Easy Espresso Balsamic Chicken Tenders

While in Breck, Kelley’s dad, Steve, had mentioned a local olive oil and balsamic vinegar store that just opened. Knowing his daughter was married to a passionate foodie, he figured this was great info to share with us….and he was right!

Olive Fusion is a warm and cozy store with fine naturally flavored and non-flavored oils and vinegar around the perimeter. Vinegars were on one side and extra virgin oils on the other. Their very aged and intense balsamic vinegar had its own location separate from everything else to let you know its important status.

The two women in the store were more than happy to help us and urged us to sample anything we wanted. The oils and vinegars offered were all displayed with labels and small cups beside each bottle for anyone to try. If you are put-off by the thought of sipping vinegar and oil alone, you have not tried the intense flavors Olive Fusion has to offer. But, they do provide bread for dipping if you just can’t stand the liquid alone.

Kelley and I enjoy vinegar more than oils, but we tried several flavors of each variety. There were a few white balsamic vinegars along with many of the more popular dark red types. We tried flavors like dark chocolate, maple syrup, honey ginger, raspberry, and our favorite…espresso! The sweet tanginess of the vinegars makes them useful for a variety of dishes.

Inside Olive Fusion with shiny vats of fine oils. Bottles filled to order!

Some of the flavored oils offered were wild mushroom, garlic, cilantro onion, and a very spicy red pepper-infused oil. Kelley’s parents enjoy using extra virgin olive oil for the health benefits and flavor, so we picked up a bottle of the garlic flavored oil to give as a gift for letting us stay in their condo. For ourselves, we purchased a small bottle of the garlic “evoo” and a big bottle of espresso balsamic vinegar. There were also multiple salts with concentrated flavors to try; we lovvvvved the black truffle salt, but didn’t purchase any.

Kelley loves pouring balsamic on a stack of whole grain toast almost every night to accompany dinner, but we decided to reserve the espresso vinegar for special applications.  With the intense garlic flavor of the oil, this will be great mixed into any cooked grain or simply combined wth vinegar and drizzled on a salad. There are more uses for vinegars than just as a salad dressing or bread dipper; here’s a breakdown of its uses by age:


3 to 5 years, this is the youngest group and is good for salad dressings, dipping sauces for vegetables and bread, and marinades.

6 to 11 years, this is the middle age group that is more viscous and versatile. Use it in sauces (at the end of cooking), in risotto and pasta dishes, in marinades and mixed with Greek yogurt or mustard for a sandwich condiment.

Well-aged balsamic vinegar is anywhere from 12 to 150+ years and is best used after cooking complete, and in mild dishes so it can shine on its own. Use it to flavor meat like chicken, steak, fish or veal. It goes well with fruit and cheese pairings like strawberries, peaches and pears, along with ricotta or feta cheese. It is also great enjoyed by itself (just a small amount) or added to water (sparkling or not) for a refreshing beverage.


This week I decided to use our newfound liquid treasure to cook chicken tenders. I didn’t even have to marinate these to make them shine with espresso balsamic vinegar. Any cut of meat, poultry, or fish would work for this and I plan on using the vinegar on each type. Try sautéing mixed vegetables and add some vinegar towards the end to allow it to reduce and caramelize on the veggies.

You can see how thick the balsamic is...YUM!

For the tenders, I seasoned each side with sea salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, mustard, paprika, garlic powder (not salt!), oregano, and basil. I placed the chicken in foil, drizzled the espresso vinegar over and around each tender, wrapped up the foil and baked in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 35 to 30 minutes. Enclosing the chicken in foil with the vinegar allows it to absorb the steam created and makes for an intense flavor while keeping everything moist.

Great side profile of the tender tenders...

Love the look of seasoned chicken darkened with espresso balsamic!

I cut the chicken into cubes and placed on top of a baked sweet potato with a side of steamed veggies and drizzled with more espresso balsamic for one of our lunches this week. Just another food combo (sweet potato + balsamic) designed to make a happy wife!

It's hard to see, but there's a jersey sweet potato under that chicken.

