1) Duck with Confit Butter (could serve over greens of your choice)
Ingredients
4 5-ounce skinless duck breasts, boned and defatted
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Confit Butter:
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/4 cup merlot or other dry red wine (I recommend infusing the wine with dried pitted cherries – Monterey are my favorite – since they pair well with duck)
5 dried figs, minced
1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
1. Lightly mist a medium sauté pan with canola oil spray. Sauté shallots over medium heat until caramelized. Add merlot and figs to pan and reduce until dry. Turn heat to low, add stock, vinegar, salt and pepper and cook 8-10 minutes or until figs are very soft and mixture is thickened. Slowly whisk butter into mixture.
2. Preheat grill or broiler.
3. Grill or broil duck breasts 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until desired doneness.
4. Serve each duck breast topped with approx. 2 tablespoons Confit Butter.
2) Arugula Pear Salad (other go-to arugula salads for me are with apricots or figs and cheese; can also use almonds instead)
Ingredients
2 Bartlett pears, cored and cut in half
4 cups fresh arugula, washed
4 teaspoons toasted chopped pecans
1/2 cup Rosemary Vinaigrette salad dressing (see below)
1 ounce bleu cheese, crumbled (I would do gorgonzola personally)
Instructions
1. Slice pears and place in steamer basket over boiling water for about 3 minutes, or until soft.
2. In a large bowl, combine arugula, pecans and dressing.
3. Divide into 4 equal portions and top each with 1/4th of the crumbled blue cheese and sliced pears.
Rosemary Vinaigrette:
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon minced shallots (I know you’re not a fan of uncooked onion/garlic so why not sauté this first?)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons white miso paste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
1. In a blender container, combine all ingredients except for oregano and rosemary and blend until smooth. Add herbs and mix by hand.
2. Pour into storage container and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
3) Spinach Salad with Strawberry Champagne Vinaigrette (I did a variation of this on my birthday with goat cheese and Balsamic)
Ingredients
1 cup sliced apples
4 cups spinach leaves
4 teaspoons chopped toasted walnuts (I can see it now: Mom yelling, “my nuts are burning!” …)
4 tablespoons crumbled chèvre cheese
4 tablespoons dried cranberries
Strawberry Champagne Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup strawberries
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon evaporated cane juice
Pinch sea salt
Instructions
1. In a blender container, combine all ingredients for strawberry champagne vinaigrette and puree.
2. In a medium bowl combine spinach and strawberry vinaigrette and toss together.
3. Serve spinach topped with apples, walnuts, crumbed chèvre cheese and dried cranberries.
4) Mixed Greens with Pineapple Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Pineapple Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped mint
4 cups mixed greens
4 teaspoons chopped toasted walnuts
4 tablespoons crumbled chèvre cheese
Instructions
1. In a blender container, combine all ingredients for pineapple vinaigrette and mix well.
2. Serve 1 cup of mix greens with 1 teaspoon toasted walnuts, 1 tablespoon crumbed chèvre cheese and toss with 2 tablespoons pineapple vinaigrette.
5) Frisse Lentil Salad with Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette (this would also be good with quinoa I bet, and you could omit the fresh mango if it looks unripe, or if they look good you could leave out the dried)
Ingredients
1 cup cooked red lentils
1/3 cup chopped, dried mango
1 cup chopped and packed frisse lettuce
3/4 cup chopped and packed shaved fennel
1/2 cup grated Gouda cheese
1/2 cup Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette (see below)
1/2 cup diced fresh mango
2 teaspoons diced red bell peppers
Instructions
1. Reconstitute dried mango in hot water for 5 minutes until softened then chop.
2. In a large bowl, toss together lentils, dried mango, frisse lettuce, shaved fennel, Gouda and Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette dressing until well combined.
3. Evenly divide salad onto 4 plates. Garnish each salad with fresh mango and red bell peppers.
Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette
1/3 cup Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup diced shallots
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a blender except for canola oil and blend until well mixed. Slowly drizzle in canola oil.
6) Creamy Carrot Soup - the “wild card” recipe I decided to include for variety – combining your desire for something creamy for your burnt mouth and the tradition of your carrot (cake)-themed birthdays
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1/4 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons white wine
3 1/2 cups diced carrots, about 1 1/2 pounds
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/3 cup half and half
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped dill
Instructions
1. Heat butter in a large saucepan and sauté onions and celery over medium-low heat until translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated. Add carrots, stock, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
2. Transfer to blender container and puree until smooth. Add half and half and continue to puree. Transfer back to saucepan and reheat. Add lemon juice and dill.
