Five Spice Duck Breast

Duck breast, Long Island Peking
1/2 c Soy sauce
1/4 c Water
3 TB Sweet Chinese rice wine (not vinegar)
2TB Brown sugar
1 tsp five spice powder
1 TB minced ginger
Chopped garlic scapes or one clove garlic,  minced
2 scallions, chopped
Juice of one lime
Dash of siracha

Score fat, without cutting into meat.  Marinate several hours.

Dry duck very well. Heat cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot. Add high-heat oil then sear duck, fat side down, about five minutes. Turn duck, pour off extra fat. Lower heat slightly so duck doesn't burn. Cook another four or five minutes, until medium rare.

Serve with sautéed chard.

Coconut Cod, Sweet Potatoes and Jasmine Rice

Jasmine Rice

2 c jasmine rice

3 c water

Put rice in saucepan, cover with plenty of cold water and swirl around. Carefully drain water from pan (I use my hand to drain most of water - not exact or carefully drained. Easier and seems to work). Add about three cups of water back to saucepan. Cover and place over high heat. When you hear water is boiling, turn flame very low and continue to cook, covered, until rice is done and the water has been completely absorbed (approx 20 min). Rice should look quite dry.  

Sweet Potatoes

Fingerling sweet potatoes

Coconut oil

2TB unsweetened coconut flakes

Scallions, thinly sliced

Juice of two limes

Handful of cilantro, coarsest chopped

Place peeled sweet potatoes in saucepan and add enough water to barely cover potatoes. Bring to a brief boil then reduce heat to gentle simmer. Simmer potatoes until just soft when pierced with a knife.  Remove potatoes with slotted spoon, pour out water and dry pan. Return pan to heat and add coconut oil. Add scallions, coconut flakes and potatoes to pan. Cover and cook over medium heat until potatoes are browned and cooked through. Sprinkle with coarse salt, add cilantro and squeeze limes over potatoes. Stir gently to combine. 

Coconut Cod

Cod fillets, skin on, checked for small bones.
Coconut oil
Scallions, white parts thinly sliced, green parts in one-inch segments
Shallots, thinly sliced
Handful cilantro, roughly chopped
Juice of two limes
2 TB unsweetened coconut flakes

Preheat cast iron skillet over flame. Add 1-2TB coconut oil to pan. Add shallots and cook until frazzled - golden and crispy. Remove from pan with slotted spoon. Sprinkle coarse salt on skin side of fish and put in hot skillet, skin side down. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of fish. Cook skin side down for two minutes or until fish lifts easily from pan. When you flip fish add the scallions to the pans, surrounding the fish. You want to get them sizzling on the hot cast iron. Cook fish on the second side about two to three minutes, or until cooked through. Flip fish back so it's skin side down, sprinkle top of fish and cooked scallions with frizzled shallots, cilantro and coconut flakes. Squeeze juice of two limes over fish and scallions. Move fish and scallions to plates.

Buddha Bowl

VEGETABLES

* 2 Tbsp olive, melted coconut, or grape seed oil

* 2 red onions, sliced in wedges

* 2 large sweet potatoes, halved or butternut squash, cubed

* 2 big handfuls kale, larger stems removed

* 1/4 tsp each salt + pepper

CHICKPEAS

* 1 15-ounce (425 g) chickpeas, drained, rinsed + patted dry

* 1 tsp cumin

* 3/4 tsp chili powder

* 3/4 tsp garlic powder

* 1/4 tsp each salt + pepper

* 1/2 tsp oregano (optional)

* 1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)

TAHINI SAUCE (OPTIONAL)

* 1/4 cup (56 g) tahini

* 1/4 cup full fat yogurt

* 1/2 lemon, juiced

* 3 Tbsp olive oil

* 2-4 Tbsp hot water to thin

Short grain brown rice, cooked

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and arrange sweet potatoes and onions on a bare baking sheet. Drizzle both with a bit of oil, making sure the flesh of the sweet potatoes are well coated and placed skin side down on the sheet.

2. Roast about 40 minutes or until browned.  Add kale, drizzle with more oil and S&P. Roast until kale is crispy. (Or roast kale on separate sheet).

3. While vegetables are roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add chickpeas to a mixing bowl and toss with seasonings.

4. Once hot, add 1 Tbsp oil and chickpeas and sauté, stirring frequently. If they’re browning too quickly, turn down heat. If there isn’t much browning going on, increase heat. I found 10 minutes total at slightly over medium heat was perfect.

5. Once the chickpeas are browned and fragrant, remove from heat and set aside.

6. Prepare sauce by adding tahini, yogurt and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Add hot water until a pourable sauce is formed. Whisk in olive oil to make sauce smooth and balance lemon juice. Set aside.

7. To serve: Slice sweet potatoes into bite size pieces. Divide vegetables between 3 serving bowls and top with chickpeas + tahini sauce.

Bluefish broiled with lemony herb mayo, arugula salad and roasted kale

Bluefish

Bluefish filets, skin on
Mayo whisked with lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic and chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil and tarragon)
One TB herb butter (mashed butter with minced garlic and parsley)

Put cast iron skillet - bare - under broiler until very hot. About 20 minutes.
Add herb butter to skillet and place fish on top. Broil about three minutes. Remove from oven, baste fish with butter and spoon half of mayo on top of fish. Broil another here or four minutes until done.

Kale, Arugula Salad, and Brown Rice

I had some super fresh purple kale.  Pulled the sides off the middle and larger stems, tossed with olive oil and roasted in 425 degree oven until crisp.  Salt well.

Toss fresh arugula with EVOO, coarse salt and a touch of lemon

Serve all with short grain brown rice