Tag Archives: balsamic

Meatless Monday | Grilled Green Tomato Caprese

14 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by in Appetizers, Entertaining, Grilling, Healthy, Meatless Monday, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian

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Oh Hey. Sooo I know Green Tomatoes are kind of a “Summer” thing…But here in the Northwest…I still have tons of Green Tomatoes on my plants. I did get some ripe ones out of my summer…but some didn’t quite mature. But that’s okay…Because!!!Green Tomato CapreseFun times with Green Tomatoes! A recipe that is a bit healthier than Fried Green Tomatoes…These Grilled Green Tomatoes made into a Caprese Salad!Grilled Green TomatoesI like this recipe because it is waaay easier than Fried Green Tomatoes. Just marinade them in a little saucy sauce, throw em on the grill…and add mozzarella and basil! We took the extra step to melt the mozz under the broiler, but this recipe is great with fresh cold mozzarella as well!Grilled Green Tomato Caprese

Recipe
Grilled Green Tomato Caprese
serves 8 as an appetizer or side
adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (we used regular, it was still delish)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 2 lb.)
  • 1 (16-oz.) package fresh mozzarella cheese
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

  1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl or baking dish, stir. Add tomatoes and cover, letting chill for at least 1 hour.
  2. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Remove tomatoes from marinade, reserving marinade. Grill tomatoes, covered with grill lid, 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until tender and grill marks appear.
  3. Arrange alternating slices of warm grilled tomatoes and mozzarella cheese on a large, shallow platter. We put our dish under the broiler for a minute to melt the cheese a little bit, it’s great both ways! Drizzle with reserved marinade; season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with basil.

Filet Mignon with Balsamic Syrup and Goat Cheese

14 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by in Entertaining, Main Dish, Sauces, Side Dish, Steak, Weeknight Meals

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If you happen to be with your “average” American male, chances are he probably likes steak. A lot. I find that it is nice, every so often, to make your man a steak. I mostly think this because 99.9% of the time we eat steak, Jordan is the one grilling it.

The $75 Steakhouse Dinner: Filet Mignon, roasted broccoli, horseradish and dill mashed potatoes, and a double dirty martini. All made relatively quick on a Wednesday night. Boom!

The $75 Steakhouse Dinner: Filet Mignon, roasted broccoli, horseradish and dill mashed potatoes, and a double dirty martini. All made relatively quick on a Wednesday night. Boom!

For some reason, this recipe feels so 1950’s to me, because you put the steaks under the broiler. When I first cooked them, I was nervous they would be disappointing (like when you compare a pan-fried McDonald’s Burger to a char-broiled Whopper). However, this is not the case. It may be that you can’t go wrong when cooking quality steak with butter…But I am just going to go back to picturing myself as a 50’s housewife. Continue reading →

Hummus-Crusted Chicken

05 Tuesday Jun 2012

Posted by in Chicken, Easy, Healthy, Main Dish, Weeknight Meals

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Hummus Chicken

One of the quickest, healthiest, and most satisfying ways I’ve ever made chicken. Consider this a new go-to for me! Even better since I tend to get sick of dipping hummus in only veggies and crackers – chicken is just asking to be smothered in it instead!

Recipe
Hummus-Crusted Chicken
From the March issue of O Magazine

Ingredients

  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • hummus (enough to coat chicken pieces)
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • fresh rosemary
  • salt & pepper

Smother some boneless, skinless chicken breasts with hummus, then top with a squeeze of lemon juice, a dash of balsamic vinegar, chopped fresh rosemary, and lemon slices. Don’t forget to season with some salt and pepper! Bake at 450F until hummus is golden brown and meat is cooked through, about 15 minutes for small tenders (what I used) and 30 minutes for full chicken breasts.

Rosemary-Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

19 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in Easy, Grilling, Main Dish, Pork

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I really don’t know what to say about this…except it was so incredibly tasty. I want to put the rosemary-balsamic sauce on EVERYTHING. Seriously, so good. Jordan gets all the credit for grilling the pork tenderloin perfectly, it was moist and juicy…I wish we had leftovers.

This was so good I could honestly see myself making this for guests again and again…That is, when I have my own place to entertain guests. (For those of you who are wondering, I currently live with my 85-year-old grandpa. That’s possibly a story for another time…)

Anyways, you should make this ASAP! You can follow the directions on cooking the pork in the oven, or you can grill it on medium-low, checking it and flipping it when necessary…Sorry for the vague instructions, but Jordan is the grill-master. I don’t think he had a method. He just kept an eye on it and it magically was grilled to perfection.

Rosemary-Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
Serves 4
From Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook

  • 2 (12-16 ounce) pork tenderloins, trimmed
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle tenderloins evenly with salt and pepper, rub seasoning into meat. If time allows, season tenderloins up to 30 minutes at room temperature ahead of time for most flavor.

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place both tenderloins in skillet and sear until well-browned, 3 minutes. Rotate tenderloins 1/4 turn and sear until well-browned, 1-2 minutes. Repeat until all sides are browned. Transfer tenderloins to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven until tenderloins register an internal temperature of 145 degrees, 10-16 minutes.

While pork roasts, add 1 tablespoon butter to the still-hot skillet. Add shallots, water, and sugar. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until shallots are browned and caramelized, 7-10 minutes. Set skillet aside off heat.

Transfer tenderloins to carving board and tent loosely with foil, let rest 10 minutes.

While pork is resting, set skillet back over medium-low heat and add vinegar. Simmer, scraping bottom of skillet with wooden spoon to release browned bits, until mixture is thickened slightly, 5-7 minutes. Add rosemary and any accumulated pork juices, continue to simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 2 minutes longer. Off heat, whisk in mustard and remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 1 piece at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut tenderloins into 1/2-inch thick slices and serve with sauce.