Deconstructed Steak Poutine: Top Sirloin Steak with Crumbled Bleu Cheese, Buttered Mashed Potatoes and Red Wine Gravy for a 'Let's Poutine' #SundaySupper with Idaho® Potatoes #FWCon

Deconstructed Steak Poutine: Top Sirloin Steak with Crumbled Bleu Cheese, Buttered Mashed Potatoes and Red Wine Gravy for a 'Let's Poutine' #SundaySupper with Idaho® Potatoes #FWCon

Before I begin, let me be one of the last to wish you a Happy 2016!

To start this new year, I must congratulate Isabel of Family Foodie for a number of reasons. First, it's the fourth anniversary of her founding Sunday Supper Movement, but more than that, she was able to get January recognized as National Sunday Supper Month and, more specifically, the second Sunday of January National Sunday Supper Day, both occurring annually from this year going forward. You might have seen the National Sunday Supper Month Kickoff with last week's #SundaySupper event.

There are many ways to participate in National Sunday Supper Month. I highly encourage you to take the Sunday Supper Pledge to support the mission of bringing back #SundaySupper around the family table. Also, you can complete the sentence I cook because... in addition to a daily Instagram Photo Challenge. Click on the links above for more information.

Inspiration Behind the Dish

Another way to celebrate is to participate in the Idaho Potato Commission Recipe Contest for National Sunday Supper Month. To enter the contest, contestants must create a recipe inspired by a poutine using Idaho® potatoes, among other requirements. See the link above for complete details. The task of creating a poutine-inspired recipe using Idaho® potatoes was also assigned to the twenty participating bloggers in today's Let's Poutine #SundaySupper event. By now you might have guessed that this post is sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are those of the individual bloggers. Please visit Idaho® potatoes website, 'Like' their Facebook page, and follow them on twitter, instagram and pinterest.

Let's discuss the dish for a moment. The poutine originates from Quebec and is comprised of French fries topped with a brown gravy and cheese curds. If I can be candid for a moment, poutine is considered fast food there in Canada and a Canadian friend of mine even went so far to call the dish drunk food. Many of my colleagues within #SundaySupper were introduced to the poutine at the Food Wine Conference last summer where Saturday's lunch was sponsored, in part, by Idaho® potatoes so it's a little ironic that the dish was so well received. I think that the dish's execution in addition to the various flavor pairings offered that day contributed to its warm reception. My story with the dish is a little different because my chef friend put a short rib poutine on his menu at his restaurant when it opened in 2011, so I was familiar with it when I attended last summer.

Dish Details

I've always been a little suspicious of the dish because a gravy is defined as a sauce made from the juices secreted from a cooked protein so the absence of one has always confounded me. It's the reason why I included a protein in my re-imagined dish here. One of the requirements of this dish is that I use Idaho® potatoes, so thankfully, the supermarket I usually patronize had them in stock:

I borrowed the red wine gravy recipe from myrecipes.com, but the other components of the dish are original.

Ingredients

1 pound russet Idaho® potatoes, peeled and cut crosswise 1/4-inch thick
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon plus 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 8-to-10 ounce top sirloin steaks
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk plus more if necessary
2 cups baby arugula
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Bleu cheese crumbles, for garnish

Method

1. Boil the Idaho® potatoes. Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and fill with enough water so that the potatoes are submerged by at least one inch, then season the water with kosher salt. Place the saucepan over high heat and boil until they are fork tender, approximately ten to fifteen minutes. Drain the potatoes with a colander and place them back in the saucepan.

2. Prepare the steaks. While the potatoes are boiling, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and season the steaks with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sear the steaks in the pan, four minutes per side for medium rare, then remove from the pan and set aside to allow for carryover cooking while the other components of the dish are prepared.

3. Prepare the gravy. Create a roux by reducing the heat under the skillet to medium and add an additional two tablespoons olive oil. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and continue to whisk frequently until brown.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine, loosening the fond from the bottom of the pan, then add in the beef stock and simmer until thickened. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as necessary.

4. Finish potatoes. While the gravy simmers, mash the drained potatoes or pass them through a food mill. Add butter and scoop some potatoes over so the butter melts. Once melted, stir in the milk until the potatoes absorb the fluid. More milk may be added until the desired consistency is reached.

5. Prepare the salad and finish the dish. Whisk together the remaining one tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice, then season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the arugula with just one or two teaspoons of the vinaigrette-just enough to wet, but not wilt, the leaves. Cut each steak diagonally in half, across the grain then place some gravy into a squeeze bottle. To plate, spoon some potatoes onto the plate towards the front but still in the center. Place a couple of dollops of gravy beside the potatoes, then put one half of the steak on the potatoes, then place the other half off center so the interior is exposed. Top the steak with the arugula salad and garnish with the bleu cheese crumbles.

