Balsamic Glazed Apricot Chicken

Ingredients:

– 2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
– 20 dried apricots, halved
– 1 cup chicken stock
– 1 cup apricot preserves
– 2 tbs SOOC Blood Orange olive oil
– 1/4 cup SOOC Fig balsamic vinegar
– 1 large onion, chopped
– 2-3 cloves chopped garlic
– 1 tbs fresh chopped thyme

Directions:

– Heat Blood Orange EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, until edges are slightly crispy, but still pink in the center. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook for 3 more minutes. Reduce to a medium heat, and pour in the Fig balsamic vinegar and allow to reduce for a couple minutes.

– Halve 10 apricots, leaving the other 10 whole. Place apricots and chicken stock to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Stir in the apricot preserves and thyme. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until apricots have softened. Salt and pepper to taste.

– Serve over your favorite steamed vegetables or quinoa! You can also substitute the Fig balsamic vinegar with Espresso balsamic for an even richer flavor. Enjoy and eat in good health!

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

French Beignets with Aged Blackberry-Ginger Balsamic Reduction

Beignet Ingredients

1/2 cup boiling water 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 whole milk
1/2 pkg. yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 eggs, beaten
3 3/4 cups sifted flour
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

Pour boiling water over butter, sugar and salt. Add milk. Let stand until warm. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add to milk mixture with the beaten egg. Stir in 2 cups flour. Beat. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Cover with waxed paper and a cloth; chill until ready to use. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Do not let dough rise before frying. Cut into squares and fry a few at a time in deep hot fat at 360 degrees. Brown; turn and brown on other side. Drain; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Makes around two dozen.

For The Aged Blackberry-Ginger Balsamic Reduction

1 cup SOOC Blackberry-Ginger Balsamic

In a medium saucepan over low heat, slowly reduce the balsamic vinegar by 50%.  You should have 1/2 cup.  Allow to cool to room temperature which will thicken it further. Serve with warm beignets.

Read Full Post »

Crab and Tomato Salad with Lemon Aioli and Balsamic Reduction

Serves Two:

2 large vine ripe tomatoes

4 oz. baby lettuce or field greens

6 each red onion rings

2 oz. capers

8 oz. fresh lump crab meat

6 oz. mayonnaise

1 lemon for juice

1 tsp minced garlic

salt and black pepper to taste

chopped fresh herbs to taste

8 oz balsamic vinegar, such as the Traditional 18-year

toasted French bread

Directions:

In a sauce pot heat boil balsamic vinegar to a reduced state, approximately 1/8 original volume. You will know it’s done when the balsamic vinegar’s bubbles become large and the liquid starts to thicken. Once this occurs, remove from heat immediately and transfer to a container that will easily pour anything with a syrup like consistency. (This was the hardest part of the recipe.)

In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and chopped herbs. Mix thoroughly and transfer half of the aioli into a zip-lock baggy. Place zip-lock in the refrigerator for later use.

Take the crab meat and fold gently into the remaining aioli. Place in refrigerator and allow to cool. Slice the French bread and toast in oven or toaster, set aside when done. Slice Tomatoes, place one on plate then scoop crab salad atop tomato. Repeat process until three tomatoes are stacked. Stuff baby lettuce inside three rings of red onion. Place on top of stacked tomatoes and crab.

Cut the corner off of zip-lock bag of aioli and squeeze aioli on plate. Sprinkle capers around plate. Drizzle balsamic vinegar reduction around plate and over tomatoes.

Serve, impress and enjoy!

Found at http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/inside/Crab-and-Tomato-Salad-with-Lemon-Aioli-and-Balsamic-Reduction-101968428.html

Read Full Post »

Kim’s Reduction Recipe

1 cup Stillwater Olive Oil Co. 18 year balsamic vinegar
2 Tbls Honey or Jelly (any flavor)

Directions:

Put ingredients into sauce pan over medium high heat until close to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for approx. 20 min. Make sure you continue stirring the whole time so it does not burn. As it cooks it will continue to get thicker in consistency and when it reaches a preferred consistency, take off heat and let cool for 5 minutes. This balsamic reduction is great as a marinade on any vegetable, meat, or even as a wonderful finish to desserts!

Read Full Post »