Roast Duck with Asparagus, Sweet Potato

Happy New Year 2025 to all. Hope 2024 has been great and 2025 will be better.

Always love a delicious duck dish come winter time, and Costco's Maple Leaf Farm Roast Half Duck has always been my family's favorite and go-to. Not only these ready-cooked duck make delicious duck protein bowls, they also make meal prep. a breeze. There is also no need to worry if the kitchen oven can fit and roast a whole duck.

I revisited one of our winter favorites - duck, brussel sprouts and sweet potato, and made this Duck with Roasted Asparagus, Steamed Gai Lan Chinese Broccoli and Purple Sweet Potato dish.

Duck with Kumquat, Steamed Broccoli, Cauliflower

Our family enjoy duck dishes but we do not have it often since duck is almost like a "luxury" menu item on the dinner table as it is not easily available in the regular grocery stores or supermarkets. Thankfully, there is ready-cooked vacuum-packed roast duck and we will stash a few packs in the freezer whenever it is on sale; then prepare them as special menu item during festive occasions such as Christmas, New Year or Lunar New Year.


Not only they are better quality than those Cantonese-style roast found in most of the Chinese deli here, these ready-cooked vacuum-packed roast duck also makes meal prep a breeze when it comes to preparing duck dishes such as this Lunar New Year special menu item Roast Duck with Kumquat, Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower.

Kumquat 金吉 literally meaning "golden luck" symbolizes prosperity and good fortune, aligning with auspiciousness for Lunar New Year.

Continue Reading >>

Low-Carb/No-Carb Duck Collard Wraps

An updated post on Collard Wraps filled with shredded (leftover) duck instead of chicken, carrots, red cabbage and cucumbers. A guilt-free healthy and flavorful wrap/roll, best enjoyed in summer-like temperatures.


----------Two Years Ago----------
Low-carb or no-carb seekers for Healthy Rainbow Veggies Lavash Wrap or Veggie Egg Omelet and Sweet Potato Tortilla Wrap can now turn to this quick and easy Chicken Collard Wraps.


A fuss-free recipe using collard greens (cabbage is a good alternative) and leftover chicken.

Continue Reading >>

One-Pot Shrimp Quinoa

Swap out multi-grains in this One-Pot Shrimp Rice for quinoa; and make Duck & Shrimp Quinoa, Veggie Bowl similar to this Duck Protein Bowl, just better.

Continue Reading >>

Duck Protein Bowls

With inflation, the price of Maple Leaf Farm Roast Half Duck has also gone up at our local Costco. Last checked - two individual 14-oz packages (total 28oz, approx. 4 servings) is now $19.99. We will not be buying it anytime soon; perhaps until the next special occasion when there is a reason to splurge.

But honestly speaking, even at $20 ($5 each serving), it is still cheaper than any duck entree in restaurants.


Meantime, depending on my freezer stash of remaining ready-cooked vacuum-packed roast half duck to make delicious protein bowl - roasted duck with freshly steamed vegetables, and sweet potatoes; or go lighter without potatoes and opt for roasted tomatoes.

Continue Reading >>

Roast Duck, Brussel Sprouts, Sweet Potato

This ready-cooked vacuum-packed roast half duck has shown its worth, not only as alternative protein choice in protein/ salad/ grain bowl-meals, but also as main course specials during Thanksgiving and Christmas recently.


Meal preparation is a breeze with this Maple Leaf Farm Roast Half Duck, sold in two individual 14-oz packages (total 28oz, approx. 4 servings, $17) at our local Costco.

As earlier mentioned - effortless to prepare, ready in minutes, this tender and lean mean piece of gourmet bone-in roast duck is very delicious, consider it Michelin-restaurant quality (but I have not tasted any Michelin restaurant dish, so do take this as comparative compliment to superior taste and food quality).

Continue Reading >>

Roast Duck Veggie Bowl

Usually, when you see duck-based dishes here, the duck is either (most of the times) Cantonese-style roast duck store-bought from Chinese restaurants/eateries or (only tried once) duck breast from the grocery store and cooked from scratch at home.

Visualize my delight when I found ready-cooked vacuum-packed roast half duck in the store recently, so be sure you will be seeing more duck-based veggie/ grain bowls soon.

Not that I have tried many ready-cooked/store-bought duck products but this one does meet my expectations. Not only it is effortless to prepare, ready in minutes, it also taste like a lean mean piece of gourmet bone-in roast duck - very delicious, gamier flavor compared to chicken, yet still lean and very tender. The size of this half-duck is also perfect, about 12oz (not as huge as the typical Chinese-style roast duck). It can be easily split into two servings, shared by two; or jolly well be enjoyed by one, when in indulgent mood.

Now, pick it up by the bone, gnaw on the duck drumstick and thigh!

If I can continue getting this from the store, NO WAY I am getting greasy roast duck from the Chinese restaurants anymore!

Just a teaser post today. Check back later for more.

Continue Reading >>

Steamed Duck Breast with Vegetables

Duck does not usually go into my dishes, as it is not easily available in our supermarkets. Even when it's available, it's sold whole; which is too much to handle especially when feeding a small family. If only duck can be sold like how chicken is sold in different cuts e.g. drumsticks, wings, thigh meat, breast meat, so that smaller portions can be used for cooking.

With leftover duck from Mango Duck Salad, this Duck Breast with Steamed Veggies is quick and easy to prepare.

Continue Reading >>

Bean Sprouts, Cabbage, Mango Duck Salad

Atop the bed of gently steamed bean sprouts, broccoli and cabbage sits this healthily prepared steamed duck breast, topped with sweet mango, crisp cucumber and colorful bell peppers.

This warm Sliced Duck Breast Salad can be enjoyed as a side-dish; yet also satisfying as a one-dish salad entree.


It is personal preference to either cook the bean sprouts and Napa cabbage or keep them raw. Even when the bean sprouts and Napa cabbage are cooked, they are only gently steamed, so their inherent crisp and moist textures are not compromised. At the same time, the steamed vegetables bring a little warmth into the salad (that is how I prefer) when tossed with the sliced duck breast.

Continue Reading >>

Roasted Duck Noodles with Romanesco Broccoli

I saw some really beautiful organic romanesco broccoli in Whole Foods Market and got into impulsive mode. Well...impulsive good.


It was a Sunday and there was no plan to cook. But with this fresh-looking vegetable, should I? Maybe, a semi-homemade meal will do. A meal that will not take a toll especially on a slow and lazy Sunday. On the way back home, we got hold of a store-bought roasted duck, went home and within 30 minutes, lunch was served.

Continue Reading >>

Asparagus and Duck Stir-Fry 炒芦笋鸭胸肉

While we spring forward in the coming week, it is also this time when asparagus marches into the stores, hoping to get a chance to meet its duck companion.

How nice for them to come together this way!

Continue Reading >>

How to Render Duck Fat

Believe it or not, this is my first time getting duck breast from the grocery store, and cooking it at home. Originally the duck breast was meant to be sliced with the skin intact; however while slicing, the skin actually came off easily from the flesh. Taking a situation approach , the skin was removed while the breast meat was sliced to thin tenders for stir-frying later.


I have heard that the skin from duck breast is as precious as its flesh, so it is not coming to waste - Render the duck fat and surrender some natural cooking oil !

Adapted from dartagnan.com

Sharing with Hearth and Soul

Tag: duck fat, rendering duck fat

An Escape to Food on Facebook