Balsamic Reduction Two Ways

It's one of the easiest and most versatile tricks in the kitchen - balsamic reduction.  All it takes is the vinegar, a sauce pan, a whisk and heat and you have a syrupy topping that can be used on anything from chicken to ice cream.  I recently discovered white balsamic vinegar which is essentially the same as it's darker counterpart  but a little less thick, a little less sweet and, as you would imagine by the name, clear.  It's processed in a similar manner with white grapes and white wine vinegar and simmered over low heat to develop the syrup and then aged to enrich the flavor.  In my opinion, the real advantage to swapping for the clear version is purely aesthetic; you get the flavor without changing the coloring of your food. 

To make a reduction, simply pour the balsamic vinegar into a sauce pan and bring to a boil, whisking often so as not to burn. Reduce the heat to let it simmer until the liquid reduces by half. Word to the wise - stand back when the heat hits the vinegar unless you are looking to clear your sinuses.


Balsamic Glazed Asparagus Spears

14-16 thin, fresh Asparagus spears
1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
1 tbsp balsamic reduction
2 slices honey ham
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
1 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Snap asparagus spears at the bottom at natural breaking point to remove tough stems. Coat with olive oil and salt and pepper and place over indirect heat on a preheated grill.  Baste with balsamic reduction while the spears cook for approximated 6-8 minutes.  Halfway thru grilling, divide spears equally and place one slice of ham over each group to warm. Pull from grill and roll spears into a 'log', folding ham over the group and placing seam side down.  Top with diced tomato and grated cheese to serve. The sweetness of the ham is the perfect compliment to the balsamic reduction. 

Balsamic Glazed Chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
2 tbsp balsamic reduction

Clean and trim the chicken breasts, salt and pepper liberally and place in a shallow container. Whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pour over chicken.  Let the meat rest in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. 

Preheat the grill to about 400° and oil grates prior to placing the marinated chicken on the grill.  While the chicken cooks (about 5 minutes on each side), baste liberally with the balsamic reduction.  Let chicken rest for about 5 minutes prior to serving.

You'll find yourself using this reduction on everything...promise!

Grilled White Peaches with Balsamic Glaze

Supper Club! We grilled and we grilled, and then we grilled dessert. The glaze is a make ahead so the dessert goes from grill to plate in a matter of minutes. Here's what you do:
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
Pinch of salt
Few twists of black peppercorn
Bring it up in a boil on the stovetop or grill, stirring to blend the sugar, honey and liquid. Turn back the heat to a simmer and let it reduce down to about 1/2. Once this is done, pull it off the heat and add a little to the bottom of a baking dish. 1/2 the peaches, remove the pit and place them (cut-side) into the glaze. Let them soak up the flavor for at least 10 minutes, more if you have time.
Take them to the grill, place them on the grates cut-side up first. Flip after about 2-3 minutes, then grill cut-side until you see those caramelized tracks. Serve it up with a scoop of vanilla and top it with as much of the balsamic reduction as you can handle!

Chilled Gazpacho Soup

Remember the marinated and grilled veggies post from the other weekend? I recently had an opportunity to make it again when we had some friends over to welcome them back to town (yahoo!). While at our favorite farmer's market Saturday, we bought a brown bag full of summer squash and baby zucchini so we threw those on the grill with spring onions, mushrooms and a baby eggplant. We used the same balsamic marinade and they came out just as tasty as the first time.

We had almost a pound of the grilled vegetables leftover so last night I decided to try making Gazpacho which, surprisingly enough, I've only ever tried once. We'll be changing that this summer! Here's how it came together:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 raw white onion, diced

1/2 large green bell pepper, diced

2 garlic cloves

leftover grilled, balsamic-marinated summer vegetables

1-26 oz can crushed tomatoes with basil

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups low sodium chicken stock

2 cups water (or more if you want to thin it out)

fresh chopped herbs - I had basil, oregano and thyme on hand

crushed red pepper flakes

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper

I started by sautéing the onion and green pepper in the olive oil with a little S & P in my Martha Stewart Collection Enameled Cast Iron Casserole Pot until the onions were translucent . Next I turned up the heat on the stove a bit and added the crushed garlic, grilled vegetables, tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken stock. I broke out my trusty Cuisinart cordless hand blender and blended all the veggie bits together until there were no big bite-sized pieces left (although I left it a little chunky because I like that texture). Next I added the water, the fresh herbs, the bay leaves (these will come out before serving), a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch more black pepper. I brought the soup up to a boil and then put the lid on and took it off the heat to simmer for about 30 minutes.

From there the whole pot went into the fridge overnight and then the chilled soup went into my belly over lunch. With these 100° days, I've been craving ice-cold lunches and this one hit the spot. It's a great way to help meet your veggie quota for the day and enjoy a refreshing, cool meal.