Orange Glazed Duck

My bestfriend from London shared this recipe. Mouth watering!

Ingredients:
1 whole duck
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
chili flakes according to your taste


Procedure:
1.Preheat oven to 200C then put the duck in, without basting it for 20 minutes.
2. In a saucepan mix the orange juice, honey, ginger and chili flakes then simmer for few minutes. Remove form heat and this is now ready to be used for basting.
3. After 20 minutes decrease the oven temperature to 180C then remove the duck and brush it with the basting sauce,  continue this process of basting the duck every 15 minutes for an hour and 10 minutes.
4. When cooking is done, serve it with rice.

Contributed by Vince  O'Malley

Ground Pork Omelette

 I have few guests today and this is one of the viands that I prepared for them because this is so economical yet yummy.

Ingredients for 8 servings:
1/4 kilo ground pork
1 onion ( minced)
3 cloves garlic ( minced)
1/2 cup flour
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste.

Procedure:
1.In a big bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well.
2. Spoon a portion and fried in the enough amount of oil until golden brown.
3. Serve it hot.

Note: you can add minced carrots and potatoes for this recipe

Spiral Macaroni Salad

I made this as simple as possible without jeopardizing the real taste of the macaroni salad that we grew with. Perfect anytime.

Ingredients for 8-10 servings:
1/2 kilo Spiral Macaroni ( cooked according to its packaging direction)
1 big apple ( diced)
1 cup raisins
1 cup cherries
 1 can Fruit cocktail ( 800 grams) Drained
1 big can condensed milk (395 grams)
2 cups Nestle cream or all purpose cream

Cooked spiral macaroni

 Procedure:
1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
2 Refrigerate for few hours before serving.

Italian Chicken Noodle Soup

The cold and flu has hit my house hard. I am still healthy, but my hubby not so much, and my daughter is sick too, which means she comes to stay with me so I can nurture her back to health and make her my famous Chicken Noodle Soup. 

I have been told many times that I make the best chicken noodle soup. I sometimes even tell myself when I am sick and forced to eat soup from a restaurant. I always wish someone would make me my soup instead, but I have not taught anyone how I do it. Even though it is not hard to do, when I am sick, I am usually too sick to try to show someone. So I am finally writing down my simple recipe that is sure to comfort the sick. Enjoy!

Italian Chicken Noodle Soup

1 lb. Italian chicken sausage

2 Tbsp Olive oil

8 cups chicken broth

1 onion

3 carrots

2 celery stalks

1/2 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1 bay leaf

Cooked Ditalini pasta, or pasta of your choice.

salt and pepper to taste

I first start out by making a mirepoix. It is a combination of onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. The base to any really good soup. Chop them up into similar size pieces, except the garlic should be minced. Add olive oil to a skillet and add the mirepoix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Cook stirring often until onions are translucent. 

Meanwhile cook your pasta according to package directions. 

I like using ditalini, but you can use whatever noodles you like. 

Drain. 

In a large stockpot, add your chicken broth, cooked vegetables, Italian seasoning, and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer. 

Meanwhile brown your chicken sausage.

Remove the bay leaf from the stock. 

Add your sausage and noodles to the stock, and serve. 

Hot Pastrami on Rye

My husband and I are nearing our 1 year anniversary of living in our loft downtown being "empty nester's". This past year has been pure bliss. We have settled into our life so nicely and every single day I find myself thanking the Lord for this wonderful life we have together. How time flies when you are having fun! 

Dwelling on my happiness and all the blessings that are in my life, often leads me to think of others I know that are miserable.  What keeps people in a miserable place? I think it is fear of the unknown. Something I have learned more and more as I grow older, is the more you try to hold on to something, the more it holds on to you. People get comfortable in their lives, even if they are miserable. They don't take a single step to change their circumstances, and they grow stagnant. Often times becoming more and more secluded because they are miserable people, so no one wants to be around them. 

