| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: Duck Legs,
A.S.A.P.
> Wine Appreciation:
Shannon Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 2008
> Food Funnies: Top
Foodie "Yo’ Mama" Jokes
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* Red
Robin Chili
* Sunday
Pork Roast
* Italian
Meatloaf
* Sausage
and Mushroom Lasagna
* Chicken
Livers with Red Wine
* Bacon
and Cabbage Soup
* Finger
Caesar Salads
* Chocolate
Chip Pie
Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Crockpot
Hungarian Goulash
Diabetic: Lemon
Chicken and Rice
Low Fat: Buffalo
Chicken Strips
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This Week's Cooking Tips
========================
* Cookies will spread if your dough
is too pliable by allowing butter
to get too soft. If your
cookies are spreading too much, try
refrigerating the dough for
a couple of hours before baking.
* Cookie dough can be frozen up to
three months in an airtight
container or refrigerated
three to four days.
* Check cookies at minimum baking
time.
* Let cookies cool completely before
storing. Store different types
of cookies in separate containers
so they'll keep their original
flavor and texture. More
Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary Quiz (Answer
at the bottom of page)
Which hot and hearty drink
is served as an alternative to tea
and coffee at nearly every football
stadium in England?
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Quote of the Week:
"This recipe is certainly
silly. It says to separate the eggs,
but it doesn't say
how far to separate them."
- Gracie Allen
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to the VJJE Recipe Weekly - It's fun and it's free!
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
January is: National Egg Month
Bread Machine Baking Month
Oatmeal Month
Wheat Bread Month
National Hot Tea Month
Fat Free Living Month
National Soup Month
January 17 - National Hot Buttered Rum Day
January 18 - National Peking Duck Day
January 19 - National Popcorn Day
January 20 - National Buttercrunch Day
January 21 - National Granola Bar Day
January 22 - National Blonde Brownie Day
January 23 - National Rhubarb Pie Day
January 24 - National Peanut Butter Day
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Duck Legs, A.S.A.P.
By Mark Bittman
Crisp-braised may seem a contradiction
in terms, since braising is
geared toward developing tenderness,
usually at the cost of
crispness. But duck skin has such
an astonishing capacity for holding
its crispness that duck legs can
be browned, then carefully braised.
The result is crackling skin covering
sublimely soft meat.
There is a trick, of course: after
carefully browning the duck legs
(this is the only part of the recipe
that requires more than minimal
attention), cook a mound of chopped
aromatic vegetables. Place the
duck, crisp side up, on this bed,
then add just enough stock to come
about halfway up its sides. Roasted
at moderate to high heat, the
duck skin remains crisp while the
vegetables and duck meat become
fork-tender.
If I were you and could get my hands
on duck legs (my supermarket
routinely sells them, but you might
have to try a specialty store),
I would make this dish as soon as
I had the time - it's that good.
The vegetable flavor is intense,
the textures are near-perfect and
the technique is foolproof. It is
a grand seasonal dish, the kind you
would gladly eat at a neighborhood
bistro, were you lucky enough to
live near such a place.
"Aromatic" vegetables typically
are onions, carrots and celery. It
is not at all necessary to augment
this combination, and it is hard
to better it, but I have a couple
of suggestions if you are
interested in enhancing the flavor.
If you substitute leeks for the
onions you will have a more complex
(and more expensive) dish. If you
add garlic - five or six cloves,
lightly crushed - and thyme, say six
or eight sprigs, the results will
be decidedly French.
And, if you want to go in another
direction, you might add a
habanero chili, along with a few
slices of ginger.
Crisp-Braised Duck Legs With Aromatic
Vegetables
================================================
4 duck legs, trimmed
of excess fat
Salt and pepper to
taste
1 large onion
1/2 pound carrots
3 celery stalks
2 cups chicken stock,
preferably homemade
1. Put duck legs, skin side down,
in a skillet large enough to
accommodate all ingredients
comfortably; turn heat to medium. Heat
oven to 400 degrees.
Brown duck legs carefully and evenly,
sprinkling them with
salt and pepper as they cook. Meanwhile, peel
and dice vegetables.
