Tag Archives: balsamic vinegar

white bean bruschetta {appetizers}

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{white bean bruschetta}

{white bean bruschetta}

After ordering this every time I visit Pizzeria Mozza, I figured it was high time I make it at home. Dropping $9 for this tiny appetizer wasn’t doing anything for my self-imposed “spending diet.”

Nancy Silverton’s recipe via Well Fed

INGREDIENTS
(for the rosemary olive oil)
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

(for the white bean puree)
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

(for the crostini)
1/2 inch thick slices of baguette
1 garlic clove, sliced in half
1 cup arugula
good olive oil
aged balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
sea salt
fresh thyme leaves to scatter over

METHOD
To make the rosemary olive oil, combine the olive oil and rosemary in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and continue to gently simmer the oil until the rosemary sizzles. Turn off the heat and let the rosemary steep in the oil for 1 hour.

To make the crostini, place the bread slices on a baking sheet, brush with the olive oil and bake until lightly toasted and golden brown. Rub the oiled side with the garlic and set aside. Alternately, you could brush the bread slices and grill them in a grill pan over high heat. The latter is the method I prefer, as the result is crispy on the edges while the middle is still a little soft. I find baking them just makes them crisp all the way through.

To make the white bean puree, combine the beans, 2/3 cup of the rosemary olive oil, garlic and kosher salt and pepper in a mortar and pestle or in a medium bowl and using a potato masher, mash everything together until everything is combined. The texture should still be slightly chunky.

To assemble the crostini, place a few arugula leaves on each crostino and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the white bean puree in a generous, even layer, over the arugula. Using the back of the spoon, make a small crater in the puree and spoon in a little of the rosemary olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with sea salt and scatter with the fresh thyme.

Repurposing Mustard

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Mustard isn’t just a condiment for sandwiches anymore.  Use it to make a sauce for poultry or, as I’ve recently discovered, make a delightful salad dressing.

I’m in love with the mixed greens I pick up at the farmer’s market every sunday, but the basic olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing was getting a little old.

Enter a mustard vinaigrette recipe, courtesy of foodnetwork.com.  The ingredients are simple, and you probably already have most, if not all, on hand.

  • 1 garlic clove, sliced in 1/2
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • Small splash soy sauce
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

The directions are seemingly easy, unless you have trouble simultaneously patting your head and rubbing your belly…

Rub the inside of a large wooden bowl with the garlic clove and then either discard it or save it for another use. Put the mustard in the bowl and whisk in the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce (a French secret!) vigorously for about 10 seconds to get a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle in the olive oil as slowly as possible with 1 hand while whisking as quickly as possible with the other hand to emulsify. Lay the salad greens on top of the dressing and toss just before serving.

With my whisk in one hand and the little prep bowl of olive oil in the other, I found myself viciously whisking in the olive oil like a madwoman.  When I slowed for a break, I could see the oil and vinegar beginning to separate, at which point I proceeded to whisk even more energetically.  All while trying to slowly pour in the olive oil.  So worth the strenuous hand-eye coordination test.  The result is a perfectly balanced not too watery but not too creamy vinaigrette.

Since I only had a little more than a cup of mixed greens left in my fridge (what am I going to do until I can get more on Sunday?!), I poured about a third of the dressing into another bowl and tossed in the greens.  Topped with sunflower seeds, I had myself a light, tangy and very addicting salad:

Dijon mustard in itself has quite a kick to it.  But mixed with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and soy sauce, it’s somehow extremely tamed and works with, not against, its fellow ingredients.  Best of all, I was done in 5 minutes:)

5 Minute Arugula Salad

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A 5 minute salad with less than 10 ingredients.  Which really is another way of saying I had a lot of random stuff in my fridge and zero time to make dinner.

It was late, and I needed dinner–fast.  I opened up my fridge and grabbed what I could find:
1. Arugula
2. Avocado
3. Brown mushrooms
4.  A block of parmesan cheese

All I did was slice up the avocado and mushrooms, grated the parmesan, tossed everything into a large bowl and mixed in:

5. Toasted pine nuts
6. Balsamic Vinegar
7. Olive Oil
8. Salt & Pepper (ok so this might be 2, but it still leaves me under 10 ingredients;))

I scooped everything into a bowl, grabbed a fork, and dinner was done.  Check out this beauty:

Arugula is my new favorite leafy green.  It has a nice nutty taste.  I find most greens have zero flavor.  I’ve also been using it in sandwiches in place of the standard (cough boring cough) iceberg or romaine.  Best way I’ve found to store these greens…I keep them in the plastic bag I got them in from the farmer’s market, gently press out as much air as possible, and loosely tie it shut.  I’ve been able to keep the arugula crisp and still tasty in the crisper drawer in my fridge even after 2 weeks (possibly longer).

Avocado? Awesome.

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Easy to make, good for you and most importantly, yummy.  Avocados hold a special place in my heart (and help keep it healthy by packing in those omega 3′s:))

This is one of my favorite quick snacks (or small appetizer?) to throw together.  I simply take a ripe avocado, half it, and cut the half into 4 slices.  Then toss on about 1/2 tsp of feta cheese, 1 tsp of crushed walnuts, and drizzle on a bit of balsamic vinegar. Et Voilà!  You have yourself a healthy snack in about 2 minutes.  For a sweet kick, you might want to try candied walnuts.  Enjoy…your heart will thank you!