Chicken Thighs in Balsamic Sauce

I ran out of olive oil a couple of days ago. What made it even worse was that I was out of Butter Plus, too. I rummaged around the kitchen, hoping to find something to swirl around the pan, so I could cook my chicken thighs. I found dipping sauce. Now this wasn't just any dipping sauce. No, this was a spectacular sauce that I'd gotten on a recent trip to Napa Valley. I had tasted it at a winery that was near an olive grove, and the taste had more than a hint of olive, mixed with smooth balsamic vinegar, with tons of herbs and garlic. I took the plunge and used it to cook my chicken thighs. They were delightful! I've been experimenting and think I've come up with a good replication of this dipping sauce. I've used it for a couple of things now, and find it to be a quick way to add flavor.

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 tsp balsamic sauce

Ingredients for Balsamic Sauce:

2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbs good balsamic vinegar
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

Directions: Make the balsamic sauce by mixing all the ingredients together. Whisk or shake until well mixed. This sauce doesn't stay blended, so it will need to be shaken well before each use. Refrigerate unused portion, the remainder will keep for at least one week (unless you use it up first!).

Heat a nonstick saute pan until hot. Add the 2 tsp of balsamic sauce to the pan, then add the chicken. Cook each side for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, or until done.

Serves 2-4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Here's another healthy use for olive oil. Serve the chicken with a side of vegetables and a salad for dinner.

Penne with Chicken, Artichokes, and Peppers

Here's another recipe using the wonderful balsamic dipping sauce as a quick flavor enhancer. This recipe came about as one of those end of the week, what's left in the frig to cook, kind of things. I had a couple of chicken thighs left, along with some frozen artichokes, frozen peppers, and part of an onion. I found some whole wheat penne in the pantry and got set. I finished this off with a taste of goat cheese, which melted the whole melange together. If you don't like the taste of goat cheese, try another soft cheese like Brie.

Ingredients:

2 tsp balsamic dipping sauce
2 chicken thighs or 1 chicken breast, cut into 1 inch by 1/2 inch strips
1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts
1/2 cup chopped peppers
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbs toasted pine nuts
2 oz goat cheese

whole wheat penne or other pasta

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil, then cook the pasta according to directions. Drain. Prepare the chicken sauce while the pasta water is heating, and the pasta is cooking. Heat a non-stick saute pan and add the balsamic sauce. Add the chicken, onion, and garlic and cook until the chicken is almost done, about 3 minutes. Add the peppers and artichoke hearts and cook an additional minutes until hot. Add the pine nuts, then crumble the goat cheese and stir into mixture. Toss the chicken together with the pasta.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Here's another great recipe for using whole wheat pasta. The trick is to add whole wheat pasta to a recipe that's new. That way there are no expectations as to taste. I think you'll find that everyone will enjoy the nutty taste that whole wheat pasta adds to a dish.

Blistered Balsamic Asparagus

This is one of the easiest ways to fix asparagus ever! And, it's delicious! And, it always disappears! And, it's fast! And, it's versatile! 

Ingredients: 

1 tsp olive oil

5-8 spears asparagus per person, woody ends trimmed off

1/4 cup water

several grinds sea salt

1 tsp balsamic vinegar per dozen spears

Directions: 

Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the asparagus and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until the asparagus begins to brown in places. Add the water and let the asparagus continue to cook until the water evaporates. Add the balsamic vinegar, continuing to cook until the vinegar thickens, about 1 more minute. Serve. 

Stealthy Cooking Tip: I have substituted ponzu plum sauce on occasion, especially if I want to serve the asparagus with an Asian influenced meal. However, I prefer the balsamic sauce - it's quick, easy, and is certainly a people pleaser in my house!

Quick Mushroom Sauce over Polenta

This mushroom sauce has layers of flavor and tastes like it took hours to make, but it comes together quickly. I've used premade polenta to also ease and hasten putting together the entire dish. The combination makes this perfect for a weeknight or for those evenings when time is of the essence. Add a mixed green salad and you've got a complete meal.

