Duck Breasts w/ Panzanella

Happy Monday everybody! 

How was your weekend?  Ours was pretty relaxed, nothing new right? 

We had our first Fantasy Football draft of the season (we're in 3 leagues!) yesterday and I ended up with a pretty solid team.  I'm just so happy that #1.  NFL Football is actually happening this year. & #2. That the season is actually here!  Sundays = Football in our house!  And I can't help but laugh when I think about when I first met Andy, he didn't like any sports whatsoever.  I guess we do rub off on eachother.

Anyway...

I usually don't post something I've made right away.  I usually wait a day or two most of the time.  I've just got tons of things in my Lightroom gallery that it's hard picking what to do next.  However, we had this for dinner last night, and it was so amazing that I couldn't wait to share it.  Seriously, if you like duck (it's probably my favorite protein) and want something special and elegant - this is it.  Trust me.

Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's recipe

2 boneless duck breasts
4 ears of corn
2 potatoes, scrubbed and diced
15 asparagus spears, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
4 slices of bacon, chopped
5 slices of bread (we used a local bakery's Cereal Loaf), cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

I'm so glad I decided to buy a whole duck instead of just the breasts.  It's a lot cheaper, plus I have the rest of the duck to use to make a confit (which is actually in the works as we speak! The house smells so good right now!).

Food & Wine recommends aging the breasts for 4 days - but I didn't have 4 days.  So I quickly aged the duck breasts for about 2 hours.  Just place the duck breasts in a glass dish, skin side up.  Season with salt and pepper and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, and up to 7 days.

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line up corn, asparagus, and potatoes on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown, stirring occasionally.  You'll want to flip around your corn every once in a while too.  Let vegetables cool slightly, then cut off kernels from corn cob.

While the vegetables are roasting, heat a large cast iron skillet under medium heat and add bacon.  Cook until bacon is crisp, about 5-7 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel-lined plate.

Add the bread cubes to the bacon fat (this was genius!) and coat well.  Transfer skillet to the oven (on a rack underneath the vegetables) and bake until crisp, about 13-15 minutes.  Season croutons with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet under medium high heat.  Add duck breasts, skin side down, and cook until skin is golden and crisp - about 12-14 minutes.  Turn duck over and cook until medium-rare (if you're not comfortable with that, cook it a little longer) about 4-6 minutes. 

Transfer duck to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.  Slice thinly.

While the duck is resting, you can prepare your panzanella.  In a large bowl, combine the corn, potatoes, asparagus, bacon, croutons, tomatoes, scallions, and oregano.  Toss well. 

In a small bowl, combine the red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil.  Season dressing with salt and pepper and drizzle over vegetables and croutons in bowl.  Toss to mix well.

Divide the panzanella among plates and top with slices of duck. 

Seriously, this was absolutely amazing.  I think it took Andy all of 5 minutes to clear his plate.  He said it was so good he couldn't help but keep shoving it in his mouth.  Me, I took it slow.  So I could enjoy every bite because it was really the perfect meal! 

Have a great Monday guys!

Sweet Potato Donuts w/ Cinnamon Marshmallow Cream

Well, you guys sure do like Chocolate Cake don't you?!  I hear you people, and I have no idea why I didn't just make it into a post, but the recipe I used for the chocolate cake is from the blog Foodess - recipe titled "Moist Chocolate Cake".  And it ain't no lie!  I pretty much followed that one to a tee (I made it into a rectangle cake, instead of a circular one), so it's no-fail.  I was a little worried, because you add the hot coffee at the end and it made the batter look like a big mud puddle (but I think that's what makes this cake so moist, so don't fret!).  I also used this Buttercream Frosting recipe from Wilton.com, and the only change I made was to only use 2 cups of powdered sugar instead of 4 (I just have trouble using that much sugar sometimes) and it made just enough frosting to frost the whole cake.

Anyway, to today's recipe (which won the poll from a couple weeks ago) is Sweet Potato Donuts.  Seriously, these are a must try.  And to have it with the cinnamon marshmallow cream just puts them over the top!  A-d-d-i-c-t-i-n-g.

