Tag: Balsamic Vinegar

appetizers · Breads · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Cooking With Ginger

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We have a young chef who comes into our community once a month who is absolutely wonderful. Not only does she bring us amazing recipes, but she is funny and just livens up the people who show up. You come away laughing and in such great moods, it is just a great class to attend. Last week she made 4 really good recipes of which I have already made one. It will be one of our staples from now on. Open Faced Caprese Sandwiches. She also gave us the recipe for Butterscotch Peanut bars, Watermelon-Feta-Basil Salad and a summer mixed drink which I will post tomorrow. But today I am posting the Caprese Sandwiches and Butterscotch Bars.
I bet when you read the title you thought this post would be all about recipes which included ginger. Fooled YA!

Caprese Sandwiches
1 Roma Tomato, sliced into four slices
2 tables chopped fresh basil (or more depending on how many slices of bread you are using)
Fresh Mozzarella log, sliced thinly
4 slices of Italian Bread or baguette
Balsamic Reduction *Found it at some Walmarts and also Trader Joes
Butter and Olive Oil

Preheat oven broiler or toaster oven
Gently spread olive oil or softened butter on one side of the bread. Place in oven to lightly toast.
On opposite side of buttered or oiled bread, with a pastry brush, place olive oil on the dry side of the bread that has not been toasted. Place tomato slices on top of bread. (If you are making more than 4 slices of bread, use another tomato)
Top with slices of mozzarella. Again, use enough slices to make however many slices you need.
Place bread onto baking sheet and place under broiler for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted and starting to bubble.
Top with chopped basil and sprinkle with the balsamic reduction. You may want to sprinkle each slice with sea salt.

Butterscotch Peanut Bars
This quick and easy bar to make taste similar to a Pay Day candy bar.

Bar
1/2 cup butterscotch flavored baking chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup salted Spanish peanuts or salted peanuts
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Glaze
1/4 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teas shortening

Melt butterscotch chips, peanut butter and butter oven low heat in small saucepan, stirring constantly 3-5 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.
Stir in peanuts and marshmallows. Pour into a buttered 8″ square pan. Cover and place in fridge 30 min or until set.
Melt chocolate chips with shortening in a small saucepan or microwave until chips are melted. In 15 second intervals. Sir after each interval. Drizzle over the cooled bars and refrigerate until chocolate is set.
Cut into bars and keep covered in fridge.

Casseroles · Daily Thoughts · Vegetables

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms With Crispy Prosciutto

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Over the last 3 days I have been in such a baking mood. I have made 2 cakes, a big batch of chocolate/pistachio biscotti and a pecan pie. Over the holidays, the only dessert that I did not make, even though I couldn’t get the picture of it out of my head, was pecan pie. So I finally got a piece of homemade pecan pie. It was about 7 p.m. last night and because it was Fri night and we think that we cannot watch Shark Tank without sitting with a plate of a great dessert on our laps, I jumped up and knew that this was the night. I was not going to let another day go by without having my “once a year” piece of pecan pie. I don’t like it because of the pecans, in fact, I don’t put but about 1/2 cup of finely crushed pecans. I love it because of the gooey middle. I only put the small amount of pecans on it because I don’t want people to think that I’m crazy for saying I love pecan pie, when actually there would be no pecans in it. Last night was amazing….Shark Tank and pecan pie…..Randy reminded me that years ago, we described our nights as “amazing” because of something else, now it’s the dessert and fav tv shows that dictate how we rate the nights….Hum……well, maybe we will talk about that at another time. Now, for the recipe that I began to post. Pecan Pie is not my only love, I have come to truly appreciate and love Prosciutto..Because my oldest, Jason, taught me that fresh brussels sprouts were totally different than frozen ones, I use only the fresh now. This is a great accompaniment to any meat dish, or as a main dish with a salad and bread..

4 tables olive oil, divided

2 (3.5 oz) packages prosciutto, chopped

2 1/2 lbs fresh brussels sprouts, halved

2 (8 oz) packages baby portobello mushrooms

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tables minced garlic

1 tables sugar

1 teas onion powder

1 1/4 teas salt

1/2 teas pepper

In a large skillet, heat 2 tables olive oil over medium heat. Add prosciutto, cook for 12-14 min, stirring constantly, until browned and crispy. Remove from skillet and set aside, reserving drippings.

Increase heat to medium-high. To skillet, add remaining olive oil, sprouts, mushrooms, vinegar, garlic sugar, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 5 min. Remove cover and continue cooking for 10 min, stirring frequently. Stir in prosciutto. Serve hot.

*Recipe is taken from Southern Lady Magazine

Chicken · Daily Thoughts · Meats · Vegetables

Bruschetta Chicken & Veggies

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Tonight, since I am leaving town tomorrow for a week to go see grandkids, I figured that I should feed Randy a home cooked meal so he would appreciate me. After a friend of ours gave me this recipe last week, I have been waiting to try it and tonight was the night. It is so easy and so different. We loved it. Since bruschetta is one of those favorite dinners that we have on Friday or Sunday nights, I knew that this had to be a hit.
2-4 chicken breasts, uncooked
2 tomatoes
*1/4 to 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (if using 2 chicken breasts, use the 1/4, 4 breasts use 1/2 cup)
*1-2 tables butter  (if using 2, 1 tables, if using 4, use 2 tables butter)
2-4 fresh basil leaves
1-2 tables olive oil (yes, depends how many chicken breasts you are making)
In small saucepan, put the balsamic vinegar and the butter and cook over medium heat until the mixture is reduced by half and is thick. Set aside.
In the olive oil, sauté the chicken breasts and season with seasoned salt, seasoned pepper, garlic powder and onion powder (be sure these are not garlic and onion salt, but powder)
Brown the chicken on both sides and place about 1/4-1/2 cup liquid and place skillet over pan. Cook until chicken is tender and is completely done. (liquid can be chicken broth, white wine or water)
When ready to serve, place chicken over pasta, rice or asparagus and place a fresh basil leave on top. Place sliced fresh tomatoes on top of basil leave and then drizzle the balsamic reduction over the top one the tomatoes allowing to drip onto chicken. We served this with broccolini and brussels sprouts that I had sautéed in a skillet with bacon and onions. Made a delicious dinner that we didn’t miss having starches, which we are really trying to cut back on.