Ashley's Balsamic Vinegar Conundrum

My lovely friend, Ashley, sent me a message on Facebook asking me to help her out with idea for what to do with all the balsamic vinegar she has since she is "sick of using it for salad dressings."  What she didn't know was that I not only can give her one recipe - I can give her 4!!!

I LOOOOOOVE balsamic vinegar.  (Yes all the "O's" were totally necessary!) I would drink it out of the bottle if I didnt think it would dissolve my digestive system with in minutes.  So what do you do with that pesky bottle that you have just sitting there collecting dust?  Here's what I would do!


Recipe #1:  

Balsamic Glazing Sauce

This crack-like substance is good on anything.  My favorite way to do it is on the Delight Soy Nuggets.  I can find them in the frozen veggie meat section of WF.

Ingredients:

1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1-2 T of Dijon Mustard
2-3 T of honey or agave nectar
Salt
Pepper

Wisk to combine.  After you have browned the soy nuggets pour the sauce over it and let it bubble away till your eyes water and your whole house smells like heaven!  I like to all so add in some sauted mushrooms here... but do whatever you want - there are no rules.  Serve with roasted sweet potatoes and steamed asparagus and you will think that there is NO FREAKIN' WAY this is good for you.

Recipe #2:

Balsamic Glazed Veggie Meatloaf

Ingredients:

2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 small zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
5 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with coarse salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
S & P
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 T finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1 bag of MorningStar Farms Crumbles and 1 roll of Gimme Lean Ground Beef
1 T of Worchestershire sauce or liquid smoke
Panko Breadcrumbs - 1/2-1c or enough to make it all come together and soak up some liquid with out sucking out ALL the liquid
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the zucchini, bell peppers, garlic paste and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are almost soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the egg and fresh herbs in a large bowl. Add the veggie meats, panko, grated cheese, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and the cooled vegetables; mix until just combined.

Gently press the mixture into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a small bowl; brush the mixture over the entire loaf. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

YUMMO!

Recipe #3:

Balsamic Marinade 
(for just about anything.  I used this to marinate giant portobella mushrooms before grilling them and making burgers out of them!)

Ingredients:

3/4 c Balsamic Vinegar
3/4 c EVOO
2 T Brown sugar
1 shallot, minced
Sprinkle of Garlic powder
1 tsp red pepper flake
S & P

Put this is a jar or a tupperware and shake the crap out of it.  Pour it over fish or mushrooms or WHATEVER and marinate for however long you want.... at least 20 min though.  I use it to baste whatever I marinated while its cooking.

And Finally!

Recipe #4:

Balsamic Berries 

Ingredients:


4 pints (8 cups total) sliced fresh strawberries plus raspberries and blueberries
5 T balsamic vinegar
2 T sugar
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Toss all of the ingredients together and let sit at room temp for 30 min.  Serve this deliciousness over vanilla ice cream and just TRY not to let out a little moan.

Ok Ashley!  There you have it!  Now, of course, if you try one of these let me know how it turns out.  I think I might be making the meatloaf for dinner tomorrow.  We shall see....