Don't forget to vote for the new poll (which I'll try not to be too late on, again) down below!

I bet you can't have just one!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's recipe

Donuts:


1 large sweet potato
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 & 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
pinch of nutmeg
1 tablespoon bourbon (c'mon, I live in Kentucky, had to replace the rum with this, hehe)
1 egg
2 egg yolks
3 & 1/4 to 5 cups flour, plus more for rolling out dough

Cinnamon Marshmallow Cream:

1 & 1/2 cups marshmallows
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream, plus more if desired
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Prick your sweet potato all over with a fork and cook in the microwave for 10 minutes, or until softened.  Let cool to room temperature and carefully peel.

Place sweet potato in a high rimmed bowl and puree with an immersion blender (or an actual blender - but I was going for getting less contraptions dirty) until smooth.  I had about 1 & 1/2 cups of puree.

In a small skillet, brown butter under medium high heat until nutty in flavor, about 5-6 minutes.

Scrape butter and any solids into a medium sized bowl and let cool.

Using the same skillet used for butter, add milk and heat until it is just warm (about 105 F).  Pour milk into a large bowl and add yeast.  Let sit for about 5 minutes.  Slowly mix in white sugar, dark brown sugar, salt, vanilla seeds, nutmeg, and bourbon.  Stir in sweet potato puree, browned butter & solids, egg, and egg yolks.  Beat mixture until combined.  Add the flour and beat at a medium speed (I used a wooden spoon for this - nothing like an old-fashioned workout) until pliable dough forms.  I think I added about 1 to 1 & 1/2 more cups of flour to get the desired dough consistency for mine (but I think this all depends on how big your actual sweet potato is, and how much puree you end up with).  Knead dough for a few minutes and place in a greased bowl.  Cover and let rise for about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough and let sit for about 5 minutes.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness.  Use a floured rim of a glass (or round cookie cutters) and cut out as many rounds as you can.  Use a smaller round cookie cutter (or in my case, the bourbon cap) to cut out the centers of the donuts for donut holes.  Nothing goes to waste here!  Roll out dough one or two more times to cut out as many donuts as possible.  I think I ended up with a little over 2 dozen.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and transfer cut out dough to each sheet.  Cover baking sheets with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 F and place oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.  Bake the donut holes for about 10 minutes, and the donuts for 20 minutes, or until risen and golden.  You can have the holes and donuts on the same sheet, just remember to remove the donut holes first.  Let donuts cool to room temperature before dipping in cream.

To make the marshmallow cream, heat a small saucepan under medium low to medium heat.  Add marshmallows, heavy cream, and cinnamon.  Stir slowly until marshmallows have melted.  You can add more cream if you want a thinner sauce.

Dip the donuts in cream and let any excess drip off (into your mouth, if you wish).

The original recipe had a cinnamon sugar topping, which is all well and fine, but seriously, the marshmallow cream here is where it's at.  There's a restaurant here in Louisville, the Village Anchor, that serves sweet potato fries with this cream (I was lucky enough to obtain this VERY simple recipe from our waiter last time we were there), and I just thought it would be perfect for these donuts!  I could really just drink that cream by itself, it's that good.

I love that these donuts were baked, instead of fried, too.  It makes them actually somewhat healthy, right?  They were absolutely delicious, unique, and perfect with a cup of coffee!

And don't forget to vote for next time's dessert in this week's poll!  I'm in a chocolate mood - and when I'm in a chocolate mood, Andy is very very happy.

Wheat Germ-Crusted Salmon

My body hates me right now.  I've put it through some extreme circumstances lately.  You know, actually going to the gym on Sunday (Andy renewed his membership, so it's easier to go together!), running (well... run/walking) over 4 miles in the park yesterday, and worst of all... making it endure a 1 hour interval spinning class this morning.  Should I mention that this was my first. ever. spin class?  Yeah.  PURE TORTURE. 

I know my body doesn't really hate me, and that my whining is just every day life for the majority of you (bravo you! and yes, I am a wuss), but you know what?  I think I actually really liked the spinning class.  I jokingly said to my friend (who is now cursing me for making her go to her first ever spin class this morning also) that we should make this a weekly thing, but I don't think I'm joking.  I think I actually want to put myself through that again, and again.  But maybe it's my endorphins just playing tricks on my brain.  We'll see how I feel when I wake up tomorrow, maybe I'll be back to sanity and realize that was a ludicrous idea.

