I am not a meat and 3 kind of girl. On occasion, I might get talked into fried chicken and mashed potatoes, especially the skillet fried chicken at The Blue Rooster in Clyde, NC...or maybe the fried chicken breast with mushroom gravy at Homegrown in Asheville, NC. But given the choice, I'll choose a burrito or stir-fry. If it can be done in one pan, even better.
But sometimes, you just want that traditional meat and vegetable. Right? So I make duck breast and roasted vegetables, because duck is as normal as it gets.
So here it is: Duck Breast!
Ingredients:
2 fresh duck breasts, skin on
1 c. teriyaki sauce
1 sweet potato, diced
1 blue potato, diced
1 small head cauliflower, in florets
1 small head broccoli, in florets
sunflower oil, or other neutral oil
1tsp thyme leaves
orange, sliced in half-cut one half into 4 wedges
Directions:
1. Marinate duck breasts in teriyaki mixed with juice of half an orange for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, toss potatoes with 1-2tsp oil, salt, and thyme. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Stir.
3. Toss cauliflower and broccoli with 1-2tsp oil, salt, and juice of orange wedge. Add to cookie sheet. Return to oven for 20 minutes. Stir halfway through.
4. Heat a little oil in a skillet on medium high. Add the duck breasts and marinade. Cook, 5-6 minutes until starting to sear. Flip duck breasts over, and cook another 3-4 minutes, until medium (unlike chicken, duck is often served medium or even medium rare)
5. Plate and Serve with orange wedges for garnish!
Enjoy,
Suzanne
My husband and I love sushi night. "Love boats" selected by the sushi chefs, pork gyoza, rolls that are cooked, rolls that are raw, tuna tataki, and more make us swoon and drop $50 or more on sushi. This is not sustainable. Neither is the laughable attempt at sushi my husband and I tried. Our rolls fell apart in our hands!
So...the inspiration of Hawaii with the fusion flavors of Japan it is! The Poke Bowl. I can assemble these at home without destroying the flavors or the ingredients.
Ingredients for 2:
2 fresh tuna steaks (about 6 oz each)
1 avocado, diced (do last so it doesn't brown)
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
2 radishes, sliced
Mango salsa (recipe below)
fusion ponzu sauce (recipe below)
1 tbsp sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste
6 oz udon noodles, cooked according to package (optional)
wonton crisps (optional-find in the crouton section of the grocery)
sesame seeds (optional)
Directions:
1. Sprinkle tuna with salt and pepper. Allow tuna to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.
2. Meanwhile, make the fusion ponzu and mango salsa.
3. Chop/dice remaining ingredients.
4. Heat the sesame oil in a medium skillet on high for 1-2 minutes. Add tuna steaks, and sear for 3 minutes. When the tuna comes up easily, flip and sear another 2-3 minutes for rare. Longer if a higher cook is desired.
5. Remove to cutting board and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Slice into bite size pieces.
6. Assemble the poke bowls. Place noodles equally in bottom of bowls. Arrange cucumber, radish, avocado, and tuna over noodles. Top with mango salsa, ponzu, sesame seeds, and wonton crisps. Serve at room temperature.
Mango Salsa:
1 mango, diced
1 shallot, minced
3-4 green onions, sliced
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
2 small peppers, such as jalapeno or lunchbox, diced (choose variety based on desired heat level)
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Use within 3 days.
Fusion Ponzu Sauce:
Traditionally Ponzu sauce is made with mirin and bonito flakes. I like this version better at home, but feel free to make or buy actual ponzu.
I make this using a souvenir shot glass, but feel free to measure! 1 shot equals about 2 tbsp.
1 1/2 shots soy sauce
1 shot rice vinegar
1 shot sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until use. May be sealed and kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Enjoy!
