Chicken Stir-Fry with Peppers and Pineapple

With all the baking I’ve been doing lately, I felt the need for some Asian flavored kind of dish. Rather than follow any specific recipe, I’ve looked around the kitchen and saw I had boneless chicken thighs, red and yellow peppers, and a nice juicy fresh pineapple. These were enough to start working on a dish that will include them.

Braised Duck Legs with Sweet and Spicy Pineapple

 

Duck is the “meatier” relative of chicken: its complex flavor and unique texture make it highly suitable for bold culinary combinations, which is exactly what I had in mind.
While I more often use duck breast, this time, I had D’Artagnan’s Rohan duck legs to experiment with, and I chose a classic pairing with pineapple, along with Asian inspired sweet and spicy sauce.

Sweet Potato, Pumpkin and Mini Peppers Soup

 

Fall is here, with its cooler days and beautiful colors, which were the inspiration for the following soup’s deep orange-yellow color.

Beef and Chestnuts Stew

With cooking a stew, that will not be too heavy, in mind, I started looking at different ingredients I had at hand. The one that popped right away was a package of peeled chestnuts, which seemed to be a good ingredient to start with. As chestnuts pair so well with Asian flavoring, I quickly decided to go down this route.

Baked Camembert Cheese with Kumquat Marmalade and Brandy

Baked white rind cheese, such as Camembert or Brie, is one of the easiest, yet most festive dishes for a relaxed entertainment. Baking the cheese turns it even creamier, enhances its flavor, and keeps it at the perfect texture for serving with tasty additions, such as crackers and fruits. The pairing of delicately salty cheese and sweetish/aromatic additions is loved by all.

Duck Breast with Spiced Kumquat Marmalade and Mustard Glaze

Duck breast meat is a special delicacy: unlike most poultry, it is at its best when pan-fried to medium-rare degree, very much like a good steak. The meat is highly flavorful, while the layer of fat adds more flavor, and a slight smokiness, when it is rendered in the pan.

Stewed Rhubarb Two Ways

Rhubarb season is at its peak, and, as I’m very fond of its unique texture and tangy flavor, I ended up buying quite a few stems lately. After making my favorite upside-down cake with it (click HERE for recipe), I opted for lighter ways of preparing the stems.

Vietnamese Sandwich with Braised Pork Belly

Bánh mì (“bread” in Vietnamese”) sandwich is fusion at its best, as it combines Vietnamese-Asian flavors with French ones. It became a popular street food in Saigon around the 50’s, and from there its popularity spread around the world.

Spiced Red Wine Syrup with Fruits

Opening a bottle of wine and realizing it’s not as good as expected, makes one wonder what to do with it. It’s not bad or spoiled enough to throw it away with a clear conscious, yet at the same time, it’s not going to work as an enjoyable drink.
My usual solution is to add such wines to stews, but as I wasn’t planning on making any, I had to find another way to use it. So, I’ve decided to cook it down with brown sugar and spices, to create a tasty syrup.

Quince in Spiced Red Wine

Quince is one of my most favorite fruits, even though it’s not the kind of fruit you can just grab and eat as it.

Pears poached in White Wine, Brown Sugar and Star Anise

The following recipe is one of the shortest ones in this blog, yet I’m sure you’ll find it is also one that you will make frequently, as it is so easy to prepare and so tasty.