Duck Magret Salad Recipe

Duck prosciutto (thin cuts of smoked duck breast) is one of my favorite cured meats. It makes the most ordinary of salads extraordinary. The combination of saltiness and flavor from the high fat content is irresistible. When I prepared this dish in Paris, for every slice of duck that went into the salad, one went into my mouth as well. I found a supplier on Amazon and I'm going to try them out because I cannot wait until my next trip to France to satisfy my duck prosciutto craving. This would make a perfect first course for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner.

Dieters, avert your gaze! What started as a few innocent pieces of duck prosciutto turned into full-scale gorging of foie gras, oysters, veal and other French delicacies that left me 10 pounds heavier than I was when I arrived. You could say that duck prosciutto was my "gateway" meat .

Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe

Cordon bleu is a French chicken dish. I used boneless chicken thighs but you could use chicken breasts as well or even turkey. First, the meat is sliced in half, horizontally, so the chicken can be stuffed. A thin slice of cold cut smoked turkey (or traditionally, ham) and cheese are inserted into the slit. Then, the piece of chicken is transferred from an egg batter to a breading dish.

I pan-fried the chicken and finished the cooking in the oven. The chicken came out crispy on the outside and moist on the inside with cheese oozing onto the pan. The smoked turkey adds saltiness to the dish and pairs perfectly with the melting cheese and the milder chicken.

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Shepherd's pie is my way of turning two Thanksgiving leftover dishes into one beautiful, delicious meal. We always have excess mashed potatoes and turkey and this is a great way to give them a second (or third in the case of the turkey) life.

To start, I make a brunoise, which is a blend of same-sized and shaped diced leeks, turnips, carrots. Tomatoes and shredded leftover turkey are also added to complete the mixture.

Layered over the turkey brunoise is a generous helping of fluffy mashed potatoes. A sprinkle of Dubliner cheese seals the dish. Finally, shepherd's pie is baked until golden. Voilà!! I actually prefer this to the original roast turkey. It’s got such an intense flavor and a wonderful contrast of textures and colors. It may be called shepherd’s pie, but it is a dish fit for a king.

Grilled Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Summer is almost over! It’s hard to imagine, but school starts next week for the girls, so I thought I'd use the barbecue one more time before storing it until next season. I marinated chicken breasts in tandoori sauce (I removed the skin because Lulu's aunt who’s visiting doesn't like it).

A generous amount of plain yogurt is necessary to ensure that the meat is moist. The traditional spices from garam masala are also used (cumin, coriander, red chile and other spices). I grilled the chicken breasts for about 10 minutes and the meat was ready to be served. It’s actually a pretty stress-free recipe if -like me-, you have a ready-made jar of garam masala in your pantry.

Honey Garlic Chicken Drumsticks (Barbecue Chicken Drummettes)

Chicken drumsticks are great party food. They are easy to make and everyone, including my little munchkin, loves to nibble on them while having a conversation.

This time around, I seasoned the chicken with a dry rub, then grilled the drumsticks on the barbecue and glazed the chicken until fully cooked. I also used both dried and fresh thyme to flavor the chicken. Our garden is over-flowing with lemon thyme, so I used a food dehydrator my father-in-law gave to me as a birthday present and dried several trays. When dried, herbs have a much stronger flavor, and I’ll be able to use the thyme well into November.

The chicken drumsticks were tender and sweet with a crunchy skin. Get grilling, and enjoy some yourself!