. 

So you could just as easily serve this without the zucchini boats and just have larger chunks of zucchini cooked in with the beef.  Serve it all over rice.  Or throw together some pita sandwiches with some beef stew, rice, hummus, fresh lettuce and cucumber?  Feel free to go to town with this one.