dinnerwiththedugans

Slow-Cooked Wild Turkey Leg “Birria-Style” Tacos

Cooking wild turkey legs has traditionally been thought of as hard work with very little reward. However, I’m here to assure you that these tacos are well worth saving that meat. Even better? Once the legs are tossed in the crock pot, set a timer for 7 hours or so and go about your day!Continue reading “Slow-Cooked Wild Turkey Leg “Birria-Style” Tacos”

Asian Sesame Sea Duck

For those of you who don’t know, sea ducks are renowned for being difficult to prepare and tasting much like what they eat: mollusks (clams and mussels), crustaceans, and occasionally small fish. There are generally three categories of duck: Puddle, Diver, and Sea. Puddle ducks include: Teal, Pintail, Wood, Mallard, etc. Diver ducks include: Bufflehead,Continue reading “Asian Sesame Sea Duck”

Dancing Queen

Inspiration sparked when I went to my local market and discovered they carried a new brand of various simple syrups. A few caught my eye, but one in particular, the blueberry mint. I find most of my inspiration in day to day encounters, so rather than purchasing this item, I knew I could make myContinue reading “Dancing Queen”

Tomato Parmesan Tortellini Soup

Out of all the soups I’ve experimented with, I think this is by far the best soup I’ve ever cooked. This hearty soup will be on heavy rotation during the winter months at your house, I promise! With tortellini, sweet (or hot if you prefer!) sausage, and a delicious creamy tomato parmesan base, I thinkContinue reading “Tomato Parmesan Tortellini Soup”

Pumpkin Pie Martini

If you like pumpkin pie, you’ll fall head over heals for this martini. Flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, and cream come together to give the impression that you’re literally drinking pumpkin pie. I’ve been trying to fully embrace the fall spirit and with that obviously comes ALL THINGS FALL. This is my first time experimenting withContinue reading “Pumpkin Pie Martini”

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

During the Autumn months, I turn to soup as one of my favorite dishes. It’s warm, comforting, and the perfect comfort food as the days begin to get shorter and the nights much colder. I’ve made butternut squash soup without roasting it AND without adding the sweet component of maple syrup and I often findContinue reading “Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Soup”

Apple Crisp Muffins

It’s starting to truly feel like Fall in Maine; the leaves are turning color, the nights are crisp, and Autumn activities are in full swing. Fall is by far my favorite season and these muffins are the perfect breakfast to get you into the spirit of Fall. These muffins are a great way to useContinue reading “Apple Crisp Muffins”

Simple Salmon Florentine

Something that I never used to love but I’m gradually starting to gravitate towards is serving seafood with pasta. I’ve always loved shrimp scampi, but lately I’ve been branching out by cooking with different shellfish, i.e. scallops, lobster, haddock, etc. in a variety of pasta dishes. My newest creation is this Simple Salmon Florentine. WithContinue reading “Simple Salmon Florentine”

Royal Squeeze

Empress Gin is by far one of my favorite liquors to experiment with. The stunning color morphs any drink into a magical masterpiece. This drink is no exception. Not only does it have a beautiful vibrant pink hue, the flavors come together to create something really special. Notes of grapefruit, basil, cucumber, and lemon createContinue reading “Royal Squeeze”

Spaghetti Squash on the Half Shell

Spaghetti Squash is one of my favorite squash’s to cook with. When cooked, the squash has an incredibly unique texture that almost exactly replicates cooked pasta. I discovered this fruit (weird I know!) two years ago and haven’t stopped using it as a healthy alternative to its starchy counterpart. In this recipe, I replicated aContinue reading “Spaghetti Squash on the Half Shell”