This easy weeknight dinner idea involves a little cheating and ghee. Duck may seem a rather opulent weeknight dinner but it’s really not. Grilling duck while stir frying brussels sprouts will get your dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes AND you’ll be showered with loads of compliments! At least, that’s what happens every time I serve duck.
Ready cooked meats…but good ones without processed chemicals is key to success with the cheating and Costco carries some really good ones. Some I’ve tried are octopus, Carnitas and of course Maple Leaf Farm ready cooked Duck, it’s actually cheaper at Costco than buying directly from them!
Notes on duck, ghee and wok…
Duck is very rich, so you only need half a duck for 2 people, it’s all meat, no bones at only $8. The duck comes in 2 half portions with orange sauce for about $15.99, so no more paying $27 at a restaurant for half a duck.
Ghee, clarified butter is excellent for a stir fry, it can handle high heat, coats your meat or veggies with a glossy sheen and makes everything taste good. This article, 15 Amazing Benefits of Ghee will change all the misconceptions about it and if you want to make ghee yourself, take an Ayurvedic cooking class with my chef friend, Sabrina Dora Lopez of Vesta Foods, it was amazingly easy. The Truth About Fats and Oils will debunk all the old myths, read this.
Please do NOT use a nonstick pan or nonstick wok to cook in, it cannot handle high heat! If you don’t have one of my lightweight, thin walled cast iron wok and gas stove setup, I’d rather you use a stainless steel pan or even pot to stir fry in.
Ingredients:
2-4 cloves garlic and 2 slices ginger shredded
6 grape tomatoes, halved
4 handfuls of brussels sprouts chopped
1 tablespoon ghee
dash of San-J tamari
dash of medium sherry
orange sauce heated for duck
Step by step how to…
1. set underside of duck on a grill rack on a baking tray, use top shelf to broil till golden crispy
2. wash & chop tomatoes and sprouts
3. thwack garlic and ginger
4. crank up your cast iron wok on high
5. add ghee
6. add garlic and ginger, then sprouts, hold the tomatoes.
7. when sprouts are nicely covered with ghee, add about 2 tablespoons of water and cover with wok lid to steam fry. When texture is how you like your sprouts, add in tomatoes, add dash of tamari and sherry, swish around till tomatoes blister and soften a little. You’re DONE!
8. remember to check your duck and flip over to grill topside till golden crispy.
9. while plating, heat up orange sauce and pour over duck, wow, dynamite dinner!
Last thoughts…You’ll feel like you’re eating at a high end restaurant. Serve this on your first date and I guarantee you’ll be a hit. I’ve yet to try using the ready cooked duck in a curry or other ethnic dishes because I just want to devour the duck just like it is, it’s so good! Of course, you can stir fry other veggies to go with your duck but brussels sprouts go really well.
stir fry
How To Make Tofu Crispy and Tasty!
The secret to crispy tofu? Use extra firm tofu, not the Japanese silken type which is too soft. Another secret? Use hot oil to deep fry and remove tofu cubes the minute they turn a light golden color. It will result in a wonderfully crispy outer texture.
Crispy tofu is a dish even kids and guys will enjoy but be careful, cause the inside is piping hot! It’s addictive and that’s a good thing, cause tofu made from soy beans is a great source of protein when you eat it with other vegetables. It’s perfect for vegetarians and vegans.
I use a cast iron wok and gas stove setup which give the best results. If you have an electric stove, use a stainless steel pot for deep frying the tofu and a skillet for stir frying the vegetables. Nonstick pans are not advisable because it can’t handle the high heat that’s required.
Remarkably, a Jamaican Chinese family makes Leasa’s tofu right here in Miami, I’ve visited their factory years ago. Their brand is available throughout the States, so check your local market for it. Even the Chinese tofu you get in the Asian markets are not as firm as Leasa’s, I’ve tried many types and theirs is still the best. (I am not associated or being compensated by Leasa, it’s just the truth.)
Follow these simple tips and you’ll be rewarded with crispy flavored nuggets. How do you like to prepare your tofu? Try this and post your results or any questions below.
This article originally appeared in South Florida Lifestyle Guide magazine, thanks Christine for including me in your wellness, balance and peace issue!