2. When legs are nicely browned,
turn them over and sear for just a
minute or two. Remove
to a plate; remove all but enough fat to
moisten vegetables.
Add vegetables to skillet along with some salt
and pepper. Cook over
medium-high heat, stirring occasionally,
until they begin to
brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Return duck legs to
pan, skin side up,
and add stock; it should come about halfway up
duck legs but should
not cover them. Turn heat to high, bring to a
boil, and transfer
to oven.
3. Cook for 30 minutes, then lower
heat to 350 degrees. Continue to
cook, undisturbed,
until duck is tender and liquid reduced, at
least another half
hour. The duck is done when a thin-bladed knife
pierces the meat with
little resistance. When done, duck will hold
nicely in a warm oven
for another hour. Serve hot.
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This Week's Wine Selection:
===========================
Shannon Ridge Sauvignon Blanc
2008 Price: $12
Clean, light straw color. Aroma
of lemongrass, mango and
gooseberry. Flavors of tropical,
citrus and tangerines. Crisp,
nicely balanced fullness with a
lingering finish.
Serve With:
Malaysian Roast Chicken
=======================
4 1/2 tablespoons oyster
sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons packed
light brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced
garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons minced
peeled fresh gingerroot
5 small shallots, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons hot
chili paste
4 1/2- to 5-pound chicken
In a large bowl, stir together all
ingredients except chicken. Rinse
chicken inside and out and pat dry
completely. Remove excess fat from
chicken and prick skin all over
with a fork so that seasonings can
penetrate. Add chicken to marinade
and rub inside and out to coat.
Marinate chicken, covered and chilled,
at least 4 hours and up to
1 day. (The longer chicken marinates,
the more flavor it will have.)
Preheat oven to 425F. and line a
roasting pan with heavy-duty foil.
In roasting pan arrange chicken,
breast side down, and pour marinade
over it. Roast chicken in middle
of oven 30 minutes. Turn chicken
breast side up and baste with pan
juices. Roast chicken, basting
occasionally, 40 minutes more, or
until cooked through, skin is
golden brown, and a meat thermometer
inserted in fleshy part of
thigh registers 180F. Let chicken
stand, loosely covered, 10 minutes
before carving. Skim fat from pan
juices and transfer to sauceboat.
Serve chicken with pan juices, rice,
and vegetable.
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FOOD FUNNIES: Top Foodie "Yo’ Mama"
Jokes
=========================================
9. ... dumb she wonders why her bell
peppers don’t ring.
8. ... mean she can curdle milk just
by sneering at it.
7. ... dumb she thinks the Mayo clinic
is a new sandwich shop.
6. ... ugly a cannibal tribe took
one look at her and decided to
go vegan.
5. ... dumb her favorite team is
the Buffalo Wings.
4. ... dumb she thinks chicken nuggets
come from a mine.
3. ... fat her alphabet soup can
be rearranged to be the complete
War and Peace.
2. ... dumb she went to a Jimmy Buffet
concert thinking it was
All-You-Can-Eat.
... and the #1 Foodie "Yo’ Mama" Joke ...
1. ... fat that every time she goes
to McDonald’s they change the
number on their sign.
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Red Robin Chili
===============
2 lbs. ground beef
3 oz vegetable oil
1/3 cup flour
1 onion, diced
1 poblano chili, diced
2 tablespoon diced
smoked chipotle chilies (from can)
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (15 oz. each)
kidney beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) can diced
tomatoes
3 tablespoons chili
powder
2 1/2 teaspoons sea
salt
1 tablespoon black
pepper fresh ground
1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican
oregano powder
2 1/4 cups chicken
broth
1 1/2 cups water
Garnishes:
shredded sharp cheddar
cheese
sour cream
crumbled tortilla chips
diced red onion
lime wedge
Brown beef until almost done then
add chipotle, poblano, garlic, and
onion. Cook until onion is transparent.
Heat oil in a 4 quart stock
pot. Add flour and whisk continuously
until mixture is tan. Add beef
mixture and remaining ingredients.