Now exercising may not be my forte, but food - now we're talking.  I ventured into the world of wheat germ a couple weekends ago and I must say that I'm a fan.  The smell alone had me hooked.  So what the heck is wheat germ?  Well, I'm obviously no expert, but from what I gather, it's a great source of fiber (as well as Vitamin E, folic acid, phosphorous, thiamin, etc. etc.) and you can practically add it to anything from protein shakes to casseroles.  So pretty versatile little bugger, eh?  So when I saw this recipe in March's Food & Wine, I knew I had to try it out (especially since it was easy, and we still had a bunch of salmon, from our bulk buying binge, still in the freezer).

Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's recipe

3 tablespoons wheat germ
1/2 tablespoon, plus 1 & 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, to taste
2 6 oz. skinless salmon fillets
2 & 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a small saute pan, gently toast wheat germ for a few minutes, until fragrant.  Watch it carefully because it can burn quickly.

In a shallow dish, combine the toasted wheat germ, 1/2 tablespoon mustard powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides.  In a small bowl, combine the dijon mustard and remaining 1 & 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder.  Spread mixture onto both sides of the salmon fillets, then dip each salmon fillet in the wheat germ mixture, and coat both sides.

Heat a large skillet under medium high heat and add olive oil.  Heat until oil is shimmering and add both salmon fillets to pan.  Cook until browned and crisp, about 3-4 minutes.  Carefully flip fillets over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes longer.  Transfer the salmon to plates and serve with a side salad (top it with an egg, you won't be disappointed!).

Now, usually when a recipe called for skinless salmon, I ignore that (because for real, the skin is the best part, right?!), but for this one, I decided to be a good recipe follower and skin my fillets.  I'm glad I did because I don't think the wheat germ crust would have formed as well, let alone still stick, with the skin still on. 

So seriously, give this sucker a try... it's fast, easy, and delicious.

Have you guys ever tried wheat germ?  What do you put it on or add it to?

And check back tomorrow for a new little feature - "things that don't make the blog, but still take a good picture" - still working on the name, suggestions welcome!
And if you don't make it back tomorrow, definitely come back Friday (yes, I'm late on this once again) for the poll winner - sweet potato donuts!

BBQ Shrimp Tacos

Hello Monday!  How was everyone's weekend? 

Not too much went on over here.  Saturday I had to work for a few hours, but it wasn't too busy, so it wasn't too bad.  Sunday I woke up with sort of a sore throat (crossing my fingers I'm not getting sick!), so it was a lazy day.  Eagles didn't win (boo!), but the Colts didn't either (and their butt-whoopin' was a little more severe so that makes me happy! hehe). 

We put up our Christmas tree too, and I'll definitely share that with you guys tomorrow! 

Oh, and yeah, my cell phone decided to bite the dust on my Friday morning too.  So a whole entire weekend without a cell.  I felt like I was dying.  Not really, but definitely felt unconnected to the real world.  Funny how loss of technology does that to you, right?  Do you guys ever get that way?  Anyway, new phone arrived today... woohoo!  And now I just have to fool with it on how to work the dang thing and then I'll be set!

Most productive thing I did all weekend was make these awesome shrimp tacos.  Andy even said this is one of my best creations yet.  Well, I can't take all the credit... Food & Wine had a little something to do with it too!  But nonetheless... here we go!


Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's recipe

Pickled Red Onion Slaw

1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
salt, to taste
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup orange juice
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons malt vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
juice from 1 lime
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into thin sticks
1 cup cabbage, thinly sliced
small handful of cilantro, chopped


Shrimp Tacos

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
about 10 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into thirds
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup Pepperjack cheese, shredded
flour tortillas, warmed
roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
1 thinly sliced seeded jalapeno (optional)


To prepare the pickled onion slaw, start by making your pickling liquid.  In a small saucepan, combine white wine vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil.  Stir mixture to dissolve sugar completely, then take off heat. 

