Tuscan White Bean Salad with Spinach, Olives, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This variation on a simple Tuscan classic might be considered heresy to purists, but the addition of olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach is awesome! It's a great dish anytime. The salad can be made a day in advance; serve it lightly chilled or at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6-8)

• 1 1/2 cups dried navy beans, rinsed and picked over
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 cups firmly packed spinach, washed, drained, and stems removed
• 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives, such as kalamata or niçoise
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

PREPARATION

·         Quick-soak the beans: Place the beans in a large pot with water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a boil.

·         Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain, and rinse.

·         To cook the beans: Place the beans in a large pot and add enough water to cover by 3 to 4 inches. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until beans are tender but still firm. Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly. Set aside to cool.

·         Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook and stir until slightly brown, about 5 minutes.

·         Toss the beans, onion, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and olives in a large bowl with the vinaigrette until just combined.

·         Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use or up to 1 day. 

**If refrigerating, add the spinach just before serving.

Duck a l'Orange

The orange marmalade and soy sauce glaze accentuates the rich, gamy taste of duck. It's an irresistible treat for company any time of year.

Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 5-pound duck
• 2 small oranges
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large roasting pan with foil.
2. Remove both wingtips at the top joint with kitchen scissors or a heavy knife; reserve wing tips. Reserve neck (discard the rest of the giblets). Trim the excess skin and fat around the neck and cavity opening. Grate 1/4 teaspoon orange zest and set aside. Cut oranges into quarters. Set aside 3 sections and place the remaining orange sections inside the duck; fold the wings under and tie the legs together with kitchen string. With a skewer or fork, prick holes in the skin without piercing the flesh. (This allows fat to drain during roasting.)
3. Whisk marmalade and 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a small bowl. Loosen the skin over the breast and thigh meat and rub about 3 tablespoons of the marmalade mixture under the skin. Place breast-side down on a rack in the prepared roasting pan.
4. Roast the duck for 1 hour. Remove the duck from the pan and carefully pour off the fat. Return the duck to the rack, breast-side up. Continue roasting, basting every 15 minutes with another 2 tablespoons of the marmalade mixture, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh without touching bone registers 165°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours more.
5. Meanwhile, place the reserved wing tips and neck in a medium saucepan, add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth is reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes. Strain and discard solids; return the broth to the pan. Squeeze the juice from the reserved orange sections into a small bowl; add cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Stir the juice mixture, reserved zest and brown sugar into the broth; cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
6. Transfer the duck to a cutting board; let rest for 15 minutes before removing the string and carving. Serve with the sauce on the side.

Nutrition

Per serving: 297 calories; 10 g fat ( 4 g sat , 3 g mono ); 77 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 22 g protein; 0 g fiber; 397 mg sodium; 291 mg potassium.