Final Thoughts

Those that know me know that I rarely publish a dish without consulting my copy of The Flavor Bible first. I certainly did here but the flavor profiles noted were nothing unusual. Each of the main ingredients used were noted to pair well with each other: steak, potatoes, cheese (specifically, bleu cheese), arugula, butter and red wine.

I'm not the only #SundaySupper member that prepared a poutine-inspired dish. Check out the others below:

Breakfast:

• Chicken and Waffles Poutine from Life Tastes Good
• Hashed Browns Poutine Cups with Egg Scramble from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Southern Sausage Breakfast Poutine from Magnolia Days

Appetizers:

• Beefy Beer and Red-Eye Gravy Poutine from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Buffalo Chicken Poutine on Potato Waffles from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Cajun Mini Pizza Poutine from Flavor Mosaic
• Creamy Avocado Bacon Poutine Skins from Daily Dish Recipes
• Indian Spiced Roasted Potatoes with Green Chutney from kimchi MOM
• Loaded BBQ Roast Potato Poutine from The Weekend Gourmet
• Loaded Crab Poutine from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Paneer Tikka Potato Poutine Bites from Soni’s Food
• Poutine Bites with Bacon, Broccoli, Cheddar and Caramelized Onion from Shockingly Delicious

Main Dish:

• Beef Rendang Poutine Burger from Brunch-N-Bites
• Crispy Potato Shrimp Poutine with Stir Fry Vegetables from Food Done Light
• Gnocchi Poutine with Fenneled Curds and Gravy from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Greek Chicken Poutine from Curious Cuisiniere
• Italian Poutine Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Portuguese Poutine from Family Foodie
• Spicy Poutine Potato Skins from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Top Sirloin Steak with Crumbled Bleu Cheese, Buttered Mashed Potatoes and Red Wine Gravy from Crazy Foodie Stunts

Plus: Poutine Variations for National Sunday Supper Day from Sunday Supper Movement

Have you signed the #SundaySupper pledge to eat together as a family? Do it right here!

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It's easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Balsamic Steak and Arugula Pizza for a National Pizza Month #SundaySupper with #GalloFamily

Balsamic Steak and Arugula Pizza for a National Pizza Month #SundaySupper with #GalloFamily

I suppose you could cross this off my culinary bucket list. I must admit that pizza seems like a rather pedestrian dish to be placed there, given my style, but I had a rather unusual version. There are few factors preventing me from preparing it but chief among them is the fact that, according to the recipe developer, the entire pie weighs in at ten to twelve pounds which is excessive for three people in my family. Possibly next February for a Super Bowl party...

For this dish, I decided to place the focus onto the flavor profile.

Inspiration Behind the Dish

Gallo Family Vineyards has decided to use this opportunity to challenge the team at #SundaySupper to pair its wines with pizza toppings in celebration of National Pizza Month, which is October in the United States. For it, each participant was able to select two wines to pair so I chose chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon, primarily because I'm most familiar with them, so it would theoretically result in better pairings, but also because they are my favorite wines to drink. Not familiar with Gallo Family Vineyards? Well, they have provided a store locator so you can find their wines. Also, please consider giving them a 'Like' on Facebook, following them on twitter and instagram in addition to subscribing to their YouTube channel. Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.

When I was conceptualizing the dish, I thought I might pair the chardonnay with French flavors that complement chicken but it looked like many of my peers were also preparing chicken pizzas so I thought I'd pair the cabernet sauvignon. My favorite way to pair it is with beef so, per what has become my standard operating procedure, I consulted The Flavor Bible and was reminded of a flavor pairing I used a couple of years ago with a New York steak dish. It suggested to pair steak with arugula, Parmesan and balsamic vinegar. It has become one of my favorite flavor profiles and I knew it would pair nicely with the cabernet sauvignon so I used it again.

Dish Details

I adapted a number of different sources to create this dish. I used the pizza dough recipe found on page 31 of Fabio's Italian Kitchen by Fabio Viviani with Melanie Rehak with the pizza sauce found on thekitchn.com. For the toppings, I used the balsamic marinade found at food.com and paired it with Ina Garten's arugula topping found on foodnetwork.com.

