Balsamic Peppers and Onions

Very simple stuff here. I'm trying to make more homemade veggies to compliment proteins and starches. The kid may not be adventurous with veggies just yet, but I know the Pack Mule will eat anything I put in front of him for fear that he will have an empty plate one evening.

I stumbled on a beautiful bottle of balsamic vinegar yesterday when the kid and I were perusing things at Fresh Market. I couldn't resist it. Here's what I threw together with the thick, dark, pungent goodness.

Balsamic Peppers and Onions

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced in half-moons

1 red bell pepper, sliced in strips

1 orange bell pepper, sliced in strips

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

2-3 Tbl balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet to medium to medium-high heat, add the olive oil, and toss with onions and peppers.


2. Stir quickly. You don't want the veggies to burn. A slight carmelization is the only kind of color you're looking for here.


3. After cooking for 7-10 minutes, throw in the salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar.


4. Turn the heat down to a slow simmer allowing the vinegar to become glossy and thick.


5. Serve hot.

Notes:

Balsamic
I'm a snob. I'm ok with paying $20-$30 a bottle for a good balsamic vinegar. If you're not used to the dark loveliness that is balsamic, you can buy whatever you like. The good stuff sometimes overwhelms the palates of people who are unfamiliar with it.

Time-saver
Stop by the almighty produce department and pick up a bowl of the pre-sliced peppers and onions.

Variations
Use mushrooms (cremini, anyone?), zucchini, or eggplant to beef up the veggie content. Be sure to increase the amount of balsamic you use so the veggies don't become plain Janes.

Serving:

Grilled or sauteed fish such as sea bass, swordfish, and cod pair nicely with the veggies served on top. Grilled shrimp with this as a side is also great. The thickened vinegar will add a delicious undertone to the entire dish.

Grilled chicken. It's a no-brainer here, kids. Use some coriander and fennel as a rub on the chicken and see how it pairs with the peppers. Divine simplicity.

Atop polenta, quinoa, brown rice, or pasta. If you choose to use pasta, double the recipe so you're pasta becomes coated with the reduced sauce. Try tossing on some crumbled feta or ricotta salata to add some protein.

Feedback:

This worked exceptionally well as a reheated dish as well. I have made this early in the morning and heated it through for lunch or dinner later in the day as well as the next night as a leftover. And? It's CHEAP.

Spiced Quinoa

I've suddenly become fixated on this healthy grain. I've been ill for the past few months and haven't focused on eating in a healthful manner. In addition, my appetite hasn't been consistent. I'm hoping the addition of this grain along with more vegetables and spices/herbs will help me enjoy my meals more.

No pics on this one yet. I will update and add them the next time I make this side.

Spiced Quinoa

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3/4 to 1 C grated carrot (estimate it - don't lose your shorts over this)
1 1/4 cups raisins
1tsp cumin
1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans) optional
1/2 cup chopped parsley OR cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion, carrots, raisins, and cumin until onion becomes golden, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in quinoa and allow to toast for 2-3 minutes.
3. Pour in orange juice, water, and zest and stir to combine.
4. Bring this to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is absorbed - 15-17 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Add nuts and parsley or cilantro and fluff with a fork before serving.

I served this with citrus-marinated boneless, skinless chicken breasts and will post that recipe soon.

Notes:

Quinoa: You can easily purchase this grain in the "health food" aisle at your local grocery store. Barring that, find a local co-op or natural foods store. They'll likely have it in bulk. This grain packs a punch of protein that rice just doesn't have. In addition, it's gluten-free for those of you who are struggling with the damn gluten.

Raisins: If you feel that yours are a little tough, soak them in some warmed apple juice or water prior to adding them to the pot. I used a mixture of regular and golden. I think this would also work well with some snipped apricots.

Oil: Feel free to reduce this if you're looking to lower the fat content or if you find the finished product to have too much of it. I usually start with 2 Tbl and up it if my veggies require it.

Orange Juice: I bought a case of oranges and grapefruit from the citrus sale at my school and decided to squeeze the juice rather than buy some from the store. Either way will yield a good end product.

Feedback:
The kid was a little skeptical. He's on a mac n cheese and chicken noodle soup bender right now. I'll continue to introduce him to this grain, though. I'm playing around with a hot breakfast quinoa and think he'll go for it. The Pack Mule was digging how the citrus in both the quinoa and chicken complimented each other.

