DUCK

 Makes 2 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Duck breast (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Kosher salt and black pepper

Blueberry & green peppercorn chutney (recipe below)

ovenproof skillet

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Score the duck breast on the fat side with a sharp knife in a criss-cross pattern.

Season the duck with salt and pepper

Heat up the skillet

Test the pan to see if it is hot enough by touching the tip of the duck to the pan.

If it makes a sound, then it is probably hot enough.

Place duck fat side down to render the fat (about 6 minutes)

Remove the fat from the pan and set aside.

Turn the duck over and sear on that side for one minute.

Place duck in the pan (make sure it is oven proof) in the oven for another 7-9 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes so that the juices do not run out.

Fat side of the duck scored in criss-cross pattern

Duck searing on fat side

Duck fat set aside- you can cook potatoes in this if desired.  If not, discard.

Potatoes go well with the duck and chutney

Be sure to allow the duck to rest.

Yum!

BLUEBERRY & GREEN PEPPERCORN CHUTNEY:

2 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup raspberry vinegar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

4 cups blueberries (fresh are better in my opinion but you can use frozen

1 cup minced onion

1/4 cup green peppercorns

1 lemon juiced

1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

Combine the vinegars with the brown sugar and stir over medium heat until dissolved.

Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add blueberries, onion, peppercorns, lemon juice and ginger.  Stir to combine.

Simmer for 45 minutes on low so it will not burn.  Continue to stir.

Makes for great gifts and goes well with Thanksgiving turkey.  Store in Mason jars and share!  Chutney is even delicious as a jam or with cheese.

Banh Mi Hot Dogs

"Banh Mi" is Vietnamese for all kinds of bread.

This hot dog calls for a freshly baked baguette, which mixes the French with the Vietnamese flavors

at the same time.

I sort of came up with this hot dog after seeing Tyler Florence and that food truck TV show he used to host.  There was a Vietnamese food truck that made some sort of banh mi sandwich that looked super good.  Then, I saw Daphne Oz on The Chew make something very similar so I kind of combined the ideas to create this hot dog.  You can customize it however you like.  For example, I love cilantro so that is a definite for my dog but my husband hates cilantro so he does not use it.  

Ingredients:

hot dogs - high quality (I use organic)

fresh french bread (rolls)

scallions diced

cilantro

sriracha

ketchup

mayo

cucumbers sliced length-wise

radishes (daikon if you can find them)

carrots

white wine vinegar

granulated sugar

kosher salt

Slice hot dogs so they are butterflied or cut in half but still connected 

Sear hot dogs in skillet on each side- don't burn

At the same time, peel carrots so they are thin and cut up the radish thinly.

Mix white wine vinegar, sugar and salt and pour over the carrots and radishes to pickle them.

Combine ketchup, srirahcha and mayo together - more ketchup and mayo will make it less spicy.

Cut the cucumber into strips and cut up the cilantro and scallion.

Once the carrots and radish have spent time in the vinegar mixture, drain the liquid.

Once the hot dogs are finished, add everything to your baguette as preferred.

Obviously, if you can add mustard or relish or any other topings you like if something does not appeal to you.

radish

scallions

Sriracha sauce

Sriracha

Cucumbers 

Cilantro

Final dogs

Pretzels

Recipe from The Chew on ABC- Clinton Kelly

I did not make the sandwich Clinton made but I made the pretzels and they came out a tad deformed because I did not buy enough pizza dough.  However, they were really good and I will make them again (with the recommended amount of dough next time).

Here is the link to the Chew and to the pastrami sandwich that Clinton Kelly made in case you want more than just the pretzel.

http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Pastrami-Pretzel-Sandwich-Clinton-Kelly

No Melt Ice Cream Sandwiches

Got this recipe from http://www.letsdishrecipes.com/2013/07/no-melt-ice-cream-sandwiches.html

Haven't tried this yet but plan to try it tomorrow.  Looks yummy in the photo by Danielle from Let's Dish Recipes.

Here are my sandwiches right before freezing

Sorbet

Use a Vitamix blender for smoothest results.

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https://www.vitamix.com/Home

Ingredients:

8 ounces frozen organic raspberries

8 ounces frozen organic blueberries

1 cup water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Blend until blender noise changes (only a minute or so)

Serve immediately.

You can change the fruit to any type you prefer.

Ingredients:

2 orange peels quartered

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon orange zest

4 1/2 cups ice cubes 

Place in Vitamix in this order and in about 1 minute, the motor sound will change.

Stop machine and serve immediately.

Vitamix Blender Broccoli Soup

BROCCOLI SOUP

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli steamed

1-2 teaspoons diced onion

1/2 chicken or beef bouillon cube

I cook my onions a bit while the broccoli is steaming.

Add all ingredients to Vitamix blender.

Select low speed.

Turn machine on and then switch to high speed.

Blend for 6 minutes or until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid.

When removing the lid be very careful- steam is HOT.

Salt and pepper to taste.