Ingredients

For the balsamic steak:
1 3/4-to-1 pound flank steak
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, smashed with the side of a knife
Freshly ground black pepper

For the pizza dough:
1/4-ounce (1 packet) dry active yeast
1 1/2 cups water at a temperature of 100° Fahrenheit to 110° Fahrenheit
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the pizza sauce:
1 28-ounce can whole or diced tomatoes
6 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese

For the arugula:
5 ounces arugula
Juice from 1 lemon
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Prepare the flank steak. Place the steak in a resealable plastic bag, then combine the garlic, balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil in a small bowl and season with pepper. Pour the marinade over the steak and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove the steaks from the marinade 30 minutes before searing it and discard the marinade. Pat the steak dry and heat the remaining oil in a large skillet. Once it starts to smoke, sear the steak, approximately 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice the steak into thin strips. It may also be necessary to cut each strip into bite size pieces. Set aside while you prepare the pizza dough.

2. Prepare the pizza dough and pizza sauce. Using a mixer with the dough hook attachments, combine the yeast, water and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour in small amounts, mixing well in between each addition until the dough is tacky but not sticky. Remove the dough from the bowl using olive oil if necessary and place on a lightly floured a flat surface. Cover the dough with a dry towel and let it rise for 30 minutes. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit then combine the first three ingredients in a blender and drizzle in approximately 1 tablespoon olive oil. Blend the sauce, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Assemble the pizza. Once the dough has risen, Roll the dough, shape it and transfer it to a sheet pan or pizza pan. Spoon some pizza sauce onto the dough, leaving three quarters of an inch space from the edge of the dough. Shower the pizza sauce evenly with the cheeses then top the cheese with the balsamic steak. Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is crispy and the cheese has melted, approximately 9 to 10 minutes.

4. Prepare the arugula and finish the dish. While the pizza bakes, combine the lemon juice and olive oil in equal parts in a small bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Toss the arugula with just enough to dampen, a scant couple of teaspoons. Once the pizza is finished in the oven, top it with the dressed arugula, slice and serve with your favorite Gallo Family Vineyard wine.

Final Thoughts

There are a couple of execution issues I'd like to discuss. First, my source recipe for the instructs to marinate the steak for only 30 minutes to 1 hour but I actually let it sit in the marinade overnight for a stronger balsamic flavor. Secondly, I wanted to specify here that my first attempt at pizza dough failed because I didn't measure the flour. Furthermore I had trouble mixing the flour after a few additions so I might add it all in at once the next time I attempt it. Overall, I was fairly satisfied with the dough because it was comparable to some pizzas I have had delivered. Honestly, pairing wine with pizza initially seemed unnatural to me, however the cabernet did pair with the flavors of the pizza exceptionally well so I will probably do so again the next time I make pizza at home.

Lastly, I'm not the only National Pizza Month celebrant, so be sure to review the others listed below.

Sweet Pizzas

• Apple Pie Pizza by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pizza by Desserts Required
• Peach Maple Mascarpone Dessert Pizza by Whole Food | Real Families

Savory Pizzas

• Apricot Chicken Brie Flatbread Pizza by Feed Me, Seymour
• Autumn Sausage & Sweet Potato Pizza by The Crumby Cupcake
• Balsamic Steak and Arugula Pizza by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Chicken Parmesan Pizza by Life Tastes Good
• Chorizo and Roasted Pepper Pizza with Arugula by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Flammkuchen by Curious Cuisiniere
• Grilled Fig + Prosciutto Pizza by An Appealing Plan
• Jalapeño Popper White Pizza by Food Done Light
• Meat Lover’s Skillet Pizza by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Pasta Pizza Pie by Alida’s Kitchen
• Pizza Bagels by Recipe for Perfection
• Portuguese Flatbread Pizza by Family Foodie
• Roasted Butternut Squash, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Pesto Pizza by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Roasted Corn Pizza by Brunch with Joy
• Sauerkraut and Meatball Pizza by Palatable Pastime
• Sausage and Ricotta Naan Pizza by Casa de Crews
• Thai Chicken Pizza by The Redhead Baker

Also Featured: Simple Tips for Wine Cheese Pairings plus Pizza Recipes #SundaySupper with Gallo Family Vineyards.
Need more ideas for celebrating National Pizza Month? Check out Gallo Family Vineyards’ blog.

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It's easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Pork Chops with Apple Dijon Sauce and Arugula Salad for a Fall Flavors #SundaySupper

Pork Chops with Apple Dijon Sauce and Arugula Salad for a Fall Flavors #SundaySupper

If memory serves me correctly, the team at #SundaySupper has repeated the theme of autumnal foods from last year. I remember this because I paired chicken with a sauce that utilized grapes which are coming into season about now. The repeated theme is okay with me because I'm always up for seasonal ingredients.

Inspiration Behind the Dish

In what will most likely be my last trip to the Redmond Saturday Market this year, I noticed apples had appeared at many of the farms' stands a couple of weeks ago so I purchased a few ruby jon apples and decided to employ the classic pairing of apples and pork. To affirm, The Flavor Bible noted a flavor affinity of pork, apples and mustard. It separately noted that pork chops pair well with arugula.

