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.

Butternut Squash Tart with Fried Sage

Chile-infused honey is a great foil for the rich and salty flavors of this tart. Serve any leftover honey over biscuits or fried chicken.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed (from a 17.3-ounce package)
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
• 12 1/8"-thick rounds peeled butternut squash
• kosher salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 thinly sliced Fresno, jalapeño, or red Thai chile
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan
• black pepper

PREPARATION

·        

·         Preheat oven to 375°F.

·         Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

·         Gently roll out 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed (from a 17.3-ounce package) on a lightly floured surface to a 10" square (just enough to even out). Transfer to prepared sheet.

·         Brush pastry with 1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water.

·         Arrange twelve 1/8"-thick rounds peeled butternut squash (cut from squash's neck) over pastry, overlapping as needed and leaving a 1/2" border.

·         Place another sheet of parchment paper over squash. Set another large rimmed baking sheet over the tart. (This will weigh down the pastry dough and steam the squash slices.)

·         Bake until bottom of pastry begins to brown and top begins to puff, about 10 minutes.

·         Remove top baking sheet and discard top sheet of parchment paper.

·         Brush squash slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with kosher salt. Return tart, uncovered, to oven and bake until pastry is deep golden brown and cooked through, 25–30 minutes longer.

·         Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup honey, 1 thinly sliced Fresno, jalapeño, or red Thai chile, and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat (add another thinly sliced chile if more heat is desired). Boil until thickened slightly and syrupy, about 6 minutes.

·         Line a plate with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet until just beginning to smoke.

·         Add 12 fresh sage leaves; fry until crisp, about 30 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

·         Slice tart. Arrange 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan on top; drizzle with chile-infused honey. Garnish with fried sage leaves and a few grinds of black pepper.

Enjoy!

Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola & Caramelized Onions

In my humble opinion, a good steak is best cooked as rare as possible to enjoy the full flavor of the meat and to have it as juicy as possible. When I eat steak (which is rare any more) I enjoy mine 'black and blue', or charred on the outside and rare in the middle. A well done steak just doesn't taste the same and, in most cases, has the juices cooked out of the meat by the time it hits the plate. Remember, when the steak on the grill looks two rungs rarer than you like it remove it from the fire! The meat will continue cooking even when it's off the heat. However you like your steak cooked, top your filet with sweet caramelized onions and Gorgonzola cheese for that extra kick! You should seek out good-quality Gorgonzola for the best flavor, but any will work. Serve with garlic smashed potatoes and steamed baby carrots for a superb dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2 large onions, sliced (about 4 cups)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound beef tenderloin (filet mignon) or sirloin steak, 1-1 1/4 inches thick, trimmed and cut into 4 steaks
• 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and brown sugar and cook, stirring often, until the onions are very tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add broth, vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the liquid has almost evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the onions to a bowl; cover to keep warm. Clean and dry the pan.
2. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper on both sides of each steak. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn them over and top with cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the steaks are cooked to desired doneness, 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Serve the steaks with the caramelized onions.

Nutrition

Per serving: 306 calories; 16 g fat ( 5 g sat , 7 g mono ); 81 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 2 g fiber; 508 mg sodium; 524 mg potassium.