Robyn's Recipes
Meal of the Week

May the spirit of Christmas be with you all through the year, and may every hope, wish, and dream you have, come true!  This is my Christmas card to you...

Entree

If you've never prepared duck, do give it a try.
It's so easy to make, inexpensive to purchase at the grocery store, and offers a very special meal.
One 3 lb. duck will serve about 4 people, so you may need two to three of them if you're having a large gathering for Christmas dinner.
Most grocery stores do carry duck, especially at this time of year,  and you'll probably find them in the frozen section.
They are nothing but dark meat, so if you only like the white meat, this may not be the meal for you, but certainly do not pass this up until you've tried duck just once!  I think you'll really be glad you did.

Curried Duck
(double this recipe for more people)

1 3-lb. frozen duck, thawed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 yellow onion, peeled
2 whole cloves
4 tablespoons honey
1-1/2 tablespoons curry powder
2 boxes wild rice


Rinse the duck, and pat dry.  Salt and pepper the duck to taste, inside and out.  Cut the yellow onion in half, and stick one whole clove in each half.   Place the one half in the far end of the cavity of the bird.  Buy and prepare 2 boxes of wild rice (per duck) according to package directions, including the seasonings that come in the box.  Stuff duck with wild rice, and place the other half of onion at the opening of the cavity.  Pour about 1/2 cup water into the roasting pan or baking dish.
Lower the duck into the roaster, and cover.
Cook at 325 degrees for about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
After one hour and 20 minutes, begin to baste duck about every 10 minutes with a mixture of the honey and curry powder, for approximately another half hour.
 When finished, spoon out filling, discard the onion, and serve the rice in a bowl on the side.
Cut duck into large pieces and serve, or just place duck on a platter and serve to guests, allowing them to cut their own slices.

Side Dishes

Steamed Vegetables with Hollandaise Sauce

Steam a large pot of your favorite vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, mushrooms, or make a fine mixture of all of the above and serve with this simple-to-prepare sauce.  Not much time goes into this, and it's delicious.  You'll need your blender for this.

4 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Dash or two of tabasco sauce
1 stick butter, melted

In a blender, place the yolks, salt, mustard, lemon juice, and tabasco.  Blend for about 5 seconds.  Then, while blender is turned on, pour in the butter, which should be good and hot.
(the temperature of the butter is the secret to this... make it very hot, taking care not to let it burn, and the hollandaise will thicken right away).
Pour over top of vegetables and/or meat.

Makes 1 cup of sauce, but recipe can easily be doubled for more sauce.

Herbed Mashed Potatoes

6 or 7 large baking potatoes
milk or light cream
6 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

Peel potatoes and cook in boiling water (with a couple of teaspoons salt) until done.
When done, drain the potatoes and mash them, using a hand mixer.
Add all the herbs, a little salt and pepper to taste, the butter, and just enough milk to create the texture you like best.
Pour mashed potatoes into baking dish, and bake at 350, covered, for about 45 more minutes.

Serves about 6 people.

Beverage Suggestion:  A good red wine.  If you like dry wines, try a rich burgundy or a rose wine.  If you like a sweeter wine, my best friend suggests Arbor Mist Peach Chardonnay.  If you can't find the brand name "Arbor Mist", ask your local liquor store clerk for their finest peach chardonnay.

Dessert

This cake should be started two days ahead of time for best results.

Coconut Cake

First, prepare the frosting:

2 cups sour cream
1 7-oz. bag or container of flaked sweetened coconut
1-1/4 cups sugar

In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, coconut, and sugar and stir just until blended.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate the frosting overnight.

Next day, bake the cake:

Nonstick cooking spray
2-3/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 sticks butter at room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.  Line bottoms of the pans with circles of wax paper.  Coat the paper with spray and dust with flour, tapping out the excess flour.

Into a medium bowl, sift together the cake flower, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, at medium speed, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.  Gradually beat in the sugar and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well blended.  Beat in the vanilla.  On low speed, beat in flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour, until blended.

Divide the batter between the two pans and spread evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 30-35 minutes.  Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes.  Turn the cakes out onto racks to cool completely.  Turn right side up and remove the waxed paper.  Split the cakes in half with a serrated knife to end up with 4 layers.

Place one bottom cake layer, cut-side up, on a serving plate.  Spread with 3/4 cup frosting.  Cover with a top cake layer, cut-side down.  Spread with another 3/4 cup frosting.  Top with remaining bottom layer, cut side up, another 3/4 cup frosting, and remaining top cake layer, cut side down.  Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake.  The frosting will be thin.  Serve the cake immediately or keep refrigerated until serving time.