Dish Details

For the pork chops, I relied upon my favorite which is taken from Tyler Florence on Food Network. For the sauce, I was inspired by a recipe I found on seattletimes.com but I had to make it over.

Ingredients

For the pork:
4 quarts water
1 cup kosher salt plus more for seasoning, divided
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed with the side of a knife
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 bone-in pork rib chops, approximately 1-inch thick
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the sauce:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 1/2 cups apple juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:
4 ounces arugula
Juice from 1 lemon
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Brine the chops. Stir together the water, 1 cup kosher salt, sugar and apple juice until the sugar and salt has dissolved. Add the peppercorns and thyme into the brine, then the pork chops. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. Prepare the chops. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Remove the chops from the brine and discard the brine. Pat the chops dry with paper towels, then season them with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and sear the chops, two chops at a time if they don't fit, approximately 3 minutes per side. Remove them to an aluminum foil-lined sheet pan, then roast the chops in the oven until their internal temperature reaches 140° Fahrenheit, approximately 30 minutes.

3. Prepare the pan sauce. While the pork chops roast, return the same skillet to the stovetop over medium heat and add the oil. Once it starts to smoke, toss in the onions to sweat, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the apples and brown lightly, approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Deglaze the pan with the apple juice, then stir in the mustard. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Reduce until the sauce is thick enough so that when you slide your finger across a spoon dipped in the sauce, it holds its shape. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the nutter until it melts. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

4. Prepare the salad and finish the dish. Combine the lemon juice and oil in a small bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Toss the vinaigrette with the arugula. To plate, place a pork chop in the middle off center, spoon some sauce over the chops then garnish with arugula on the side.

Final Thoughts

I must confess that the dish you see above isn't the dish I had originally conceptualized. I wanted to present it with a fourth component of a polenta cake. When I visualized the dish, I imagined the chop to rest against it with the bone raised to give the dish some height. I even had the chops frenched similar to the dish I published about a year ago. That being said, the dish was still very flavorful. The spice of the mustard balanced the sweetness of the apples nicely.

Check out A Guide to Apples plus Best Fall Recipes Ideas for #SundaySupper and this week's recipe collection:

Breakfast

• Apple-Currant Dutch Baby Pancake by The Weekend Gourmet
• Apple Swirled Pumpkin Yeast Bread by What Smells So Good?
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread by Party Food and Entertaining
• Giant Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart by Pies and Plots
• Sweet Potato Buttermilk Biscuits by Tara’s Multicultural Table

Appetizers and Sides

• Butternut Squash, Cauliflower and Cabbage Soup with Lentils by Monica's Table
• Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins by Pancake Warriors
• Pumpkin Spice Roasted Sweet Potatoes by Love and Confections
• Roasted Veggie Tart by Books n’ Cooks

Main Dishes

• Acorn Squash Stuffed with Roasted Veggies & Couscous by Momma’s Meals
• Butternut Squash Lentil Curry Soup by Food Done Light
• Curry Beef Pies by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Fantasy Rice by The Petit Gourmet
• King Prawns in Red Sauce – Mauritian Style Creole Sauce by Peachy Tales
• Pasta with Creamy Butternut & Bacon by Cooking Chat
• Pork Chops with Apple Dijon Sauce and Arugula Salad by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Pork Chops with Glazed Apples and Vegetables by The Complete Savorist
• Quinoa and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash by Feeding Big and More
• Roasted Tomato Soup with Bacon/Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich by A Gouda Life
• Salt Roasted Salmon over Roasted Butternut & Yam Soup by Lifestyle Food Artistry
• Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken, Delicata Squash and Olives by Foodie Tots
• Sweet Potato French Bean Lentil Salad by Food Lust People Love
• Sweet Potato Alfredo Sauce by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Thai Curry Pumpkin Soup by Eating in Instead
• Whole Roasted Chicken with Vegetables by Life Tastes Good