I like to think I have a different mindset. I believe life is a gift. We are given time to make a difference. Find your purpose today. Really stop and take inventory of your life, your friends, our living conditions. What do you wish was different, and what steps can you take to make those changes?  Instead of looking at the mountain, look at the steps. Take one step at a time and change your life for the better. The happier you are, the better your relationships are. 

Now on to today's food. My husband loves a good hot pastrami sandwich. So naturally I wanted to surprise him with it. I always want to make him the things he loves. He said I nailed this one. Enjoy!

Hot Pastrami on Rye

Serves 2

1/2 lbs cooked and thinly sliced beef pastrami

4 slices havarti cheese

sauteed onions

coarse grind mustard

4 slices artisan rye bread 

1 cup beef broth

Saute your onions in olive oil, salt and pepper, for a few minutes.

Bring your broth to a simmer. Add pastrami and onions to the broth. Simmer until pastrami is hot. Reserve the broth for pouring over the sandwich.

Toast your bread and add coarse mustard to two of the 4 slices.

Divide cheese, meat and onions among rye bread. Pour your broth over the sandwich and close.

Serve hot. 

Chocolate Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

Is everyone getting ready for Christmas? How are those sweet treats treating you? 

Tis' the season for all things naughty. Shortbread has been running rampant in this loft of mine. Needless to say everyone from my doorman, my husbands office, the local homeless, to my yoga instructor has been given goodies. I can't eat them all or I would look like a blimp. These are my second favorite cookie. My first being the Salted Caramel Shortbread Cups I gave you earlier this week. 

When my husbands co-workers tasted these, one said: "Your wife is evil and she must be stopped". That is right. They are sinful. I dare you to take a bite! 
This recipe will yield about 1 dozen cookies. Perfect for you, your love, and a few friends.

Chocolate Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

adapted from Cherished Bliss

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

for frosting:

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 heaping cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons hot water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Cream the butter and the sugar until smooth. 

Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and mix until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. 

Add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. 

Roll into balls 

and make an indent with your thumb in the center of the ball. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until dry looking and lightly cracked on the surface but still very soft.

When they come out of the oven, press the centers down again to make a more defined well for the frosting. Allow to cool.

Whisk the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, hot water, and vanilla. Spoon the frosting into the centers of the cookies and add sprinkles. Allow frosting to set before storing in tins.

Dark Chocolate Balsamic Martini

If you haven't heard, gourmet cocktails are a big.  Just like with gourmet food, the quality of the ingredients is key.  This simple concoction is an amazing combination and a wonderful offering for a holiday cocktail party.

Tools and ingredients necessary include martini glasses, a cocktail shaker, a high quality vodka, an aged dark chocolate balsamic vinegar and lavender sugar to rim the glass - another option is shaved dark chocolate.

• Rim two chilled martini glasses with lavender sugar
• Chill approximately 3 ounces of vodka in the cocktail shaker
• Add 1 tablespoon of Pastamoré Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
• Shake all ingredients and strain into glasses

Salted Caramel Shortbread Cups

My man LOVES caramel. I like it, but he loves it. I know that if I want to let him know he is special to me, all I have to do is cook him up something new with caramel. Add a little sea salt, and he gets all sorts of excited! 

These little cups of salted caramel are heaven. 

You can always use a cutter and make them look perfect, but I like the rustic look. I love giving cookies and treats that look like they came from home, because they did! Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Shortbread Cups

by Christi Silbaugh

for the shortbread:

10 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg yolk

1 2/3 cups flour

for the caramel:

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tsp sea salt

4 tbsp sugar

4 tbsp heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Sea salt flakes

Line a baking stone or baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and salt with a pastry cutter or fork. Add the egg yolk and continue mixing until it has a damp sand consistency.

Add the flour and use your hands to combine the dough until you can start to form shapes with it. 

Form cups with your hands. 

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use a fork to make little holes in the bottom of the chilled shortbread cups. This will help keep it from breaking and flaking apart. 