Bring to a boil then simmer for
about three hours, depending on
how thick you like it. Stir every
half hour.
Serve chili topped with cheese,
spoonful of sour cream, red onion
and crumbled chips. Squeeze lime
wedge over top for extra tang.
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Sunday Pork Roast
=================
1 (3-pound) boneless
pork roast
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black
pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic
powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 bay leaves
3 or 4 chicken bouillon
cubes, crushed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can
condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup white wine
Sprinkle pork roast on all sides
with salt, pepper, and garlic
powder. Using a skillet over high
heat, sear roast until brown in
oil. Place roast in a slow cooker,
and layer onions, bay leaves,
crushed bouillon cubes, garlic,
and cream of mushroom soup. Add
the white wine and cover with enough
water to cover all of the
ingredients. Cook on the low setting
for 8 hours.
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Italian Meatloaf
================
2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
1 red pepper, seeded,
small diced
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons (about
3 cloves) chopped garlic
1 pound ground beef
2 eggs
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic
vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped
basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped
parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black
pepper
1 cup marinara sauce
Preheat oven to 350F. Heat 1 tablespoon
of the olive oil in a
medium saute pan over medium heat
and add the peppers, onions and
garlic. Saute until just soft, remove
to a plate and cool.
When the peppers and onions are
cool, combine all of the remaining
ingredients together except for
the marinara. Pack the meat mixture
into an oiled loaf pan, if you do
not have a loaf pan, form the meat
mixture into a loaf shape on an
oiled oven tray or baking dish. Top
with the marinara making sure to
spread evenly over the top.
Bake for approximately 50 to 60
minutes or until an instant-read
thermometer registers 160F in the
middle of the meatloaf. Remove
from the oven and let rest for 5
minutes. Slice and serve.
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Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna
============================
2 tablespoons olive
oil
2 (8 oz.) packages
sliced crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped
(about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons dried
Italian seasoning blend
1 pound hot Italian
sausages, casings removed
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 cup dry red wine
4 2/3 cups marinara
sauce (from two 26-ounce jars)
1 9-ounce package no-cook
lasagna noodles
1 15-ounce container
ricotta cheese
2 8-ounce bags Italian
blend grated cheese (4 cups)
Preheat oven to 400F. Heat oil in
heavy large pot over high heat.
Add mushrooms, onion, and seasoning
blend; saute until vegetables
begin to soften, about 6 minutes.
Add sausage and saute until brown
and cooked through, breaking up
with back of spoon, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Add
wine; cook until almost all liquid
evaporates, scraping up browned
bits, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Spread 2/3 cup marinara sauce over
bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking
dish. Place noodles (about 4) over
sauce, forming 1 layer (noodles
may overlap slightly). Spread 1
cup sauce over noodles. Top with
1/3 of ricotta, then 1 cup grated
cheese. Spoon 1/3 of sausage
mixture over. Repeat 2 more times
with noodles, sauce, ricotta,
grated cheese, and sausage mixture.
Cover with 4 more noodles.
Spoon remaining 1 cup sauce over;
sprinkle remaining 1 cup grated
cheese over. Cover with foil, tenting
in center to prevent cheese
from touching foil. Bake lasagna
45 minutes; remove foil. Bake until
bubbling at edges and cheese is
browned, about 10 minutes longer.
Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
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Chicken Livers with Red Wine
============================
8 slices bacon, chopped
1 sweet onion, finely
chopped
1 pound chicken livers,
rinsed and trimmed
1 1/2 cups Burgundy
or other dry red wine
1/4 cup chopped pitted
green olives
Fry the bacon in a large skillet
over medium heat until almost
crisp. Remove bacon from the pan
and drain on paper towels. Drain
off grease from the skillet, leaving
a thin coating on the bottom.
Using the same skillet, add the
onions; cook and stir over medium
heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the chicken livers,
quickly browning them on the outside.
Pour in the wine, adding more
if needed to cover the chicken livers.
Stir in the olives. Cover,
and simmer for 20 minutes. Just
before serving, stir in the bacon.