Desserts and Cocktails

• Apfelkuchen by Curious Cuisiniere
• Applesauce Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Swirls by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Apple Gingersnap Refrigerator Dessert by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Autumn Bellini by An Appealing Plan
• Autumn Spice Cookies by Desserts Required
• Caramel Apple Napoleons by The Crumby Cupcake
• Caramel Apple Pie Bundles by The Freshman Cook
• Caramel Apple Streusel Muffins by The Redhead Baker
• Caramel Apple Swirl Cheesecake No-Churn Ice Cream by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Cheesecake Swirl Pumpkin Muffins by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Chestnut and Pear Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream by Caroline’s Cooking
• Dark Chocolate-Espresso Pumpkin Tiramisu by Brunch with Joy
• Dutch Apple Pie by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Pumpkin Cheesecake with Butterscotch Drizzle by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Pumpkin Chocolate Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Pumpkin Crisp by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Pumpkin Pecan Bundt Cake by Flour On My Face
• Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter Cookies by Palatable Pastime
• Roasted Maple Pears by Amee’s Savory Dish
• Spiced Pear Cake by Simply Healthy Family
• Spiced Pumpkin Bread by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
• Sweet Apple Skillet Cake by Nosh My Way

Plus, A Guide to Apples plus Best Fall Recipes Ideas for #SundaySupper

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It's easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Red Wine Reduction and Roasted Winter Vegetables

Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Red Wine Reduction and Roasted Winter Vegetables

I'm going to level with you.

My last couple of months, for the most part, hasn't been my finest work here. My desire to prepare food has been present but writing about said dishes has become a grind for me. It's interesting because I have noticed my food inspiration has evolved over time. When I started this website, my focus was food preparation that is unusual or difficult for a home cook with no professional training, however I'm finding that my most inspired work has been when I can compose a dish. I may still rely upon techniques drawn from other sources but putting these elements together in a harmonious fashion with some assistance from The Flavor Bible is what I've enjoyed the most. Some examples might include my ravioli dish from January 2013, my scallops dish from February 2014 and my salmon guest post for my friend, Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic in March of 2014. I had even considered retiring this website and starting a new one where the title would be the name of a fictitious restaurant and posts would be menu items, taking inspiration from ingredients that come in and out of season in addition to current food trends.

There's no reason I can't do that here. This particular dish pairs an ingredient I had not previously prepared with a dish composition challenge (i.e. pairing foods together). The fact of the matter is I had been planning this dish for some time now. Last summer, I remember my friend, Lori from Foxes Loves Lemons was frustrated by the filling of a cherry pie she replicated from a magazine cover so I suggested she repurpose it and pair it with a duck breast because I remember noting it in The Flavor Bible. A couple of months later, I was in the local Whole Foods Market and remembered my suggestion, so I thought I'd price out duck breast while I was there. As with many items there, the price was too steep for me but the meat manager there suggested a whole frozen duck instead which was about half as much. He even offered to defrost it and butcher the bird if I called a day ahead. Last week, I finally took him up on his offer.

The Challenge

Successfully execute an ingredient I had not previously prepared

The Source

To prepare the duck, I adapted a dish from pages 152 to 153 of Cook Like A Rock Star by Anne Burrell with Suzanne Lenzer and paired it with an adaptation of Martha Stewart's port wine reduction. To complement the dish, I adapted Ina Garten's roasted vegetables found on foodnetwork.com.

Ingredients

1 parsnip, trimmed of both ends, peeled and cut into a 1-inch dice
1 turnip, trimmed of both ends, peeled and cut into a 1-inch dice
6 ounces fingerling potatoes, cut into 1-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped, plus 2 whole sprigs, divided
3 tablespoons rendered duck fat
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pekin duck breasts
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
3/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Arugula leaves (for garnish)

Method

1. Roast the vegetables. Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, toss the parsnip, turnip and potatoes with the duck fat and chopped thyme and season with salt and pepper. Empty the vegetables in a single layer onto a aluminum foil-lined sheet pan and place in the oven until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 45 minutes.

2. Prepare the duck. While your vegetables roast, score the duck by cutting through the skin in an cross-hatch pattern about 3/4-inch wide deep enough to pierce through the layer of fat but not through the meat, then season both sides with salt and pepper. Coat a large pan with a thin stream of olive oil and add the duck breasts with the skin side down. Heat the pan to low in order to render the duck fat slowly until you can see the meat through the score marks, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. As the duck fat renders, scoop it out of the pan and save it for other uses. Once all the fat has rendered, raise the heat to medium and brown both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side, then remove the breasts to a plate to allow for carryover cooking, approximately 5 minutes, then slice the breasts on a bias.

3. Prepare the reduction. Remove any duck fat from the pan in excess of 1 tablespoon and add the shallots to the pan to sweat, approximately 2 minutes. Deglaze with the wine and stock, scraping any fond stuck from the bottom of the pan, then raise the heat to medium-high and reduce the sauce to 1/3 cup. Stir in the butter and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. To plate, spoon some sauce on a warmed plate, then fan 3 to 4 slices of duck over the sauce. Spoon some vegetables to the side and garnish with arugula.

Successful?