Ingredients
4 5-ounce skinless duck breasts, boned and defatted
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Confit Butter:
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/4 cup merlot or other dry red wine (I recommend infusing the wine with dried pitted cherries – Monterey are my favorite – since they pair well with duck)
5 dried figs, minced
1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
1. Lightly mist a medium sauté pan with canola oil spray. Sauté shallots over medium heat until caramelized. Add merlot and figs to pan and reduce until dry. Turn heat to low, add stock, vinegar, salt and pepper and cook 8-10 minutes or until figs are very soft and mixture is thickened. Slowly whisk butter into mixture.
2. Preheat grill or broiler.
3. Grill or broil duck breasts 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until desired doneness.
4. Serve each duck breast topped with approx. 2 tablespoons Confit Butter.
2) Arugula Pear Salad (other go-to arugula salads for me are with apricots or figs and cheese; can also use almonds instead)
Ingredients
2 Bartlett pears, cored and cut in half
4 cups fresh arugula, washed
4 teaspoons toasted chopped pecans
1/2 cup Rosemary Vinaigrette salad dressing (see below)
1 ounce bleu cheese, crumbled (I would do gorgonzola personally)
Instructions
1. Slice pears and place in steamer basket over boiling water for about 3 minutes, or until soft.
2. In a large bowl, combine arugula, pecans and dressing.
3. Divide into 4 equal portions and top each with 1/4th of the crumbled blue cheese and sliced pears.
Rosemary Vinaigrette:
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon minced shallots (I know you’re not a fan of uncooked onion/garlic so why not sauté this first?)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons white miso paste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
1. In a blender container, combine all ingredients except for oregano and rosemary and blend until smooth. Add herbs and mix by hand.
2. Pour into storage container and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
3) Spinach Salad with Strawberry Champagne Vinaigrette (I did a variation of this on my birthday with goat cheese and Balsamic)
Ingredients
1 cup sliced apples
4 cups spinach leaves
4 teaspoons chopped toasted walnuts (I can see it now: Mom yelling, “my nuts are burning!” …)
4 tablespoons crumbled chèvre cheese
4 tablespoons dried cranberries
Strawberry Champagne Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup strawberries
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon evaporated cane juice
Pinch sea salt
Instructions
1. In a blender container, combine all ingredients for strawberry champagne vinaigrette and puree.
2. In a medium bowl combine spinach and strawberry vinaigrette and toss together.
3. Serve spinach topped with apples, walnuts, crumbed chèvre cheese and dried cranberries.
4) Mixed Greens with Pineapple Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Pineapple Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped mint
4 cups mixed greens
4 teaspoons chopped toasted walnuts
4 tablespoons crumbled chèvre cheese
Instructions
1. In a blender container, combine all ingredients for pineapple vinaigrette and mix well.
2. Serve 1 cup of mix greens with 1 teaspoon toasted walnuts, 1 tablespoon crumbed chèvre cheese and toss with 2 tablespoons pineapple vinaigrette.
5) Frisse Lentil Salad with Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette (this would also be good with quinoa I bet, and you could omit the fresh mango if it looks unripe, or if they look good you could leave out the dried)
Ingredients
1 cup cooked red lentils
1/3 cup chopped, dried mango
1 cup chopped and packed frisse lettuce
3/4 cup chopped and packed shaved fennel
1/2 cup grated Gouda cheese
1/2 cup Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette (see below)
1/2 cup diced fresh mango
2 teaspoons diced red bell peppers
Instructions
1. Reconstitute dried mango in hot water for 5 minutes until softened then chop.
2. In a large bowl, toss together lentils, dried mango, frisse lettuce, shaved fennel, Gouda and Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette dressing until well combined.
3. Evenly divide salad onto 4 plates. Garnish each salad with fresh mango and red bell peppers.
Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette
1/3 cup Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup diced shallots
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a blender except for canola oil and blend until well mixed. Slowly drizzle in canola oil.
6) Creamy Carrot Soup - the “wild card” recipe I decided to include for variety – combining your desire for something creamy for your burnt mouth and the tradition of your carrot (cake)-themed birthdays
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1/4 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons white wine
3 1/2 cups diced carrots, about 1 1/2 pounds
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/3 cup half and half
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped dill
Instructions
1. Heat butter in a large saucepan and sauté onions and celery over medium-low heat until translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated. Add carrots, stock, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
2. Transfer to blender container and puree until smooth. Add half and half and continue to puree. Transfer back to saucepan and reheat. Add lemon juice and dill.
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