The Charmed Kitchen

Roast Duck

There is something about duck that just appeals to me. The richness and sweetness of the meat make duck a favorite of mine no matter how it is prepared. I grew up eating Czarnina (Polish Duck Soup) that was mostly prepared for holidays. That made the soup even more special. As a kid I only ate duck that had cooked in the soup all day. It wasn’t until I was in my teens that I had it prepared any other way. I still remember my mother cooking the duck with orange glaze. It was wonderful.

I recently got 3 fresh ducks from Plumcreek Farm. I put 2 in the freezer for later but had to enjoy one of them right away.  Fresh duck is a real treat. I had ordered the ducks several weeks ago and had thought about how I wanted to cook them. Various sauces went through my mind. Rhubarb perhaps or maybe a plum sauce. Red wine or something citrus based, perhaps. In the end I decided to go minimal with this first duck. No fancy sauces or even marinades. I wanted to leave the duck as close to “natural” as I could. I salted it inside and out and gave it a good sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper. I also cut up an apple and onion and placed them in the cavity. That was it. Placed the duck on a rack and roasted it in a hot oven to crisp and render the skin as much as possible. Baked it at 425 for about an hour and a half. Served it with a saute of sweet potatoes, onions and apples that suited the duck. I would not have changed a thing.

My first fresh duck

Crispy perfection

Lemon Meltaways

It is cookie season so I thought I’d share one of my favorite recipes with you. I’ll be posting more cookie pics and recipes in the coming weeks. This cookie is delicate and not too sweet with the lovely taste of lemon. Pretty and easy to make.

Lemon Meltaways

Dough:

1 ¼ c. flour

¾ c. butter, softened

½ c. cornstarch

1/3 c. powdered sugar

1 T. lemon juice

1 t. grated lemon peel

Frosting:

¾ c. powdered sugar

¼ c. butter, softened

1 t. lemon juice

1 t. grated lemon peel

In large bowl combine all dough ingredients and mix well. Divide dough in half and roll each half into an 8- inch roll.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, 1-2 hours. Slice chilled dough into ¼ inch slices and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-12 minutes, or until cookies are set, but not brown. Cool completely on a rack. Combine frosting ingredients and beat until light and fluffy. Frost cooled cookies. Makes 4 dozen.

Spinach Frittata

Since I love spinach it is one of my go to greens. I decided to make breakfast just a little healthier with the addition of spinach to the morning eggs. I started with a pound of baby spinach that I steamed. I got the skillet hot and added butter. I put the spinach in the pan and heated it through. Then I beat together 3 eggs and added salt and fresh ground pepper. I added the eggs to the pan and used a spatula to lift the eggs and let the uncooked eggs  get to the bottom of the pan. When the eggs were set I sprinkled the frittata with shredded cheddar cheese and turned down the heat. I put a lid on the skillet to  allow the cheese time to melt. Full of spinach and cheesy goodness this breakfast was quite a hit.

Cranberry-Rosemary Vinegar

I am always looking for more ways to use cranberries. I have made relish and frozen some, baked with others  and will make jam next week. I also preserve some by using berries to flavor vinegar. By adding rosemary the end result is a great tasting vinegar that is perfect for winter salads. It is also a lovely gift.

All you need are bottles with corks or screw top lids. If using corks be sure they are food grade. You’ll also need cranberries, bamboo skewers, fresh rosemary and vinegar- 5% acidity. I use red wine vinegar. Other vinegars will work, too. If you use white vinegar or cider vinegar they will pick up color from the berries.

Make sure the skewers will fit in the bottles. Cut them down to fit, if needed. Skewer the berries on the skewers leaving a little room on the top. Place a few sprigs of rosemary in each bottle and then add the berry filled skewers. Pour in the vinegar, leaving a little room for the cork. Sometimes you need to add a little more vinegar the next day as some will absorb into the skewers.  I make decorative labels and give them as gifts. Ready to use in a week.

Chicken Florentine

After picking up some spinach the other day I was trying to decide what to do with it. I remembered a dish my Mother used to make. Pork Chops Florentine. Basically, pork chops baked with spinach. Mom added potatoes to the dish, too. I remember how much I loved it and how I thought there was never enough spinach. Spinach cooks down a lot so prepare to use more than you might think. I used a one pound package of spinach and could have used more. It was quite easy to make and since I bought 2 pounds of spinach I’ll likely do something similar with the rest of it. I didn’t have pork chops so I used 4 bone-in chicken thighs but any cut of chicken would have worked. Boneless will take a lot less time to cook. Pork chops would also be wonderful in this dish.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Brown the  chicken pieces in a skillet. Once it’s nice and brown on both sides turn down the heat and cover the skillet. Cook until juices run clear when chicken is poked with a fork. This took about 30 minutes with the thighs. Remove the chicken from the pan and spoon out most of the fat. Add 1 large onion, sliced, and cook until golden. Add the spinach- I used a pound and it was freshly washed so it had some water on the leaves. Stir the spinach over medium high heat until it wilts down. You can even turn the heat down and cover the pan to speed up the process. While the spinach is wilting place 1 cup of milk or half and half in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add 2 T. flour- put on the lid and shake until the mixture is smooth. Pour milk mixture over the wilted spinach and stir until mixture becomes thickened and bubbly. Add salt and pepper to taste and a some grated nutmeg. I also added a dash of hot sauce. Return chicken to the pan, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until everything is nice and hot.