The idea from this dish came from a flavor affinity of duck, parsnips and turnips in The Flavor Bible, which also notes arugula. I highly recommend getting a copy if you don't have one. In fact, Christina of Mama's High Strung is giving a copy away on her website right now in a Valentine's Cookbook Affair Giveaway.

Other giveaways include:

A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen giving away Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day by Peter Reinhart
Confessions of a Culinary Diva giving away My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories by David Lebovitz and Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Great Food 360° giving away The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors, and History by Ana Sofia Pelaez
Liv Life giving away Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero
girlichef giving away Cooking with Frank's® RedHot® Cayenne Pepper Sauce: Delicious Recipes That Bring the Heat by Rachel Rappaport
Crazy Foodie Stunts giving away An Appealing Plan: A Year Of Everyday Celebrations by Krayl Funch
BakeawayWithMe giving away Amy's Bread by Amy Scherber and Toy Kim Dupree
annaDishes giving away Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel
Lifestyle Food Artistry giving away What's Cooking - Que Se Cocina En Puerto Rico: An English-Spanish Cookbook edited by Barbara Ezratty
Wallflour Girl giving away Top With Cinnamon: Stylish Sweet and Savoury Recipes by Izy Hossack
Food Lust People Love giving away An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler
Kelli's Kitchen giving away The Complete Southern Cookbook: More than 800 of the Most Delicious, Down-Home Recipes by Tammy Algood
That Skinny Chick Can Bake giving away The Silver Palate Cookbook and The New Basics Cookbook, both by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso

Regarding the dish itself, Chef Burrell instructs her readers to finish the duck in the oven at 350° Fahrenheit for 5 to 6 minutes but I found the duck to be cooked past medium rare which is ideal. It was still a well balanced dish. I might even put the dish on that fictitious restaurant I referred to above. In addition, I do have plans for the other duck parts, however I'll save them for future posts.

Autumn Panzanella for an Unprocessed #SundaySupper

Autumn Panzanella for an Unprocessed #SundaySupper

Personally, I had difficulty choosing a dish for this week's #SundaySupper event because I found the theme too broad. Let's put aside the argument of what's considered processed for a moment and specify that processed food as convenience food (i.e. boxed macaroni and cheese, spiced ham, cheese out of a can, etc.) I'd have to look but, outside of boxed pasta, I use these types of ingredients so infrequently that the possibilities were almost endless. That's not to say my diet is completely free of processed foods, but the difference is that I don't publish the processed foods here.

Panzanella is a traditional Italian tomato and bread salad eaten in the summer when tomatoes are in season but Chef Michael Chiarello has adapted the concept for the other three seasons of the year.

The Challenge

Prepare a dish that uses as close to unprocessed food as I can get.

The Source

Adapted from page 95 of Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking by Michael Chiarello with Janet Fletcher.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
6 cups day-old bread, crust removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 yellow onion, chopped coarsely
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
5 tablespoons plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons warm water
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh mushrooms of different varieties, coarsely sliced or quartered
1 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced*
2 ounces baby arugula

Method

1. Make the panzanella croutons. Using the bread, parmesan and4 tablespoons butter, make the panzanella croutons as described in step 1 of my other panzanella dish. Set aside.

2. Prepare the dressing. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium-low hear. Add the yellow onion and sauté until soft, approximately 15 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar. Empty the contents of the skillet into a blender and pureé. While the blender is still on, slowly add in 5 tablespoons olive oil. Transfer the dressing to a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

3. Prepare the mushrooms. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet and place over high heat. Once the oil starts to smoke, add the mushrooms in a single layer, however do not touch them for approximately 2 minutes so they may caramelize. Once caramelized, stir, reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until well browned. Add the garlic and thyme to the pan and stir for an additional minute to release their fragrance. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat. Add the mushrooms to a large bowl along with the croutons and the dressing, then toss. Add in the red onions and arugula and toss again. Season with salt and pepper if necessary, then serve.

*Note: Peel the 'paper' off the onion and slice off both the root and stem ends, then cut in half lengthwise and thinly slice each half lengthwise.

Successful?

Hopefully, you'll agree that this is a dish of unprocessed foods. I did have an issue when tossing the salad, however. Chef Chiarello instructs to toss the ingredients with the croutons which left them soggy and me a little confused. Is the bread in the panzanella supposed to soak up the other flavors in the dish or provide a contrast in texture? Any Italians reading this that can shed some light?