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Bacon and Cabbage Soup
======================
1 (1/3-pound) piece
Canadian bacon
3 tablespoons unsalted
butter
1 medium onion, finely
chopped
2 large Yukon Gold
potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
5 1/2 cups chicken
stock or low-sodium chicken broth
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons kosher
salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
1/2 small head Savoy
cabbage, cored, thinly sliced, and cut
into 1/2-inch
pieces
In small saucepan, combine bacon
and cold water to cover. Cover,
bring to boil over moderate heat,
and skim foam from surface.
Reduce heat and simmer 7 minutes.
Drain and cool, then cut into
1-inch chunks. Set aside.
In 6-quart heavy stock pot over
moderate heat, melt butter. Add
onion and saute, stirring, until
softened, about 3 minutes. Add
potatoes and saute 2 minutes. Add
stock, bay leaves, salt, and
pepper and bring to boil. Reduce
heat to moderately low, cover,
and simmer until potatoes are soft,
about 8 to 10 minutes. Add
cabbage and simmer 5 additional
minutes. Discard bay leaves.
Working in 3 batches, in blender
puree soup until smooth (using
caution when blending hot liquids).
Return to pot, stir in bacon,
and rewarm if necessary. Ladle soup
into bowls and serve.
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Finger Caesar Salads
====================
1 oil-packed anchovy
fillet, finely chopped
3 tablespoons (packed)
grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh lemon
juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon
mustard
1 small garlic clove,
minced
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire
sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin
olive oil
3 tablespoons olive
oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled,
flattened
8 (1-inch) cubes crustless
sourdough bread
2 hearts of romaine
lettuce, leaves separated
6 cherry tomatoes,
halved
Parmesan shavings
Using back of spoon, mash anchovy
to puree in small bowl. Whisk
in grated Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise,
fresh lemon juice, Dijon
mustard, minced garlic, and Worcestershire
sauce. Gradually whisk
in 1/4 cup olive oil.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in medium
nonstick skillet over medium-low
heat. Add flattened garlic and saute
until golden, about 4 minutes;
discard garlic. Add sourdough bread
cubes and saute until golden
brown and crisp, about 9 minutes.
Transfer bread cubes to paper
towels and drain.
Arrange 4 large romaine lettuce
leaves on each of 2 plates. Top
each with 4 smaller leaves. Top
lettuce with tomatoes. Drizzle
salads with dressing. Top with croutons
and Parmesan shavings.
Season generously with pepper and
serve.
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Chocolate Chip Pie
==================
Pie:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose
flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking
powder
1 cup (2-sticks) unsalted
butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light
brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated
sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate
chips
2 cups chopped walnuts,
optional
Whipped cream:
2 pints (4-cups) heavy
cream
1/4 cup confectioners'
sugar
1/4 cup miniature semisweet
chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 2 (9-inch)
pie plates; set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the
flour, salt, baking soda, and
baking powder. In the bowl of an
electric mixer, cream together
butter, brown sugar, and granulated
sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a
time, beating until incorporated.
Beat in the vanilla. Add flour
mixture, a little at a time, and
mix until fully combined. Fold in
the 3 cups chocolate chips and,
if desired, the walnuts. Divide the
dough between the prepared pie plates
and smooth the tops with a
spatula.
Bake about 30 minutes or until pies
are golden and slightly firm
to the touch but still soft. If
the pies begin to darken too much
before they are baked through, cover
with foil and continue baking.
Let pies cool completely on a wire
rack.
While the pies cool, whip the cream
and confectioners' sugar until
soft peaks form (tips curl). Fold
in the chocolate chips.
Refrigerate whipped cream until
ready to use. Spread the whipped
cream over the pies and serve.
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: Bovril
Bovril is a salty meat extract drink
commonly served in a cup by
adding a spoonful to hot water.
It was first introduced in England
during the 1870s by Scotsman, John
Lawson Johnston. Bovril is also
known by the name "beef tea" and
can be added to soups, stews and
gravy to give additional flavor.
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