Monday, February 06, 2006
Enhance your meals with balsamic vinegar
With or without marinating, vinegar adds flavor to many dishes. When that vinegar is balsamic, it adds a fruity flavor to food—similar to cooking with wine but without the alcohol.
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Honey-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 pork tenderloins, about 3/4 pound each
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, mix the honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and balsamic vinegar. Place the pork tenderloins in a roasting pan; roast 15 minutes. Remove pork from oven; baste with the honey sauce. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting pork until done, about 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the honey sauce. For best results, check pork with a meat thermometer. Pork is done when the thermometer reads 160 degrees. Makes 6 servings.
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Braised Balsamic Chicken
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Season chicken breasts with ground black pepper and garlic salt. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, and brown the onion and seasoned chicken breasts. Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken, and season with basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. Makes 6 servings.
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Balsamic Tuna Melt
1 6-ounce can tuna, packed in water, drained and flaked
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 slices bread
2 teaspoons chopped dill pickle
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly toast bread. In a small bowl, mix together the tuna, mayonnaise, salt, balsamic vinegar, mustard and dill pickle until well blended. Pile the tuna mixture onto one bread slice. Sprinkle cheese over the other slice of bread. Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted and tuna is heated through, about 7 minutes. Place the cheese side of the sandwich on top of the tuna side. Cut in half and serve immediately. Makes 1 serving.
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Pantry Pointers
Inexpensive bottles of balsamic vinegar do not have the true, rich flavor of more expensive aged vinegars. However, they often work well for marinades and glazes.
The Practical Pantry ©2006 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com