A quick word about the flavor layers. This recipe calls for dried porcini mushrooms (or any kind of dried mushroom). In addition to the dried mushrooms themselves, use the water from reconstituting them as part of the cooking liquid. When the dried mushrooms are combined with fresh mushrooms, they deepen the mushroom flavor. Add the cooking liquid from reconstituting them and you've added another flavor layer that's hard to beat. A note on the dried mushrooms. For a long time I stayed away from dried mushrooms, as they were usually beyond my budget. However, I recently found some available in bulk at a little Italian grocery in Healdsburg, California. What a deal! If you don't have a little Italian grocery near you, I also saw them available, also at a reasonable price, at Costco. Who knew? They're quickly becoming a regular ingredient in my meals.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms (or use any dried mushroom)
1-1/2 cups water
1 tsp. olive oil
2 cups sliced, fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (or 1 Tbs. dried)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 1 Tbs. dried)
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbs. water
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. sea salt
several pinches of finishing salt
Prepared polenta

Directions:

Cover dried mushrooms with the water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Prepare the rest of the  mushroom sauce by heating the olive oil over medium high heat in a nonstick skillet. Add the fresh  mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the herbs, the vinegar, white wine and stock. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Drain the water from the dried mushrooms into the skillet with the fresh mushrooms. Chop the dried mushrooms, then add them to the skillet. Cook until the stock reduces by at least half. Mix the cornstarch with the water, then add in a slow stream to the skillet. Stir to combine. Cook one more minute until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat, then stir in the yogurt. Taste the sauce, and correct the seasoning with salt, if needed. Slice prepared polenta into 1/2 inch slices. Heat in a non-stick skillet. To serve, place two slices of polenta on each plate. Spoon some of the mushrooms sauce over. Add a small pinch of finishing salt on top, then top each serving with 1 Tbs. of Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: You can deepen flavors by layering vegetables. In this case, the layering happens with two types of mushrooms, one type seared over relatively high heat and thereby carmelizing the flavors, the other type boiled, then the deep flavor of the cooking water used as a cooking stock. Salt can also be used in layers. Add some sea salt to the dish, then use a flakier salt with larger crystals as a finishing salt on top of the dish. The sea salt within the dish enhances the overall flavor of the dish. The small pops of flavor on top wake up your tongue. Finishing salts are more expensive than cooking salt, but they will last years, because only a minute amount is used on each serving. Health wise, adding finishing salt shouldn't significantly increase your sodium intake. Finishing salts makes a big impact on your tongue because the crystal size is larger, but when used correctly, the minute amount should actually mean you need less salt overall for your food to taste excellent.

Hoppin' John, aka Black Eyed Peas 'n Rice

 

Happy New Years! Foodwise, I celebrated the day with a dinner of black eyed peas, rice, and greens - a good combination for luck for the coming year. The peas bring luck and the greens bring wealth. Nice! This year, I made a hoppin' John dish in the New Orleans style with a little spice to heat things up. While black eyed peas are traditional on New Year's Day, they are so tasty and have so many health benefits, they should not be relegated to just one day. Enjoy them throughout the year.

Ingredients:

8 oz. dried black eyed peas
4 slices bacon (optional, omit for vegetarian version)
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped red, yellow, or green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tsp. minced jalapeno pepper
2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 cups steamed brown rice

Directions: Cover black eyed peas with water, in a large stock pot, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Drain the beans. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, and thyme to the peas, and bring to a simmer.

While the peas come to a simmer, cook the bacon, then drain on paper towels, and cut or crumble into 1/4 inch pieces.

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the garlic, peppers and celery and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the bacon and cooked vegetables to the peas, and continue to cook until the peas are tender, about 30 minutes. If the liquid evaporates, add a little water or more chicken stock. When the peas are tender, season them with the vinegar, Tabasco sauce, and salt and pepper.

Serve over rice, then top with some of the onions.

Serves 4 as a main course or 8 as a side dish.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Black eyed peas are a powerhouse in the healthy eating department. They're high in fiber, meaning that they're digested slowly so they even out blood sugar, an important part of staving off diabetes. They're also an excellent source of iron, magnesium and calcium. Just one cup provides 20% of those nutrients. If you find you get gas when you eat beans, try the product called "bean-o" - it works!

Sesame Seed Salad Dressing

This salad dressing pairs well with any salad that has an Asian flair. It's featured with Ahi tuna salad, but I also love it with salad topped with blackened chicken. My inspiration for this one comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, Santa Fe Light & Spicy Recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. black or white sesame seeds
1 Tbs. honey or agave
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions: Measure all of the ingredients into a jar. Cover the jar and shake well, or use a whisk to combine. Makes a little more than 1/4 cup dressing, or enough for 4 servings.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Make extra dressing, then keep the remainder in the refrigerator. Homemade salad dressings will keep in the frig for several days, up to one week.