Balsamic Chicken Breasts and Roasted Vegetables

One of my new favorite stores in Roanoke is Oliveto. They sell many types of Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. They had a write up in a recent edition of the Roanoke Times. As part of the write up they had a few recipes. I played around with the recipes and here is what I came up with via Oliveto and the Roanoke Times!

Balsamic Chicken Breasts and Roasted Vegetables

1 small butternut squash
1 small sweet potato
3 red potatoes
1 large onion
15 or so small peeled carrots
4 Tablespoon Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons 18 year old Balsamic Vinegar
Italian Herbs about 1/4 teaspoon
salt and pepper




The Roasted Veg takes the longest, so start with them. Turn on the oven to 450 degrees, Peel the squash and the sweet potato and cut into cubes. Quarter the onion and dump out the carrots. I put them all in the roasting pan and poured the OO and the vinegar on top. Add the S&P and the herbs. Then stir them up and put them in the over for about 30 minutes. Stir half way through and then at about 25 minutes. If they are getting too dark, they are done. Remember the vinegar will add some color all by itself.

Then start the chicken

Chicken strips
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoon Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
Garlic
Italian Herbs
1 Tablespoon 18 year old Balsamic Vinegar

You could use chicken breasts, but we don't eat that much meat and the strips cook up very fast. After you put the veg in the oven, rinse and pat dry the chicken strips. I cut out the thick white tendon. Heat up a cast iron pan and add some OO. I used the Tuscan Herb again. Consistency! When the oil is hot, add the chicken that you have sprinkled with s&p and the herbs. Cook about 3 minutes on one side and then turn.. Add a teaspoon or so of chopped garlic or some whole cloves. Add the Vinegar and cook for 3 more minutes. When you plate the chicken make sure to get some of the garlic and vinegar with it. So good.




I served it with some corn bread, because I had some left over from another meal. Italian bread would be great with this. We had strawberries with some Cool Whip for dessert.

Vegetables When The Vegetarian Is Not Here

Lee spent a long time scraping one of our hills using the scraping blade behind the tractor. The rain had made deep crevices and he had to drag the scraper over them many times to smooth them out. Then he started the burn pile that had been building up. I spent the morning working on the quilt. At dinner time he did not want soup. I guess it seemed too hot after such a hard day. So I made some zucchini and a salad. I try not to be boring, so here is how I made it.

Zucchini with Polska Kielbasa

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
Persian Lime Olive Oil
1/2 Polska Kielbasa, I used Turkey. It's lower in fat.
1 Tablespoon crumbled Feta cheese
1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro. You could use basil, but I had cilantro, so...

Oliveto in Roanoke has the Persian Lime Olive Oil or you can use whatever flavor you have. But the Persian Lime is very good. It gives a wonderful flavor to the zucchini and makes it different from the usual. Saute the onions for a few minutes and then add the garlic. Garlic can get bitter if over cooked so don't put it in early.




Now here is where I get weird. I peel the Kielbasa. I know you can eat the skin, but I don't know what it is, so I take it off. You do what pleases you. Afterwards it looks like a naked mole rat, but I do it anyway. (DON'T look up naked mole rat. You will be sorry. See? I warned you.)




Add the zucchini and Kielbasa and cook for just a few minutes. I don't like soggy zucchini.



Here is my hint for chopping cilantro. Tear off a small bunch. Rinse under running water and then shake off the excess. Pat dry in a paper towel and then finely chop.

Add the feta and the chopped cilantro at the end and serve.

For the salad I used a mix of baby lettuces and romaine blend. I added chopped carrots, celery, avocado, apple and used a raspberry vinaigrette. Finish it off with a whole wheat roll that we dipped in Tuscan Herb Olive Oil from Oliveto with a small splash of 18 year old Balsamic Vinegar. A nice meal.