Place red onion in a medium heat proof bowl and pour pickling liquid over top.  Quickly mix everything together so mixture coats the onions well.  Let cool for a few minutes then put into the fridge for at least 2 hours.  I left mine in for about 5 and they came out perfect.  The longer you let them sit, the better they come out.

In another saucepan, combine orange juice, white onion, maple syrup, malt vinegar, and cumin.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until mixture looks somewhat reduced.  Transfer mixture to a tall container and add vegetable oil and lime juice.  Using an immersion blender, puree mixture until it is smooth and then season with salt, to taste.

Drain red onion and transfer to a medium clean bowl.  Add mango, cabbage, cilantro, and half of the orange juice mixture.  Season with salt, to taste.  Set aside.

To make the tacos, heat a large skillet under medium high heat and add vegetable oil.  Add onions and cook until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add shrimp pieces and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the shrimp is white throughout, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the barbecue sauce and coat shrimp well.  Simmer for about a minute or turn off the heat.  Stir in Pepperjack cheese until melted.

So assemble tacos, pile a good portion of the shrimp mixture onto a warm tortilla and top with red onion slaw.  Roll the taco up and top with roasted pumpkin seeds, jalapeno, and additional red onion slaw, if desired. 

You're definitely going to have to eat this one with a fork, but they are oh-so-good!  I almost wish I had doubled the recipe to churn out more tacos!  This made about 4, so if you're looking to feed a family, you could easily double the recipe for the tacos, but the slaw should remain the same (we had tons left over!).  The sweetness and tang of the slaw definitely complimented the savory barbecue and shrimp perfectly!  Hope you guys try this one out!  Enjoy guys!

Pork Stir-Fry

For the past couple of Sunday's, I've been experimenting with Food & Wine's May 2009 issue of stir fries. Stir Fries are definitely something that can be quick, tasty, and most importantly... versatile. You can put practically anything in a wok and call it a stir fry. Protein, vegetables, tasty sauce, and you have stir fry! The possibilities are endless.

So for today's recipe, I've got a really simple, but quite tasty Pork Stir-Fry.

Ingredients: (adapted from Food & Wine May 2009 - Pork-and-Tofu Stir Fry)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 lb. pork loin, cut into 1 & 1/2-by-1/4 inch strips
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves of garlic
large pinch of crushed red pepper
1 large leek, halved and cut into 1 inch pieces (the grocery was out of leeks, so I substituted an onion and did a rough chop)
1 cup chicken stock or low sodium broth
1/2 lb firm tofu cut into 1 in. cubes (I omitted the tofu)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar (I used sherry wine instead, less acidity, but still a flavor boost)
1/2 teaspoon asian sesame oil

And although this seems hypocritical, because I'm pretty much the poster child for trying everything once and appreciating ALL foods, I just can't bring myself to love tofu. No, it's never even been close to my mouth or my lips, and frankly, I don't plan on it doing so. I know, I know, I should be the last person to turn something down without trying it first, but honestly, it gives me the heebie jeebies. And I'm cooking the meal and I can put what I want it. But if you like tofu, more power to you, and that's why I kept it in the list of ingredients!

And so after that derailment of a rant, on to the quick and easy preparation...

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add pork and cook until done, about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick you cut your pork. I went a little meaty with my strips, but thinner strips would take less time. Transfer pork to a plate and set aside.

Add remainder of vegetable oil in skillet. Add garlic and red pepper to oil and heat for about 1 minute. This allows the oil to get a crisp garlic flavor and a little bit of heat from the pepper. Add leek (or onion, in my case), 1/4 cup of stock, and cover until leek or onion is cooked and soft, about 2-5 minutes.

Add remainder of stock and bring to simmer. Add tofu (we also contemplated substituting the tofu for chicken, but we had a ton of pork to begin with and didn't want to waste all that meat). Also add pork back in and stir in hoisin sauce, vinegar (or wine), and sesame oil.

And you're done! We served ours on a bed of brown rice and it was just the thing to soak up the extra sauce on the plate. It was tasty, easy, and great the next day for lunch! Enjoy!