Dinner 1: Maine

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Roasted Duck Breast
Sautéed Spinach
Aroostook Potato, (Soy)Cheese, and Broccoli Soup
Blueberry Crisp Pie

Justin's review

For our first dinner, I chose food from Maine. Mommy and I looked at recipes on the internet and in our cookbooks. I chose duck for the main meal with spinach salad and cheese, broccoli and potato soup. For dessert, we had blueberry crisp!

I went with Daddy to shop for the ingredients. We had to go to a special store to get the duck. Everything else was from the regular grocery store.

My favorite part of the meal was the blueberry crisp! It was full of yummy blueberries and we ate it with ice cream. I also really liked the soup. Mommy served it in tea cups on our plates! Actually, I liked the whole dinner. Everything was delicious!

Recipes

Roasted Duck Breast

4 duck breast halves, skin on, about 11 oz. each
coarse salt and pepper, to taste

To prepare the duck, place on a cutting board, skin side up. Using a sharp knife, score the skin and fat in a cross-hatch pattern, cutting down to, but not into, the flesh. Generously season both sides with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Place the duck breasts, skin side down, on a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Cook until the skin is deep brown, about 7 minutes. Turn the duck breasts over and cook 1 more minute.

Transfer the duck to a rack set in a shallow roasting pan, skin side up. Reserve the fat from the skillet to cook the spinach (recipe follows). Place the pan in the oven and roast until the thickest part of the breast reaches 145 degrees.

Transfer to a cutting board and let the duck rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Sautéed Spinach

1 tbsp duck fat
1 bag spinach, rinsed and trimmed
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the duck fat in a large pan over medium heat.

Add spinach and cook until wilted.

Season to taste and serve.

Aroostook Potato, (Soy)Cheese, and Broccoli Soup

(original recipe from MainePotatoes.com)

1 tbsp soy margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp dry mustard
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
5 cups broccoli florets, chopped
2 cups plain soy milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar flavored soy cheese
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

Melt the margarine in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add mustard and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the broth and potatoes, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. 

Mash potatoes in the soup, until thickened. Add broccoli and soy milk and simmer until broccoli is tender. Remove from heat.

Add the soy cheese and nutmeg and stir until the soy cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Blueberry Crisp Pie

(original recipe from mbpn.net)

1 10" unbaked pie shell

1 quart blueberries

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cloves

nutmeg, to taste

1/2 cup soy margarine

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Place pie shell in a 10" pie plate. Pour in the blueberries.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour and spices. Cut in the soy margarine until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Pat the mixture on top of the blueberries and bake until the top is golden brown, about 45-60 minutes.