Duck Breast with Orange Sauce

I finally saw the movie Julie and Julia. It made me think about blogging and Julia Child's recipes. When it comes to Julia's recipes, there was a line in the movie that I couldn't get out of my head. Julie says something to the effect that she's gaining so much weight by cooking with so much butter. This made me pull out a couple of my old Julia Child cookbooks. I love the taste of French cuisine, but does it have to be so unhealthy? All of that butter can't be good on a regular basis. So, I've been going through some of the recipes, trying to make them more healthy, but still retaining the taste that makes them so magnificent. I must admit that some just don't do well. But, some do very well indeed. Here's my take on duck. It's a dish that I made for a recent special occasion, and it tasted as good as it looks!

Ingredients:

1 - 8 oz. boneless, skinless duck breast
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 Tbs orange liqueur
1 Tbs wine vinegar

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a non stick skillet. Add the duck breast and cook until lightly brown, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook the other side for an additional 3 minutes. Remove the breast to a small platter and cover to keep warm. Heat the marmalade, orange liqueur, and wine vinegar in the pan for several minutes until it thickens. Slice the duck breast, top with the orange sauce, and serve.

Serves 2.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Serving duck in a healthy way is all about portion size. 4 ounces of meat is a generous serving. If, however, you're accustomed to making meat the center of your meal, 4 ounces will seem small. Make sure you serve this meal with a nice large salad, and perhaps some tasty brown bread, some rice, or a second vegetable. That way, a 4 ounce serving will be just right!