I purchased some balsamic vinegar in Italy this summer and so far all I've done with it is use it on tomatoes and fresh mozzerella. Need some help!
Mitzie
Feb 01, 2007 12:59AM
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I have a wonderful cookbook we found several years ago... The Balsamic Vinegar Cookbook by Meesha Halm. I've tried a lot of the recipes with great success. My favorites are glazed carrots and a lamb shank that is one of the best I've ever tasted. It's amazing how the balsamic changes so many old favorites into something more interesting. Broiled chicken thighs with balsamic are also good. I see the book in on Amazon.com.. it's worth the $5.00 for a used copy.
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If you haven't used it on warm bread with olive oil, do that - it uses up a lot.
Dice an avocado, salt and pepper and balsamic. Fantastic.
Strawberries, sprinkle with sugar and balsamic.
Asian dumplings love to be dipped in balsamic as well.
Sprinkle the vinegar on fresh hot french fries, with salt.
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I like sliced strawberries in plain yogurt with some balsamic vinegar mixed in.
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Mmm, yes, Asian dumplings, especially xiao long baos, go VERY well in Balsamic. Makes a great substitute for asian black or red vinegar. Add some fine strips of fresh ginger to it too.
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Balsamic vinegar is a key ingredient in the following recipe which I made and loved last week. Hope you like it, too!
BLUE CHEESE ONIONS
Large yellow onions
Olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh pepper
Equal amounts of seasoned Panko bread crumbs and blue cheese (any kind)
Balsamic vinegar
Soak wooden skewers for one hour before preparing.
Cut yellow onions into very thick slices and put thru skewers.
Baste with olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Let set for awhile at room temp.
Place directly on grill, cover lightly with foil, and cook until completely cooked thru about 30 minutes or so. Turn over once and baste with any leftover olive oil. Baste with balsamic vinegar after turning over toward the end of cooking.
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That sounds interesting. When do the panko and blue cheese come into play?
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Sorry! Heat up the bread crumbs in a small non stick pan while onions are on the grill. Remove from heat and stir in the blue cheese. Pack tightly together with clean hands, and pack onto onions just after basting with the balsamic vinegar.
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I've used it on chicken breast that I've browned in olive oil, seasoned lightly with garlic pepper and salt. Towards the end, I sprinkle the balsamic on and add some honey, keeping heat medium to low. It gets glazy and nice. I've also omitted the honey and thrown in fresh peaches.
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I shaved a beautiful bunch of carrots into ribbons, tossed with some olive oil, garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar and roasted the whole thing in a little foil tent in a very hot oven. They were finished very quickly, and it was so incredibly delicious and simple.
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fresh strawberries in acocktail glass with a drizzle on balsamic and a little cracked pepper
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I like a little sugar and just a couple dashes of balsamic
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I marinate portabella mushrooms in balsamic and the grill them. Yummy.
I have a recipe somewhere for garlic chicken with balsamic vinegar. You can use it in the same way you use other vinegars or wines for sauces on poultry and meat. Just adds a slightly different flavor.
I second dipping bread in it. I make a mix of balsamic, evoo, kosher salt, black pepper and herbs and dip crusty bread in. You can also drizzle the mix over goat cheese and serve with crackers for an appetizer.
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Ooooh! Yes! I forgot about portabellas with balsamic. Try making a little paste of tahini, olive oil and balsamic vinegar with garlic and brushing on portabellas. It's really really REALLY good.
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Roasted (mediterannean) veg. Chop the veg, salt, pepper, olive oil, balsamic. It adds an extra something!
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Anything roasted veggies or meats with a balsamic reduction is great. You need to purchase a large bottle of cheap balsamic and reduce it by 2/3s. The reduction is great on anything even your shoe :-)
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I should begin by saying that I'm not a big fan of balsamic vinegar. Like sun-dried tomatoes, it falls into the category of "enough already." But last night gave me a new appreciation for balsamic vinegar. A friend put together a salad of sliced orange beets over wilted (sauteed) arugula with walnuts and goat cheese. To finish it, he drizzled just a bit of balsamic vinegar over the top. It was incredible. But the secret, for me anyway, is not using too much.
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Agreed, when I use it I use barely a splash. It helps with caramelization of certain things like root vegetables when roasting, and used sparingly mysteriously enhances the sweetness. Too much, and you might as well douse your food in Kraft Italian dressing.
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Yummy brussels sprouts with vinegar glazed onions:
http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jht...
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It's great on grilled vegetable sandwiches....zucchini, squash, onion and roasted red pepper, fresh mozz. drizzle the bread with olive oil and balsamic. It also perks up bottled "french" salad dressing
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Thanks so much every one! I'm printing out these suggestions!
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Cold green bean salad. Boil the green beans briefly. Then add balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Chill.
Really tasty. Gets better the longer it sits.
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Wild mushrooms stirfried with onions, garlic, soy sauce, and BV.
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Equal parts Worchestshire or Soy Sauce with Balsamic and some chopped ginger and garlic makes a great marinade and dipping sauce.
I was in one of those situations last week where I was visiting a friend, and her husband asked me to make dinner. With a very limited pantry, I browned some porkchops, then made a pan sauce of dijon mustard, balsamic, lemon juice and lots of ground pepper. They loved it. Reduced balsamic can go into many things.
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I'd love to re-start this post. Today I bought a bottle of Olivier Balsamic Vinegar 10 yr aged from Williams-Sonoma. There are clearly different uses for aged vs. regular. What are yours? I've been reviewing recipes and some seem to combine aged balsamic with regular as well--interesting. Any more ideas out there on this subject?
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