Ring in the New Year in Style
Pan-Seared Salmon with Linguine
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
- Four 5 ounce pieces of fresh or frozen skinless salmon fillets, thawed and dried
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- ½ cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ¼ cup finely chopped, pitted green olives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Pepperoncini peppers
- Cooked Linguine
Directions
Sprinkle salmon with salt. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add salmon. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness of fish or until fish just flakes when tested with a fork, turning once. Transfer to a serving platter. Cover; keep warm.
For the pesto:
Add remaining oil to the skillet. Add onion and dried tomatoes; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in cherry tomatoes, olives, basil, and crushed red pepper. Stir to heat through. Season to taste with salt.
Spoon tomato mixture over salmon. Top with additional fresh basil and serve with cooked pasta and pepperoncini peppers.
Roast Duck with Blackberry Sauce
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 pound domestic duck
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 small orange, quartered
- 1 stalk celery, cut up
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons orange liqueur
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup orange liqueur
- ¼ cup mild-flavor molasses
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 cups blackberries
Directions
Adjust oven rack to lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Rinse duck body cavity; pat dry. Rub cavity with the 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Place orange, celery, onion, and thyme in cavity. Skewer neck skin to back; tie legs to tail. Twist wing tips under back. Brush duck with the 2 tablespoons orange liqueur.
Place duck, breast side down, on rack in a shallow roasting pan. Add the hot water to the roasting pan. Place in lower third of oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Roast, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
Carefully remove roasting pan from oven; drain fat.* Turn duck, breast side up. Roast for 45 to 60 minutes more or until drumsticks move easily in their sockets (165 degrees F). Juices may still appear pink.
Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small saucepan whisk together orange peel, orange juice, brown sugar, the 1/4 cup orange liqueur, the molasses, ginger, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened and syrupy. Stir in 2 cups blackberries. Use a potato masher or fork to coarsely mash berries. Cover and set aside.
Transfer duck to a cutting board; let stand for 15 minutes. Discard stuffing mixture. Using kitchen shears, cut duck in half lengthwise. Cut each half between the breast and the thigh into 2 pieces. Drain fat from roasting pan. Arrange duck quarters in pan. Pour blackberry sauce over the duck. Return to oven. Roast in the 350 degrees F oven for 30 minutes.
Transfer duck pieces to a serving platter. Pour any juices in the roasting pan over the duck pieces.
Chicken Roll-Ups
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, halved horizontally (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Garlic-herb cheese, see recipe below
- 1 ounce baby arugula or baby spinach (about 1 cup packed)
- ¾ cup jarred roasted red sweet peppers, drained well and chopped
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup purchased or homemade pesto
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken breast halves between pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound each to 1/4-inch thickness.
Season one side of each chicken breast with salt and pepper. Spread each breast with the herb cheese to the edges. Top with arugula, peppers, and green onion.
Press down on toppings, then roll up tightly, starting from a short end; secure with toothpicks. Brush pesto over rolls. Transfer to an oiled 2-quart rectangular baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center (170 degrees F). Let stand 5 minutes. Remove toothpicks and slice crosswise to serve.
GARLIC HERB CHEESE
Stir 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed and 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed, into 3 ounces of cream cheese.
Lobster Tails with Garlic Butter
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
- Four 8 ounce fresh or frozen lobster tails
- 1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup butter, plus extra for serving
Directions
Thaw lobster tails, if frozen. Preheat broiler. Butterfly the lobster tails by cutting through the center of the hard top shells and meat. Spread the halves of tails apart. Place lobster tails, meat side up, on the unheated rack of a broiler pan.
In a small skillet cook garlic, orange peel, and chili powder in butter over medium heat about 30 seconds or until garlic is tender. Brush mixture over lobster meat.
Broil 4 inches from heat for 12 to 14 minutes or until lobster meat is opaque. Serve with extra melted butter.
Pan Seared Tenderloin Steak
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 beef tenderloin steaks (filet mignon), cut about 3/4 inch thick
- 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup dry red wine
- ½ cup reduced-sodium beef broth
- 4 tablespoons finely shallots
- 2 tablespoons whipping cream (no substitutes for this dish)
- Salt and Pepper
Directions
Heat a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter; reduce heat to medium. Cook steaks about 3 minutes per side or until medium rare (145 degrees F). Transfer steaks to a platter. Cover with foil; let stand for 5 minutes while preparing sauce.
Add wine, beef broth and shallots to the hot skillet. Using a whisk, stir and scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until liquid is reduced.. Lower heat to medium low.
Stir in cream; stir in the remaining tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until butter is melted and sauce has thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the evenly sauce over steaks and serve immediately.