Check out Olive Fusion's page on Facebook where you can e-mail them to order the products right to your home.  They have their own web page in the works and hopefully it will be up soon.


Have you tried flavor oils and/or vinegars before? 

Super Dip for the Super Bowl

I’m not sure, but I think something is going on this Sunday, 02/05/2012. Anyone have a clue? Oh yeah, the AFC and NFC champs are battling each other to see who will be number one in the NFL.

In the United States, Super Bowl Sunday has the second largest food consumption in a day; Thanksgiving is the first. Here are some stats found on Yummly.com for the average Super Bowl viewer:

- 1,200 calories: Amount the average Super Bowl watcher will consume while snacking.

- Football fans are expected to eat an estimated 69.6 million pounds of avocados during this year’s Super Bowl (mostly in guacamole).

- The most popular take-out and delivery items on Super Bowl Sunday are pizza, chicken wings, and sandwiches.

- It is estimated that Americans will eat 90 million pounds of chicken wings, which breaks down to 450 million individual wings!

- An astounding 14,500 tons of chips and 4,000 tons of popcorn are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday.

- Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest winter grilling day of the year.

- According to 7-Eleven stores, there is a 20% increase in the sale of antacids on the day after Super Bowl.

Do you feel like you fit into one or all of these stats? Try preparing your own snacks instead of ordering out for the game this weekend. You will save money and be healthier than most options available from pizza or other fast food joints. Since dips are a popular food choice to have while sitting in front of the TV, make a big batch of slow cooker dip or stew that is easily customized to your liking. Use frozen veggies, lentils, and/or beans along with plenty herbs and spices to create a flavorful stew that is great as is or blended to make a big batch of homemade dip.

As with most slow cooker meals, you don’t have to follow a strict recipe to get things right, just add what you think tastes good and it’s usually a guaranteed hit! I love using mostly veggies for the bulk of the dip as they are healthy, tasty, and filling without cause for concern on calories. So get out your Crock Pot and standing or immersion blender to create a dip that’s heart healthy and might score some points with your friends and family.

 

Not sure how to get started? Here’s a rundown of what I normally make for any occasion:

Ingredients

1 bag of frozen bell pepper blend

1 bag of frozen onion, green pepper, and celery blend

1 bag of frozen chopped spinach or collard greens

1 bag of frozen broccoli or broccoli and cauliflower mix

1/2 cup dry black beans soaked for 24 hours; you can use canned if needed, just drain and rinse first

1/2 cup dry white beans soaked for 24 hours; you can use canned if needed, just drain and rinse first

4 – 6 fresh crushed garlic cloves; chop them if you are not blending/pureeing everything

1 teaspoon (or more) of cayenne powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin, paprika, unsweetened cocoa powder, and chili powder

1 tablespoon natural peanut butter; trust me, it’s awesome

2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

2 tablespoons dried cilantro and oregano

Low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

The easy part; add all ingredients to slow cooker, using the broth, fill only 3/4 of the way full, stir and cook on low heat for 8 - 10 hours or high heat for 4 - 6 hours. Once cooked, either ladle the contents into your blender (only filling halfway to allow for the expansion from heat) and blend until smooth, repeating until everything is blended, or use an immersion blender to puree everything in the cooker. Immersion blending is my top choice and I love having this tool. Serve with raw carrots, broccoli, celery, and whole grain crackers. Try to avoid fried corn tortilla chips if you can, there are plenty of other baked varieties or raw veggies that make great dipping utensils.

I like to be liberal with my herbs, spices, and garlic!!

Feel free to use other veggies as you please; carrots would work really well and provide great flavor too. You could also increase the amount of bell peppers for an awesome pepper and bean dip that’s worthy for the most picky eaters in your home. Experiment with the ingredients, you should always have fun in the kitchen, and see what you can come up with. Maybe use edamame and soy/teriyaki sauce for an Asian dip, or more black beans and tomatoes for a spicy Mexican dip.

Remember, although beer or other alcohol is usually a given, keep water on hand to quench your thirst and save the alcohol for less frequent gulps.

What, if anything, do you plan on having for the Super Bowl? Or, do you not care for the game and plan on watching the Puppy Bowl instead?