Chocolate Truffles

These decadent little bites of chocolate are always a nice gift for the holidays. I like to take a box to parties as a thank-you to the host or hostess. These are easy to make, too. Only 4 ingredients and you can make a batch in no time. You’ll need 12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate. You can use 2 cups of chocolate chips or splurge and get a really nice high end chocolate. Just up to your own taste and budget.  Another thing to remember- one of the rules when working with chocolate- always wear brown.

Truffles

1/3 c. Whipping cream

6 T. butter, cut into small pieces

2 c. chocolate chips- or 12 oz. chocolate, grated or chopped coarsely

Unsweetened cocoa

Heat cream to boiling in small saucepan. Stir in butter and cook until melted. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until melted. Place in shallow bowl and chill until firm, at least a couple of hours. Roll mixture into 1-inch balls and roll in cocoa. Sometimes the mixture is quite firm and hard to roll into perfectly smooth balls. You can roll them out as smooth as you can, roll in cocoa and then roll again to smooth out. You might want to give them another roll in the cocoa after that.  Makes about 30.

Mutton roast

I never had mutton before today. I’ve had lamb plenty of times. When lamb is over a year in age it is called mutton. I got my roast from a local farm- thanks to Kaey Brey. She raises lamb and I had enjoyed several of her lamb roasts before. I was not sure what to expect. Kaey told me to braise it for a long time. It is a shoulder roast- even with lamb a shoulder would take long cooking with moist heat. Since mutton is tougher I was told to cook it a much longer time. I set it up in a covered roaster on a rack. This way the fat would drip off and the meat would not be sitting in it while cooking. I did a simple rub on the meat- salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder and paprika. In the bottom of the roaster I put red wine, some chicken stock, and an assortment of aromatic veggies. I cooked it at 350 degrees for 8 hours. The house smelled amazing and the dog kept following me to the kitchen- sure that what he was smelling certainly must be ready. I did have to add more liquid a couple of times. Make sure your roaster has a very tight lid or check on it from time to time so the liquid does not run out. The plan was to share the mutton with Jonathan the next day so I cooled the roast and took out the bones. Well, in the interest of full disclosure the bones fell away from the roast when I took it out of the roasting pan. It was very tender. I strained out the pan juices and placed all in the fridge. This morning I took the roast and placed it in the crock pot. I added the de-fatted pan juices and set it to heat up while we ran errands. When we got back we enjoyed the mutton with a tossed salad and some steamed sweet potatoes. It was really good. The flavor and texture reminded me of beef. Dense and very filling. Since the roast was over 7 pounds we’ll be having mutton a few more times. I think I’ll make shepherd’s pie from at least some of it. It makes me wonder why we don’t see more mutton in the market. It was really tasty and rich, while not being gamey. Don’t know if you ever had mutton but if you haven’t I hope you get a chance to try it sometime.

Ready for the oven

If you are looking for holiday gifts and want things you won’t find anywhere else you have to come to Pilgrim Church in Tremont this Saturday. The craft show is also for a good cause. This is an annual fundraiser for Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice. I feel honored to be a part of it this year. They have an eclectic group of vendors and artists. A few of the artists  only do this show. It is a lot of fun and well worth checking out.

I will be selling my cookbooks, homemade jams and jellies, herb seasoning packets, beer bread mixes, bean soup mixes and more. This will be your first chance to get some of the very limited supply of Pineapple Ginger Preserves, too.

Here is the location and time.

Pilgrim Congregational Church

2592 W. 14th Cleveland, Ohio

Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013

10- 4:00 p.m

I hope the see you there. Bring a friend or two.

Stuffed French Toast

Whenever I make this dish I remember a Winter brunch in the park with friends. It was February and cabin fever led to the idea to meet up in the park for brunch. We cooked everything over the grill or on a camp stove. It was pretty cold. We still had a great time. I made this French toast and it was a big hit. It’s even more fun when you are cooking inside. Around the holidays I seem to have more company for breakfast and brunch and I almost always make this version of French toast. You can stuff the bread the night before and keep it in the fridge until ready to cook which will save you time in the morning. 

Stuffed French Toast

 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 t. vanilla

1/2 c. chopped nuts

1 16-oz. loaf French bread

4 eggs

1 c. whipping cream or half and half

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

Mix together cream cheese, vanilla and nuts. Set aside. Cut bread into 10-12 1 1/2 inch slices. Cut pocket in each slice and fill with 1 1/2 T. filling. Combine eggs and whipping cream with remaining vanilla and nutmeg. Use tongs to dip the bread, taking care not to squeeze out the filling. Cook toast on lightly greased griddle until browned on both sides.  Keep toast warm in oven until ready to serve. Serve with maple syrup, warmed preserves or powdered sugar. Makes 10-12 slices.

Mini S’mores

If you find yourself cooped up with the kids this is a fun thing to make with them. Since you are working with an open flame always provide adult supervision. My niece Elia and I had fun making these a couple of days ago. Great for both rainy and snowy days, they can also be made around a picnic table on a warm summer evening.

Mini S’mores

mini marshmallows

toothpicks

candle

graham cracker cereal- we also thought tiny graham cracker bears would have worked

mini chocolate chips

Set up a candle on a sturdy surface. We placed everything in a jelly roll pan. Place marshmallows on a toothpick and hold over candle flame until toasted. Place a few mini chocolate chips on a piece of cereal. Add the marshmallow and use a second piece of cereal to secure it. Slide marshmallow off the toothpick.

Toast mini marshmallows over a candle