Proof that balsamic vinegar makes the world go round

Mr. TL has a love affair with balsamic vinegar. My love affair is with handbags and shoes. His is with a condiment. Whatever floats your boat!

Last week our local grocer had fresh Sockeye salmon on special and I knew I had to get my hands on some. Buttery, moist, delicious, and full of that rich salmon color, it was going to be a homerun with Mr. TL... that is if I could recreate a balsamic vinegar glaze that he had devoured on a slab of salmon while on our honeymoon!

With the aid of a recipe I adapted from AllRecipes.com, I'd like to think I did a pretty darn good job. The salmon was delicious - sweet and savory with a bit of that balsamic tang Mr. TL loves. It was the perfect accompaniment to my shallot and garlic sauteed green beans!

Enjoy :)

Balsamic Glazed Salmon

(adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 pound of salmon, cut to your liking

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons white wine

1 tablespoon honey

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Coat a small saucepan with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook and stir garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Mix in white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Arrange salmon on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with balsamic glaze.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 14 minutes, or until flesh flakes easily with a fork. Brush fillets with remaining glaze, and season with salt and pepper.

Balsamic vinegar is love.

This past weekend we had my hubby's sister and her husband over for dinner and some Trivial Pursuit on the Play Station.

While recipe planning a few weeks back I came across a recipe on a local recipe site for Balsamic Chicken with Angel Hair. I decided that that was a fine jumping off point but I knew I wanted to change the recipe up a bit and come up with my own concoction.

It turned out so well that my non-cook of a sister in law even asked for the recipe! Delicious!

Enjoy :)

Balsamic Chicken and Angel Hair with Zucchini



Ingreidents

4 chicken breast, boneless skinless
1 pound angel hair pasta
4 medium, quartered and sliced zucchini
1/2 of a small red onion, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 - 8 leaves, fresh basil, chiffonade
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

Directions

1 - Begin cooking angel hair pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water; reserve ¼ cup of pasta water.

2 - Cube chicken breasts & season with salt & pepper. In a fry pan coated with olive oil, saute onions & garlic until soft; remove from heat.

3 - Add chicken to same pan & sauté, do not cook through yet. Add onions and garlic back in. Stir to combine then add sliced zuchinni. Cover and simmer on low heat.

4 - Toast pine nuts in a dry pan until lightly browned.

5 - Add pine nuts, balsamic, & reserved pasta water to chicken mixture. Continue to cook uncovered until chicken is cooked through; add basil chiffonade at last minute prior to removing from heat.

6 - To serve, spoon mixture over angel hair pasta & top with parmesan cheese.

Spinach & strawberry... a salad match made in heaven!

When I tell you that this salad is super easy and such a crowd pleaser, you better believe me! I found the basic recipe on allrecipes.com & then added some twists to it that really helped the flavor along. Here is my version...

Enjoy! :)

Spinach and Strawberry Salad
(adapted from all recipes.com)



INGREDIENTS
4 bunches spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup balsamc vinegar
1 cup white sugar
½ teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 ½ cups candied almonds**
2 cups bleu or gorgonzola cheese crumbles

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, strawberries and almonds.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, paprika, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds.
Pour dressing over the salad.
Top with cheese & serve!


** To candy almonds: drop into a hot pan and sprinkle with sugar and a few drops of water… allow the almonds to caramelize on low heat for a few minutes

Tana-Licious’s notes: You can prep everything ahead of time but make sure to leave dressing out on a counter and not in fridge. It will turn to sludge!

Balsamic vinegar is love.

I swear I could drink it straight. I love it on and in everything so when I found this recipe on Robin's blog, Made with love..., I knew I was going to have a winner on my hands! I'm actually eating the leftovers of this yummy Balsamic Chicken
& Sausage Pasta as I blog!

I adapted the original recipe a bit... changing the chorizo to hot Italian sausage and upping the amount of liquid to make more of a sauce. I also added the ladle of pasta water for the sauce effect.

The result was a hearty meal that everyone (including the super picky Mr. Tana-Licious) enjoyed!

Balsamic Chicken & Sausage Pasta



2 large boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
4 links of hot Italian sausage, cut into chunks
1/3 cup tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Medium onion, grated
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup white wine
1 pound pasta, cooked with 1 ladle of pasta water reserved

Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente.

Toss chicken chunks in salt, pepper, and paprika Place 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and toss until almost cooked. Add sausage, onion, and minced garlic. Add balsamic vinegar. Cook until chicken chunks are cooked through and garlic and onions are browned.

While still on medium heat, add the cup of white wine to chicken/sausage mixture to deglaze pan. Make sure to get all of the brown bits on the side of the pan. Add pasta to skillet and toss in meat mixture and resulting "sauce" until well coated and pasta is heated through. Add in the reserved pasta water. Add an extra tablespoon or two or olive oil if you feel you need more of a coating on your pasta.