Bake for 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For the caramel, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, sugar, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil and stir for about 5-10 minutes until caramel reaches the “soft ball stage” at around 230 degrees.

Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pour caramel in the shortbread cups. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and serve!

Bruschetta

 

Bruschetta is an antipasto from Italy that I absolutely love. I could eat it every day. I keep a big fresh plant of basil in my window planter year round specifically for this dish. Give me a glass of wine, a little cheese and this dish and I am one happy lady. Thankfully my husband shares my love for Bruschetta too. 

It is really simple to make! Give it a try!

Bruschetta for two
by Christi Silbaugh

3 tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 loaf sourdough baguette
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Core your tomatoes and then dice them into tiny pieces. Add to a bowl. Add your chopped basil and minced garlic. Add 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar. Stir and salt and pepper to taste. 

Slice a piece of the baguette up into four slices.

Add Olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. 

Add your baguette slices.

Toast over the olive oil until golden brown and crispy.

Top your toast with the tomato basil mixture and serve.

Crispy Snapper with Spicy Basil Sauce

There is no such thing of a couple that does not fight. Even the best, most stable relationships, go through tough times and rough conversations. Pride can get in the way of our relationships thriving. We don't want to back down, until the other person knows we mean business. But is it worth the relationship? Take time to think about that the next time you are so mad steam is coming out your ears. If it is worth ending the relationship over, then by all means, hold our ground. But if it is the regular run of the mill fight. How about swallowing your pride, asking for forgiveness, and then move on to a wonderful evening together. 

Romantic Tip: Be the first to say "I'm sorry" and kiss and make up.

Now on to today's food...I have been cooking a lot o f Red Snapper lately. I love wild caught snapper, and my local organic market has been keeping me very happy with their stock of this gem. I love it because it adapts to any flavors.  

Because my husband absolutely loves all things spice, this dish was perfect. If you are not a big spice fan, you can always use just bell peppers instead of thai chile peppers. We thought it was perfect with the thai chile peppers. Enjoy!

Crispy Snapper with Spicy Basil Sauce

adapted from sel et sucre

2 Snapper fillets  (approx. 8 ounces each)

1/3 cup flour 

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs 

1 Tbsp + 3 Tbsp canola

6 shallots, minced 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

6 thai chile peppers, diced 

1 bell pepper, chopped 

1/4 cup chicken stock 

1/4 cup fish sauce 

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp agave nectar

juice of 1/2 lime 

1 cup Thai basil leaves 

1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water

Pat dry snapper fillets with a paper towel. 

Set up a plate with  flour, a bowl with 1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water, and a plate with 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs. Dredge each fillet in the flour, followed by the egg wash, followed by the panko breadcrumbs, and set aside. 

In a sautee pan or medium pot, heat 1 Tbsp canola oil over medium-high heat, then sautee  shallots, minced, cloves garlic, minced, chile peppers, sliced, and 1 bell pepper, chopped until the shallots start to darken and the bell pepper is softened, about 5 minutes. 

Add 1/4 cup stock, 1/4 cup fish sauce, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp agave nectar, and juice of 1/2 lime, and stir together thoroughly. Bring to a boil, and let simmer until slightly reduced, about 3 – 5 minutes. 

Stir in 1 tsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 tsp cold water, if using, and let simmer until thickened, about 1 – 2 minutes. 

Stir in 1 cup Thai basil leaves, and cook until fragrant, about 1 – 2 minutes, then lower heat to lowest setting to keep warm until ready to serve. 

In a large sautee pan, heat 3 Tbsp canola oil over high heat, then add the coated fish fillets, being careful not to crowd the pan (you will probably need to do a couple of batches). 

Cook the fish until the bottom is crispy and browned, about 3 – 5 minutes. 

Flip the fish, and continue cooking until the other side is crispy and browned, and the fish can be easily flaked with a fork, another 3 – 5 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. 

Serve the crispy fish fillets topped with the Thai basil sauce.