Tag Archives: Balsamic

I’ve been craving something light and refreshing lately and made a few bruschetta recipes this weekend to snack on.  And by snack on I mean we made it into a meal 😊 If you follow my blog, you’ve probably read my other posts about bruschetta – Simple Summer Bruschetta Recipes (May 2023) and Easy Bruschetta Recipes (June 2023).  It’s such a diverse food.  You can have sweet, savory, spicy, citrus, vegetarian, meat-based, or any combination.  And it’s a bite-sized food so you can serve it as an appetizer or side dish or do what we did and make it a meal.  I have 3 recipes to share with you today.  One is sweet and refreshing, one is savory, and one is citrusy and refreshing. Strawberry Peach Bruschetta Bacon & Ricotta Bruschetta Lemon, Basil & Ricotta Bruschetta   STRAWBERRY PEACH BRUSCHETTA (aka sweet and refreshing) Strawberry Peach Bruschetta is bursting with fresh flavors and has a hint of sweetness … Continue reading

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Balsamic & Guinness Chicken Wings are a unique yet delicious appetizer or dinner option.  They have quite the pleasant flavor…it’s a little tangy and sweet.  I think Guinness is mildly sweet with a hoppy/bitter flavor and notes of coffee, almost tastes like roasted almonds.  Balsamic is rich in flavor with a mellow tartness and some acidity, kind of herby.  But both complement each other nicely. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Line the chicken wings on the baking sheet, leaving a little space in between.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached. While the wings are baking, make the sauce.  Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent. … Continue reading

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This time of year is prime for family gatherings, holiday parties, potlucks at work, you name it!… and I want to help you kick of the holiday season with a few simple (yet tasty) appetizer recipes that are sure to get the party started. I like to create delicious appetizers that look like I spent hours in the kitchen or appear to be store-bought but in fact didn’t take much time or effort to make.  You want the conversation to start flowing and to interact with your guests, really be part of the celebration vs. spending the entire event in the kitchen preparing the meal, and I have you covered.  These recipes are quick, easy, and tasty. Here are the recipes: Citrus Herbed Olives Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes with Burrata Cheese Roasted Red Pepper with Burrata Cheese   Citrus Herbed Olives take about 5 minutes to make (plus time to marinate) and are a wonderful … Continue reading

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Grilled Chicken Caprese is an Italian-inspired chicken dish that is perfect for summer!  It’s made with tender, juicy chicken that’s topped with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and a lovely balsamic glaze.  This dish can be prepared in a variety of ways, but my preference is to grill it. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Spray with cooking spray.  You can also use your outdoor grill if you prefer. Combine the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Season both sides of the chicken. Grill for 6-7 minutes on each side or until cooked through and an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese.  Loosely place tin foil over the grill pan to act as a cover to melt the cheese (or close your actual grill over to … Continue reading

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Do you ever order ravioli at a restaurant and wonder why it doesn’t taste the same when you make it at home?  Or you think you need to make homemade ravioli for it to taste as good as at a restaurant?  Well…you don’t!  You just need to find a premade, store-bought ravioli that you like, and jazz it up!  My preference is to buy fresh.  This is what you can find in the refrigerator section, often by the lunch meats or deli items.  These “fresh” pastas usually have a shorter shelf life and only take a few minutes to boil.  You can also go the frozen ravioli route if you have a brand or flavor in mind.  These options make cooking ravioli SO MUCH EASIER at home because the bulk of the work is already done for you.  All you must do is add sauce and toppings and you have a wonderful meal! The recipe I want to share … Continue reading

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It’s getting to be the time of year when grills get covered and ignored for a few months while we all hunker down and brave the cold temperatures from the warmth of our house.  If you are a die-hard griller that uses their grill year-round – kudos to you!  If you are like me and want to sneak in one last grilled meal before you stick to indoor cooking, keep reading 😊 Chicken Sausage Kabobs with Honey Balsamic Glaze are a quick and easy weeknight meal that is ready in about 30 minutes.  The chicken is moist, the vegetables are tender, and the pineapple adds a lovely citrus flavor to every bite.  My favorite part is the honey balsamic glaze.  It’s sweet and salty and creates this lovely coating on the kabobs.  I prefer to use bell peppers on the kabobs, but you can use zucchini, squash, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, onions, etc.  Feel free to really make the … Continue reading

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Every so often I like to make a vegan dish for a few reasons.  First, the food is actually delicious (don’t knock it ‘til you try it) and second, I have friends and family members who are vegan (or follow a similar diet), so I like to have a few recipes in my back pocket in case I’m ever entertaining them.  I’d rather be accommodating so they know they can comfortably eat at my house than have them eat before coming over.  And truly, the food is quite good, in addition to being good for you! Bruschetta Pasta is one of my to-go dishes.  It is a vegan dish, but you could easily add parmesan cheese or a little shredded mozzarella if you aren’t following a special diet or don’t have dietary restrictions.  I like this pasta because it’s very light and refreshing.  Think of traditional bruschetta, but instead of … Continue reading

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