Spicy Orange Run Through the Garden "Duck"

The other day I spent a lot of time and money on fabulous vegetables for a dish I wanted to make from an excellent cookbook. After all was said and done, the sauce overpowered the lovely vegetables and left me wanting more of the natural veggie goodness to shine through. To me, the veggies often times should be the star of the dish. That is the premise of how this recipe came into being.

Vegan "Duck"

I had this intriguing can of vegetarian Peking "duck" sitting in my pantry for some time now. I bought it a while back at Lee Lee market in Chandler to send to a fellow PPK-er for a swap and then decided to go all Southwest with the box. It needed to find a use. I thought about creating something out of my normal box...which I guess is silly because I don't find I have much of a normal box these days. I don't tend to make fruity or sweet sauces, so I thought I should do that today. Our oranges are so wonderful right now, I headed to the back yard to get one. Here is what came out of the brainstorm.

Spicy Orange Run Through the Garden "Duck"

Makes 4 servings

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (canola)
1 can vegetarian peking duck cubed (can sub chicken or beef seitan cubed)
1 large carrot, sliced into thin discs
1 tablespoon mirin
2 cloves garlic minced
1 head broccoli crowns, cut into bite sized pieces
2 heads baby bok choy, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 very large portobello mushroom sliced into 1" chunks
4 oz pkg soba noodles cooked and cooled

For Sauce
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon mellow miso
1 1/2 tablespoons low sodium shoyu or soy sauce
1 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce

1 tablespoons black sesame seeds for garnish.

Make sure to prep and chop all of your veggies before starting to cook. It's stir fry, so it will go fast. Whisk sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Heat oil in a wok or very large saute pan over medium high heat. Toss in diced "duck" and carrots. Saute for about 3 minutes until "duck" starts to brown and carrots are slightly soft. Deglaze pan with mirin. Add garlic, broccoli and bok choy and saute for about 2 minutes. Add red peppers and portobello mushrooms and saute for about 5 more minutes, until all vegetables are al dente. You don't want them to be overcooked or mushy. Add sauce and stir until it is well incorporated. Add soba noodles and heat for about 2 more minutes until heated through. Garnish with black sesame seeds and serve.

Happy New Year 2010! NYE Food Extravaganza - Course 1

A few years ago a friend of mine came up with a great idea. Instead of going out and dealing with the amatuer night that is know as New Year's Eve, why not have a night in with good friends cooking great food. The first couple of years we did this together. Unfortunately there were some conflicts with a couple of the husbands. Around the same time Fred and I stopped eating meat. Sadly the original crew has kind of disippated.

The tradition is a great one, so we wanted to carry on with it. Happily, we have other friends who embrace the challenge of cooking incredible vegan food. Each couple picks a course they want to prepare and a wine they want to pair with it. This is our second year doing it completely vegan. It was a great success! Over the next couple of days I will be posting details on each course. No baby animals were harmed making any of the incredible dishes you are about to lay your eyes on. Grab a napkin for the drooling you are about to experience.

For the first course my good friend Jerry, who is also an avid foodie, embraced the spirit of culinary adventure. His lovely wife and dear friend of mine, Beth, told me he had been experimenting with a few different recipes over the last couple of weeks. He is truly a foodie after my own heart!!! He even found a way to veganize a very un-vegan sauce. For this I am grateful and truly impressed. I am hoping he will share the recipe! If he does, I will post it here for you. It is a really beautiful dish and the flavors were just fantastic.

Here he is having a great time creating in the kitchen.

Jerry's Fabulous Singapore Bok Choy Rolls with

Exotic Mushrooms and Vegetables

Served on a Bed of Crispy Bean Sprouts

with Char Siew Sauce and a Drizzle of Sriracha

With wine paring and the lovely Beth