SUPER easy HOMEMADE PRETZELS

BY CLINTON KELLY - THE CHEW 

I am totally making these

I am at least making the pretzels if not the sandwich

Thank you Clinton Kelly and The Chew!!!

  abc.go.com the chew Pastrami Pretzel Sandwich-Clinton Kelly

ingredients

• 10 cups Water
• 2/3 cup Baking Soda
• 3 pounds Pizza Dough (room temperature)
• 2 Eggs plus 1 tablespoon Water whisked
• Flaky Sea Salt
• 1 pound sliced Pastrami
• 1 cup Sauerkraut (drained)
• 6 slices of Swiss Cheese
• 3 tablespoons German Mustard
• Dill Pickles to serve

• 
  

July 4th Beverages

July 4th Beverages

layer grenadine, blue curacao and peach schnapps

Coat the glass rim with Pop Rocks (Trpicana Punch rocks are blue) by dampening with lemon juice.  For a alcohol free drink, add pomegranate juice and 7-UP or pomegranate juice and cranberry juice with seltzer.  For an adult drink, add watermelon vodka.  You could really make anything as long as it's red in color.

1. 3 watermelon chunks, plus 3 watermelon chunks skewered on a pick for garnish
2. Ice
3. 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
4. 1/4 ounce agave nectar
5. 1/2 ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur
6. 2 ounces blanco tequila

Combine vodka and lemonade in pitcher and allow to chill.  Add lemon slice and top with blue curacao and a sprig of mint 

Zrii (juices of grape, pear, pomegranate, amalaki, schizandra, jujube) and vodka

Absolut raspberry and cranberry juice, lime juice & Sprite

OR

Absolut raspberry creme de casis and Sprite

OR Absolut raspberry, orange wedges, raspberries, lime wedges muddled and simple syrup

Tequilla, blue curacao, triple sec, lime juice and simple syrup and a salt rim with a slice of lime.  The mason jar is optional

Berry vodka, cranberry juice, dash of grenadine, and blue curacao

Skinny Girl vodka or margarita, muddled blackberries and blueberries and club soda

Pinacle strawberry shortcake vodka, strawberry schnapps, cranberry juice, half and half, shake with ice

OR

Pinacle strawberry shortcake vodka, triple sec, grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, shake with ice

Smirnoff sorbet light raspberry pomegranate, diet ginger ale, cranberry juice, ice and lime wedge

Smirnoff sorbet light lemon, diet Sprite or 7-UP, pomegranate juice, ice and lemon wedge

Smirnoff whipped cream vodka, blue curacao, Sprite and ice

Smirnoff passion fruit, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, grapefruit juice, 2 dash bitters, Sprite, pieces of pineapple, oranges and a cherry. Garnish with lime

ENJOY and HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Summer Fruit Tarts

by Stagetecture

fresh-apricot-summer-fruit-tarts-recipes

A wonderful source for a perfect, pretty, summer recipe like a fresh fruit tart.

What's not to love?

Enjoy!

Memorial Day Picnic Food Ideas

looking for something to bring to that Memorial Day picnic?
Don't have a lot of time but want something that stands out and tastes good too?
Here are a few suggestions:

Red, white and blue strawberries

Ingredients:

strawberries

white frosting

granulated sugar with blue food coloring

Dip the strawberry into the can of frosting (any kind will work as long as it is white). You might need to heat up the frosting for a few seconds in the microwave oven to soften.

Add blue food coloring to some granulated sugar.

After the strawberry has been dipped into the frosting, dip it again into the blue sugar.

ENJOY!

Red, white and blue pound cake

Photo, Courtesy- Taste of Home

Ingredients:

Frozen pound cake thawed

Bludberry pie filling

Strawberry or raspberry pie filling

Whipped topping

After thawing the pound cake, cut length wise into three segments.

Place bottom segment on serving tray.

Add blueberry topping to the bottom segment (don't overfill to avoid spillage).

Add middle pound cake segment.

Add strawberry or raspberry filling (do not overfill).

Place top pound cake segment on top.

Cover entire cake with whipped topping.

Stars and stripes crispy treats

Ingredients:

Butter

Marshmellows

Rice Crispies

Blue and red food coloring

Mix butter and marshmellows and melt slow and low so it does not burn.

Separate into threes.

In one bowl (third of the mixture) add a few drops of blue food coloring and Rice Crispies, gently mix.

In a second bowl, to another third of the mixture, add a few drops of red food coloring and Rice Crispies and gently mix.

To a third bowl and the last third, add Rice Cripies and gently mix.

Grease a 8 x 8 inch pan.

Add the red crispy mixture to the bottom of the pan and spread evenly.

Add the plain colored Rice Crispies on top of the red and spread evenly.

Add the blue Rice Crispies on top of the plain colored Crispies and spread evenly.

Let set to harden.

Thank you to all of our armed forces past and present and happy Memorial Day!  

Happy 2013!!

Beef wellington dinner was yummmmmm.  Recipe from Tyler Florence cookbook.  I highly recommend it.  My family cannot stop talking about it.

My husband's favorite wines are from Stag's Leap.  If you want to splurge on a California red or need a great gift for someone- any of the Stag's Leap reds are terrific!

Panzanella- red and yellow bell peppers chopped in big chunks

fresh sour dough bread cut into large pieces and toasted in hot pan with olive oil

chopped red onion

feta cheese

cucumber (core the seeds) chopped

toss everyhing (minus the bread because it'll get soggy)

add dressing: 

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano (crush in hand)

whisk

pour over vegetables

add in the croutons

Almond twist

Champagne, ginger liquor, yuzu syrup and Falernum