Ingredients:
1 block extra firm tofu, cubed
Canola or safflower oil for deep frying and stir frying
handful of snow peas, topped and tailed
handful of green beans, topped and tailed
variety of multi-colored mini sweet peppers
2 scallions, cut diagonally
2 slices of fresh ginger, shredded
2 smashed garlic cloves
San-J tamari
medium drinking sherry
Sauce, mix in small bowl:
1 teaspoon Koon Chun brown bean sauce
1/2 teaspoon Huy Fong chili garlic sauce
few dashes of sherry
quarter bowl of chicken stock
Equipment:
paper towels
slotted spoon
paper lined dish
big pyrex bowl or steel container that can withstand hot oil (not plastic)
Directions:
1. Wash and prep your vegetables and set aside.
2. Drain tofu, dry with paper towels, then cut into chunky cubes.
3. Heat wok on medium high, add oil 1/2 way up wok. Test oil by putting a single wood chopstick into center of wok, when bubbles surround your chopstick, it’s hot enough to add in your tofu!
4. Use slotted spoon to lower tofu cubes into hot oil. Fry in two batches to prevent overcrowding.
5. Use slotted spoon to remove tofu, drain on paper lined dish and set aside. Pour hot oil into pyrex bowl or steel container and wipe out wok.
6. Fry garlic and ginger with a little oil on high heat in wok, immediately add all your veggies. Keep turning veggies so they don’t burn. Add dash of tamari and sherry, set aside on serving platter.
7. Add sauce mixture to wok on medium heat, stirring till it bubbles.
8. Add tofu cubes, turn a few times, then use slotted spoon to lift tofu cubes onto bed of vegetables. Serves 2 as a one-dish dinner or 4 with other dishes.
How To Make Tofu Crispy and Tasty!
The secret to crispy tofu? Use extra firm tofu, not the Japanese silken type which is too soft. Another secret? Use hot oil to deep fry and remove tofu cubes the minute they turn a light golden color. It will result in a wonderfully crispy outer texture.
Crispy tofu is a dish even kids and guys will enjoy but be careful, cause the inside is piping hot! It’s addictive and that’s a good thing, cause tofu made from soy beans is a great source of protein when you eat it with other vegetables. It’s perfect for vegetarians and vegans.
I use a cast iron wok and gas stove setup which give the best results. If you have an electric stove, use a stainless steel pot for deep frying the tofu and a skillet for stir frying the vegetables. Nonstick pans are not advisable because it can’t handle the high heat that’s required.
Remarkably, a Jamaican Chinese family makes Leasa’s tofu right here in Miami, I’ve visited their factory years ago. Their brand is available throughout the States, so check your local market for it. Even the Chinese tofu you get in the Asian markets are not as firm as Leasa’s, I’ve tried many types and theirs is still the best. (I am not associated or being compensated by Leasa, it’s just the truth.)
Follow these simple tips and you’ll be rewarded with crispy flavored nuggets. How do you like to prepare your tofu? Try this and post your results or any questions below.
This article originally appeared in South Florida Lifestyle Guide magazine, thanks Christine for including me in your wellness, balance and peace issue!
Ingredients:
1 block extra firm tofu, cubed
Canola or safflower oil for deep frying and stir frying
handful of snow peas, topped and tailed
handful of green beans, topped and tailed
variety of multi-colored mini sweet peppers
2 scallions, cut diagonally
2 slices of fresh ginger, shredded
2 smashed garlic cloves
San-J tamari
medium drinking sherry
Sauce, mix in small bowl:
1 teaspoon Koon Chun brown bean sauce
1/2 teaspoon Huy Fong chili garlic sauce
few dashes of sherry
quarter bowl of chicken stock
Equipment:
paper towels
slotted spoon
paper lined dish
big pyrex bowl or steel container that can withstand hot oil (not plastic)
Directions:
1. Wash and prep your vegetables and set aside.
2. Drain tofu, dry with paper towels, then cut into chunky cubes.
3. Heat wok on medium high, add oil 1/2 way up wok. Test oil by putting a single wood chopstick into center of wok, when bubbles surround your chopstick, it’s hot enough to add in your tofu!
4. Use slotted spoon to lower tofu cubes into hot oil. Fry in two batches to prevent overcrowding.
5. Use slotted spoon to remove tofu, drain on paper lined dish and set aside. Pour hot oil into pyrex bowl or steel container and wipe out wok.
6. Fry garlic and ginger with a little oil on high heat in wok, immediately add all your veggies. Keep turning veggies so they don’t burn. Add dash of tamari and sherry, set aside on serving platter.
7. Add sauce mixture to wok on medium heat, stirring till it bubbles.
8. Add tofu cubes, turn a few times, then use slotted spoon to lift tofu cubes onto bed of vegetables. Serves 2 as a one-dish dinner or 4 with other dishes.