Meanwhile, check out the other dishes of unprocessed foods participating this week:

Alluring Appetizers and Stunning Sides

• Brioche Dinner Rolls by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Stuffed Peppadew Peppers by An Appealing Plan
• Homemade Fennel-Maple Mustard by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Sweet Potato Noodles & Brussels Sprouts Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Whole Grain, No-Knead Sourdough Bread by Peaceful Cooking
• Sweet Potato Fries by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Indian Spiced Dal and Sag Aloo by Happy Baking Days
• Homemade Energy Bars by The Foodie Army Wife
• Honey Thyme Chicken by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Sweet Potato and Carrot Hash by Fit Foodie Runs
• Roasted Parsnips and Carrots with Cardamom and Maple Syrup by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Spicy Smashed Fingerling Potatoes by Magnolia Days
• Autumn Panzanella by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Black Bean and Corn Salsa by What Smells So Good?
• Curried Apple Chips by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Stuffed Acorn Squash by Rhubarb and Honey
• Homemade Hash Brown by Basic N Delicious
• Raw Salted Chocolate Chip Oat Healthy Bars by Wallflour Girl
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Basic Roasted Cauliflower by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Baked Beet Chips by The Dinner-Mom
• Crispy Tex-Mex Quinoa Patties by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen

Enticing Entreés

• Authentic Chicken Tinga by Shockingly Delicious
• Jacket Potato Party by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Mom's Homemade Vegetarian Meatballs by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
• Chicken and Sweet Potato by MealDiva
• Chinese Five Spice Chicken Stir Fry by Nosh My Way
• Easy Slow Cooker Chili by Amee's Savory Dish
• Coconut Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dip by Casa de Crews
• Grilled Burgers with Garlicky Arugula by Cooking Chat
• Baked Zucchini with Spicy Tomatoes by Food Lust People Love
• Fall Squash Soup by Ruffles & Truffles
• Stuffed Sweet Potatoes by Momma's Meals
• White Bean Pesto Stew by eating in instead
• Seared Pork Stack by annaDishes
• Gnocchi with Peas and Pesto by Curious Cuisiniere
• Pumpkin & Sausage Pasta by Confessions of a Culinary Diva

Decadent Desserts

• Raw Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake by Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Vegan Mini Chocolate Cream Cakes by NinjaBaking.com
• Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blondies by Pies and Plots

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Presenting: Radicchio and Arugula Salad with Walnuts and Dates

Radicchio and Arugula Salad with Walnuts and Dates

This post will read very similar to the Asian chicken salad I published a couple of weeks ago. Today, my daughter is graduating from Kindergarten and the class scheduled a pot luck-style picnic at a nearby park afterwards. I volunteered a salad and decided to make this one. A quick check of The Flavor Bible yielded a flavor affinity of endive, arugula and radicchio but when I went to purchase my ingredients, two supermarkets didn't have Belgian endive in their inventory so I substituted some iceberg lettuce.

Some other adaptations: I toasted my walnuts in a dry sauté pan instead of in the oven and I also used Emeril's balsamic vinaigrette which has become my go-to mainly because the Dijon holds the oil and vinegar together.

Other than the changes noted above, the main recipe can be found from Food & Wine magazine's website.

I'll be back Sunday with a dessert for Dad.

Presenting: Warm Fennel and Bitter Greens Salad

Warm Fennel and Bitter Greens Salad

This past Sunday, a certain football game was played, Punxsutawney Phil determined the fate of winter, and the second anniversary of the first dish I published on this blog. I wanted to mark the occasion with a little more flair, but time got the best of me.

As I stated earlier, one of my goals for 2014 is to eat more salads so I was looking online for ones that use ingredients that are in season now and came across this one on Food & Wine magazine's website. I thought it looked good enough to present here.

Check back tomorrow for my #SundaySupper contribution.

Presenting: Sautéed Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce plus Arugula, Radicchio and Escarole Salad as #SundaySupper Turns Two

Sautéed Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce plus Arugula, Radicchio and Escarole Salad

I was originally going to publish this dish separately primarily because it had made an appearance on my old website in the fall of 2010. If you're not familiar with my Presenting: series, it's where the challenge is either improve photography and/or plate presentation, however when I saw that the #SundaySupper Movement is celebrating it's second birthday this week I thought that it might be perfect considering how much the group has evolved since the very first #SundaySupper. I've only been involved with the group for about a year, but over that time, I've had several memorable moments but I'd have to say that my favorite occurred this past October when I had dinner with Isabel, the founder of #SundaySupper and Anne of Webicurean. I published a picture Mrs. Stuntman took that evening a couple of weeks later.

The secondary reason I wanted to republish this dish is because I have lost the recipe recently. It was from a magazine Mrs. Stuntman brought home from the supermarket one day, but I lost it about a year ago. I had prepared it once every few months (break it down and it's simply a seared protein with a pan sauce) because I had uploaded it to en petit chef but they deleted my post after they figured out that my original blog doesn't exist anymore. It is only recently that I added the salad.

