Monday, December 27, 2010

Daring Christmas Duck

Ahh Christmas. 
Every year for Christmas my sister and I have made dinner. For the last 2 years, I have failed at making prime rib... well, that's not true. Last year I mad prime rib with a Cabernet rosemary Au jus, and it was delicious, BUT the year before that... well... was embarrassing.

So this year I wanted to do a duck! I found a really incredible Fig and Cranberry glazed duck recipe, so I used that as a jumping point (omitting the figs as per family's request).

And without futher ado, I give you....... DUCK WITH A CRANBERRY RELISH!!! (I need a better title)


What you'll need:
1 5 lb. Duck
1/2 a lb fresh or frozen cranberries
2/3 cup apple cider
4 tsp. ground cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 oranges, halved

First, the relish:
Combine 2 tsp. cloves, cranberries, cinnamon stick, the juice of one orange,  and apple juice into a bowl. Mix and let sit.

The Duck:
Rinse the duck and prick skin with a fork. Cover the body in the cloves, salt, and pepper. Stuff the duck with the two halves of the remaining orange. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

While the duck is roasting, place cranberry mixture in a pot and simmer till the cranberries burst.


After 20 minutes, turn the oven heat down to 350 degrees. Baste the duck in the fat from the bottom of the pan, and roast for another hour and 10 minutes, occasionally basting the duck as it roasts.


When the duck is done roasting, the juices will run clear. Once it is done, remove it and poor the cranberry relish over the duck.


Cove with foil and let duck rest for 10-15 minutes. The Transfer to platter and serve!




And there you have it!
Personally I loved this Duck, but I am a huge duck fan.

The relish could really serve as it's own dish... I accidentally made my own cranberry sauce :)

So, all said and done.... this is superblogworthy! Yummmmmmmy noises all around.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Green Eggs and Ham

I found this, and I think it's the most adorable thing in the world.
Superlotsofun, and something that you can do with your kids!



What you'll need:
1 Dozen Eggs
Seasoning salt
2 tbs. Mayonnaise
Dab-o-mustard
1 Package Bacon
Green food coloring

1st bring a large pot of water to boil.
Add eggs and boil for 15 minutes.
While eggs are on, fry up the bacon to your liking (personally, I prefer chewy bacon over crispy, but that's just me).
When eggs are done, remove from heat and run cold water over them.
Don't forget to dab the fat off the bacon!

Slice bacon into 2 inch slices.

When eggs are cooled, peel them and cut them in half, lengthwise. With a spoon, remove the yolk, and place in a separate bowl.
In bowl, combine seasoning salt, mayo, mustard, 2 or 3 drops of food coloring, and yolk, and mix til smooth.

When fully mixed, with a spoon, place the mixture back into the eggs, and top with a bacon slice.



There you have it!
Your very own Green Eggs and Ham!

Ridiculous Roasted Garlic Infused Butter



This is a super simple recipe that I made up one day. I wanted to eat something that was ridiculously delicious, and this hit the spot!

What you'll need:

A whole head of garlic
Tin foil
1 stick of butter, room temp
Wax paper

Slice off the top of the head of garlic, wrap in foil (leaving a whole in the top, to vent the heat), and roast the garlic for about 45 minutes on 350.


Remove garlic and let cool. Once cooled, mix in a small bowl with the butter.


Spoon onto wax paper, and roll into a cylinder-type shape. Refrigerate for at least an hour, and when chilled, you'll have amazing roasted garlic infused butter!


You can put this on anything, but it's REALLY good on croissants. (As included in the first pic).

Enjoy, and let me know if you try this recipe, I'd like to know what you think, since this is mine.

Oh, and forgive the picture quality, these were taken on my phone :)