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Diced Carrot Trio
Recipe courtesy of Marlene MacPherson of Marlene's Meal Makeovers (mmm) as featured October 13, 2010 on Rogers daytime toronto

Prepare an inexpensive vegetable soup base with carrots, celery and onions in our Cook Once step. Using this base, produce two more easy and nutritious recipes; Carrot Soup and Carrot Cream Cheese Spread.

Diced Carrots for Mirepoix (Cook Once):

1 bunch carrots with “tops on” (portion 1 cup of carrots for Produce One and 1 whole carrot for Produce Two steps)
1 bunch celery (6 stalks)
3 white onions

1. Chop all ingredients and mix together. This is called a Mirepoix in French cooking or a Sofrito in Spanish cuisine. This is the base for most soups and stews.

Tips: In the mmm kitchen we have the mirepoix portioned into ½ cup freezer bags so they are ready to go into a pot at a moment’s notice. No need to defrost!
Mirepoix is pronounced ‘MIRA-PWAH’

Carrot Soup (Produce One):

1 cup soup base from Cook Once
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh apple cider
1 cup diced carrots from Cook Once
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1. In a stock pot, heat olive oil. Add 1 cup of the mirepoix (soup base) from the cook once step and cook for 5-7 minutes.
2. Add chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add apple cider and cook for an additional 7 minutes.
4. Add diced carrots and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add stock and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until all lumps are removed. Pour back into the stock pot and check seasonings.
7. Add pure maple syrup and reheat.

Carrot Cream Cheese Spread (Produce Two):

1 whole carrot, roughly chopped
1 8-ounce package light cream cheese, at room temperature

1. Add carrot to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. 
2. Add cream cheese and pulse until completely mixed.

Store cream cheese in the fridge for 1 week.  Spread on whole wheat pitas or celery for a great healthy snack.....your kids will love it!

Asparagus Quiche -
Recipe courtesy of Marlene's Meal Makeovers

Ingredients
- 2 bundles of asparagus (1 ½ bundles washed, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces and - ½ bundles washed, trimmed, and left whole)
- 2 premade frozen pie shells*
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups of milk
- 1 ½ cups of cheese (whatever is available, feta, cheddar, etc.)
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 1 tsp. of pepper
- 2 pinches of nutmeg

Method:
1. Put both frozen pie shells on a sheet pan and poke the bottoms with a fork.
2. in 350-degree oven for 5-7 minutes, just until golden brown.
3. Beat 6 eggs, then add milk.
4. Mix 1 bundle of the asparagus, cut in 2” pieces with the above egg mixture in a bowl and add 1 cup of the cheese.
5. Season mixture with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then pour and divide between both pie shells.
6. Top with remaining cheese then put back in the oven for 20 minutes or until eggs are done.

* If you are worried about the fat from the pastry shells use left over mashed potatoes pressed in pie plate and make for 30 minutes before adding egg mixture.

I always cook two quiches so that I have one for lunch or breakfast in the fridge.

Grilled Asparagus Wraps
Recipe courtesy of Marlene's Meal Makeovers

Ingredients
- ½ of asparagus bundle trimmed and left whole from cook one.
- 6-8 slices of bacon.
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp. of olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Take 2 or 3 asparagus and wrap in one piece of bacon tying at the front.
3. Take bundles and sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper.
4. Arrange on sheet pan.
5. Also add to the same sheet pan the balance of the 2” asparagus pieces from cook one, also cover in olive oil and salt and pepper.
6. Bake entre pan for 20 minutes.
Produce Three: Grilled Asparagus Salad
Ingredients:
- ½ bundle of grilled asparagus pieces from produce two
- Corn (2 fresh cobs or 1 can)
- 2 green onions
- 1 red pepper
- 1 garlic finely chopped
- ¼ cup of feta cheese
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- ¼ cup of olive oil
-& Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:
1. Mix all of the above and enjoy.  Stores well in fridge for 2-3 days.

To learn more about Marlene's Meal Makeovers and get more great recipes please visit www.marlenesmealmakeovers.com.

Roasted Cinnamon and Demerara Duck Breast w/ Raspberry Port Sauce

Sauce
½ cup red wine
¼ cup port (fortified wine) – if you don’t have port, just substitute more red wine or raspberry liqueur
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 ounces (100g) of fresh raspberries

1. Mix red wine, port and cornstarch together in a small bowl
2. Pour into a pan and simmer until thickened
3. Add fresh raspberries and simmer until heated through

Duck
2 duck breasts
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 teaspoons Demerara sugar

• Pre-heat oven to 350 F
• Score skin/fat side of duck breasts in criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife. Ensure you cut through the skin and most of the fat, but not into the meat. DO NOT trim the fat or skin off!!!
• Mix sea salt, cinnamon and sugar together
• Sear the duck breast (skin side down only) in a heavy bottomed pan over medium/high heat until the skin is crispy (approx 10 minutes)
• Sprinkle the spice mixture over the duck
• Place in the over for 4-6 minutes for medium rare.
• Remove and let rest for 5-7 minutes before cutting or serving.
• Drizzle with sauce and serve with a side of wild rice or rosemary potatoes and glass of full bodied Pinot Noir