The Challenge

Improve plate presentation

The Source

I remember the chicken recipe appeared in Cuisine at Home magazine but I couldn't tell you from what issue. The salad is from Williams-Sonoma.

Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
1 cup arugula leaves
1/2 head radicchio, cut into bite-size pieces
1 head escarole, pale yellow inner leaves only, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
1 8-ounce package sliced white mushrooms
4 ounces bacon cut into batons
1 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Method

1. Prepare the salad: Whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil with the red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and kosher salt (to taste) in the bottom of a salad bowl. Add the arugula, radicchio, escarole and parsley, but do not toss yet. Set aside in the refrigerator while the chicken is prepared.

2. Sear the chicken: In a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Once the oil starts to smoke, add the chicken to the pan and brown on both sides, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. Prepare the sauce and finish the dish: Add the bacon and mushrooms to the pan and cook until the bacon is almost crisp and the mushrooms have reduced, then add the white wine, heavy cream and chicken let it simmer for approximately 8 minutes to blend the flavors, scraping up any fond, and ensuring the chicken cooks through. Just before serving, add the tarragon, cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Toss the salad with it's dressing. Serve on warmed plates using the classic plating technique of starch at 10 o'clock, protein at 2 o'clock (with sauce underneath) and vegetables (i.e. salad) at 6 o'clock.

Successful?

For me, this recipe is tried and true so I knew the flavors work well with each other. From a plate presentation standpoint, will you agree with me that the picture above is better than the one previously published? It follows:

Other Sunday Supper Participants

And finally, please check out this week's other Sunday Supper contributors:



Brilliant Breads and Breakfast Fare:

• Brioche aux Pépites de Chocolat from Food Lust People Love
• Broccoli, Potato & Cheese Egg Cups from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Celebration Strawberry Crepes from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Homemade Brioche from Masala Herb
• Onion Cheddar Cheese Focaccia from Flour On My Face
• Poached Pear Bread from Hip Foodie Mom

Amazing Appetizers and Cocktails:

• Blood Orange Gin Fizz from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Blue Cheese Walnut Tarts from Magnolia Days
• Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Stuffed Butternut Squash from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Cheesy Twists from What Smells So Good?
• Key Lime Pie Martini from girlichef
• Pizza Dip from The Food Army Wife
• Slow Cooker Party Mix from Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos

Spectacular Soups and Salads:

• Creamy, Tangy Bacon Salad Dressing from Daily Dish Recipes
• Day at the Beach Healthy Tuna Salad from Shockingly Delicious
• Low Carb Spicy Chunky Vegetable Beef Chili from Yours and Mine Are Ours
• Luscious Fruit Salad from Pescetarian Journal
• Quinoa and Buffalo Chicken Salad from In the Kitchen with KP

Enticing Entrees:

• Carne de Porco Alentejana | Portuguese Pork and Clams from Family Foodie
• Chicken Shami Kebab from Soni's Food
• Chicken and Rice Dinner in the Crock from Momma's Meals
• Curried Chicken from The Foodie Patootie
• Healthy Chicken Tetrazzini from Citronlimette
• Imagination Stew from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Orecchiette with Chicken, Brocccoli, Mushrooms and Onions from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Runny Egg Risotto from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Sautéed Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce plus Arugula, Radicchio and Escarole Salad from Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Seafood Stew from Healthy. Delicious.
• Spice-Crusted Fish Tacos with Confetti Salsa from The Weekend Gourmet
• Spicy Roasted Squash and Wild Rice Bake from Curious Cuisiniere
• Spicy Shrimp Tempura Rolls from kimchi MOM
• Spinach Proscuitto Macaroni and Cheese with Walnut Topping from Noshing with the Nolands
• Tuscan Chicken Spinach Soup with Roasted Red Pepper from Sue's Nutrition Buzz

Decadent Desserts:

• Azuki Red Bean Ice Cream from The Ninja Baker
• Banana Pudding Parfaits from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Birthday Cake Macaron from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Caramel Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars from Pies and Pots
• Chocolate Mousse Torte from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Cinnamon Sugar Churros and Chocolate Sauce from Neighborfood
• Crumb Cake Brownies from Table for Seven
• Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana Pops from Ruffles & Truffles
• Gluten-Free Epiphany Cake from Happy Baking Days
• Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Cookies by Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Happy Birthday Cake Batter Truffles from Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Kahlua Toffee Ice Cream Cake from Webicurean
• Mini Chocolate Bundt Cake with Raspberry Sauce from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Pineapple Coconut Cupcakes from Basic N Delicious
• S'mores Snack Cake from Alida's Kitchen

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy! You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.