Zucchini Fritters

I found this recipe on a night when I knew I wanted to use some zucchini I'd picked up at the farmer's market. I'd purposely chosen some of the larger ones because they were cheaper and could be easily used in a recipe calling for shredded zucchini. I have this "thing" about cooked zucchini: I can only eat it in small chunks, shredded, or grilled. The high water content makes it feel gross in my mouth if it's in large pieces.

Needless to say, I went in to the afternoon planning for the evening meal with "shredded zucchini on my mind. This lovely and so very simple dish is adapted from the Skinny Chef. I've seen other adaptations and ideas on blogs and other sites over the years but viewing a recipe that I was certain I'd like on a site that has "skinny" in its title made me try it.

Zucchini Fritters (adapted from http://www.skinnychef.com/ )

Ingredients
3 C zucchini, shredded

1 egg lightly beaten

1/2 cup grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8-1/4 tsp nutmeg

scant 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions
1. Combine all of the ingredients except for the zucchini in a large bowl.
2. Whisk to form a batter, removing large lumps, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the grated zucchini it to the bowl. The moisture from the zucchini will produce a batter. Use your HANDS in this one. Stirring with a spoon is just not something I normally do. I’m a hands-on chick. Try it. You’ll like it. And the consistency once you add that zucchini? Goopy goodness. If you have kids who won’t fling this stuff around your kitchen, let ‘em get down and dirty with this stuff. They’ll love you as much as my kid does!
4. Use the batter immediately.
5. Heat olive or canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Using a 1/4-cup measure, pour out 3-4 cakes. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Drain on paper towel

Serves 2-4.

Notes:

Moisture: Please believe me when I say you should NOT add any extra moisture to this recipe. When you see how dry and crumbly the batter will be before adding the shredded zucchini, you’ll be hard-pressed to not dump in some water or milk. DO NOT do this.

Mixing: Use your hands. But for all that’s holy, will you PLEASE remember to take off your rings before you do this? I never remember to take off my wedding rings and always get chunks of zucchini and soupy batter stuck under the diamonds. Learn from the error of my ways. Someone should.

Variations:

I’ve doubled the recipe and used ½ Parm and ½ mozzarella with good results. I don’t recommend using a cheese with a high moisture content (fresh mozzarella) because the batter and resulting fritters will likely be very soupy. You want crunch with these babies.Serve hot or at room temperature. These will be great on a buffet because they retain their quality really well. If serving them as an appetizer, I’d recommend using a tablespoon measure for each fritter.

Feedback:

The husband LOVED these things. Loved them. The kid? Not so much. He knew they were “fried” and heard daddy raving about them but wouldn’t touch them. His loss is my gain.

Fried Rice

I made some homemade fried rice using the some leftovers from the pork tenderloin. The husband usually looks at a single-dish dinner with a raised eyebrow. He comes from the school of "If there's not a bunch of cloven hoof on my plate, something's wrong." Yeah. I said that.

I pointed out that there was tenderloin in the dish, and he attacked with gusto.



Ingredients:

8 oz pork tenderloin, chopped into bite-sized pieces (I used leftovers. If you are using raw, please cook it before throwing it in the rice. PLEASE? I just had visions of worms in the bowels of people.)

1 small can of water chestnuts, chopped

1 C frozen peas and carrots (Yes. Frozen. It's easier that way today.)

2 tsp oil

1 Tbl oyster sauce

2 Tbl soy sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp sesame oil

3 cups cooked and COOLED rice

1. Defrost the peas and carrots in a bowl in the microwave. Add approximately 1 Tbl of water to the veggies and heat on HIGH for 1 minute.


2. Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add 1 tsp of the oil and flash fry the pork. If it's already cooked, you'll only need a minute or two for this. Remove the meat to a bowl.


3. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil to the pan and add the vegetables and rice, stirring quickly. Add oyster sauce through sesame oil and continue cooking over HIGH heat approximately


4. Add the meat to the rice and mix until heated through.

Variations:

• Go veggie. Forgo the meat and use tofu or just continue to up the veggies.


• Add some hot pepper flakes to heat things up.


• Yellow or white onions (chopped) as well as scallions are always welcome additions.


• I'll add baby corn the next time I do this.


• Add 1-2 scrambled eggs to up the protein. I didn't have the time or inclination to do it at the time.

Feedback:
The husband was digging this. I was surprised by his reaction. I'm definitely making this again but will up the veggies - probably double of what I used this time around.