Happy Thursday!  Well it is late on Wednesday night and I am craving Old Fashion Barbecue chips. I told Janet (my wife) that if I can get this post done in time for another episode of Criminal Minds then we are good to have some chips.  I have been craving them all week but really never had time to sit down and eat them.  So tonight is the night.  I feel like we have been running around for the last 4 months but fortunately it’s coming to a close.  I can see the finish line.  We heard from the builders today that they will likely be completed of all their work by Friday of this week!!!  I know crazy eh?

After that we have a few outstanding items to clean up:

• Kitchen counter tops
• Plumbing fixtures etc
• Electrical fixtures
• Final coat of paint
• Paint the fireplace mantel
• Closet doctor
• Clean Clean Clean!

On to the Food

So I have yet another special treat for you today food wise.  Another dish from our football celebration. This is a gluten free crepe stuffed with a killer duck mixture and topped with an amazing tangy sauce. This really is a must try. I took one bite and I almost wanted to go hug my zesty-in-law. It was amazing and when you got to a crunchy bite of skin it felt like you stepped into a different world.

Ingredients

Duck

• 4 Duck legs
• 1 Onion
• 2 Tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tsp. sea salt
• 1 Tsp. herbs De Provence

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp minced Onion.
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 Tsp white pepper
• 1/2 Tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 Tsp clove garlic minced
• 1/4 Cup white balsamic vinegar.
• 1/4 Cup honey

Crepe

• 1 Cup Gluten Free Flour
• 2 Large eggs 1 Yolk
• 1/3 Cup Melted butter
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 3/4 Cup milk
• 3/4 Cup water

Method

1. For the Duck, line large pan, or dutch oven with onions. Coat the duck legs well with the salt, pepper and herb mix







2. Place in a preheated over ant 475 degrees, and after 10 minutes decrease the heat to 275 F oven and cover.



3. Continue to cook for about 3 hours until meat is falling off the bones. Cool completely, then separate the meat and the skin, wrap and reserve.
4. Reserve fat for another use.
5. Prior to serving crisp the skin under a broiler and mix with gently reheated meat.



6. For the Sauce cook the onion, garlic and spices until soft, using a low heat to avoid any browning of the garlic and the onions.



7. Add the vinegar and the honey and heat until mixed.



8. For the Crepe, mix the first five ingredients well in a large bowl.
9. Add milk and water to blend to a heavy cream 18% consistency.



10. Pour into a medium to high heat skillet  (amount of mixture depends on the size of your pan and the thickness of the crepe)



11. Once the crepe is complete remove from heat, let cool.  Add some duck to the center and then place a few pieces of crispy skin on top.  Roll the crepe up and then spoon some sauce over the top







12. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Because of no gluten in the flour make sure to place your mixture in the middle of the pan and then do a swirl technique as opposed to starting on the side of the pan.

Alright – I have 9 minutes to prep my snack and get on the couch.  Talk to you tomorrow.  Have an awesome Thursday.

Take care

zesty

Did yesterday feel like Monday to anyone else?  I think for me because of the holiday I was in slow motion and dragging my heels the whole day.  But all in all I survived.  I was excited when I got home because my Mom had one of my favorite turkey left over meal – Turkey Pot Pie.  I love it!

As for the house progress, it is coming along quite well.  We had a couple of hiccups yesterday and it looks like the insulation will be one day behind which will impact the drywall.  We had the rough grading done and as you will see from the pictures below – I think it turned out well.  The guys got a start on the front porch after we finally made up our minds on which product to use.

On to the Food

Today’s recipe is part of the fabulous Thanksgiving Saturday at the inlaws.  I will call it Pan Fried Carrots in a Pear Balsamic reduction.  Is your mouth watering yet?  These little sticks of heaven were delicious!  It really is easy to take a plain old carrot and turn it into something so eye catching and delicious.  I was sure to take lots of pictures as the colors were really nice.

As far as the prep goes, it is a little time consuming with the slicing unless you have a trusty Mandoline but outside of that a really straight forward recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 Cups Carrots ( Sliced lengthwise – see picture)
• 1 Fresh Pear ( Diced)
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
• 1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 Chicken Stock
• 1/4 Cup chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Slice carrots according to the picture below.  Soak in cold water until ready to go.



2. Warm Saute pan over medium heat and add butter.  Once beginning to melt, add carrots and let brown. ( about 10 minutes)



3. Once brown add the chicken stock, and let reduce to half.



4. Add balsamic, diced pear, salt and pepper and let reduce again.
5. Once cooked until desired doneness, add chopped parsley and serve





6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Ever have too many carrots – blanch them in boiling water and then freeze them.

House Update

Below are the latest shots of the house. Someday I am going to be giving you a final tour of the house …. maybe  some zesty videos from the new kitchen.

Have a great day and be sure to let me know if you have any questions about the recipe, blogging in general or the house.

Take care

zesty