Balsamic Burgers

Balsamic Burgers are grilled to juicy perfection while basting with a sweet and tangy balsamic glaze, and topped with tasty tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, as well as creamy mozzarella cheese for an Italian inspired burger I could eat every day!

Cranberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Cranberry Balsamic Vinaigrette is sweet and tangy homemade salad dressing goodness. It is easy to make and adds the perfect punch to any salad. Be sure to have plenty of bread for dipping in this delicious dressing too! It tastes so good!

Mango Raspberry Vinaigrette

Mango Raspberry Vinaigrette is a little bit sweet, a little bit tangy, and a whole lot tasty! The tang reminds me of a french dressing just a little bit, but the flavors in this vinaigrette create something much more flavorful than your traditional store-bought french dressing.

Insalata Caprese Balsamic Chicken

Insalata Caprese is basically a simple salad made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil.  It is dee-lish! and one of my favorite flavor combos!  When I found the recipe Balsamic Chicken and Fresh Mozzarella on allrecipes.com I knew right away it would be a winner!

I made some changes to the recipe as written. I don't use store bought dressings any longer, so I made the dressing using Mama's Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe I found on allrecipes.com  (imagine that).  This is easy to make and a delicious vinaigrette as written, but you can adjust the flavors to your liking. If you prefer it to be more sweet then add some sugar. If you like it more tangy - add some more vinegar. I always play around with flavors by adding a little of this and a little of that and just tasting after each addition until it's the way I like it.  I've found this is a good way to develop your palate too. By tasting after adding each ingredient you will learn how that ingredient affects the flavor of the dish. I always do this with salt, especially. It is amazing how a little salt can enhance flavors! Give it a try!

Ingredients (serves 4)
4 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast Halves
1 cup Mama's Balsamic Vinaigrette (or purchased dressing)
2-3 Roma Tomatoes, sliced
8 ounces fresh Mozzarella, sliced (not the bagged stuff)
8 large Fresh Basil Leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Place chicken in a 9x13" dish, salt and pepper with just a pinch on each, and pour 1 cup Mama's Balsamic Vinaigrette over chicken.  Cover and let marinate in fridge for a few hours or overnight. Mine marinated for about 5 hours and it was very flavorful.  I like to remove from fridge about an hour before cooking to bring to room temperature.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 30-40 minutes until an instant read thermometer registers between 150 and 155 degrees F. when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. Cook time will vary according to the size of your chicken. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Let rest 10 minutes.

To serve, top with sliced mozzarella (I used 2 slices per chicken), 2 basil leaves, and tomatoes (I used 3 slices of tomatoes).  You want to cover the top of the chicken with the salad so you can enjoy the flavors in each bite, so choose the amount of cheese, basil, and tomatoes according to the size of your chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! Discard the marinade

That's it! No need to melt the cheese in the oven or warm the tomatoes. The heat from the chicken will melt the cheese slightly. This dish is designed to be enjoyed this way. We found it very refreshing and so full of flavor! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Bruschetta Chicken

Bruschetta Chicken

Y'all...listen closely! run to the store and get the ingredients for this recipe - you are going to LOVE it! It is so easy and so delicious you will want to make it all the time, so buy extra chicken!! Be sure to use fresh ingredients - it makes this recipe what it is!

I got the idea for this recipe a few weeks ago when I was making Salsa Chicken. I love simple recipes that use fresh ingredients and deliver lots of wonderful flavors! THIS recipe does all of that!!

Ingredients

• 4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup First Cold Pressed, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (use a fairly good quality. I like the Lucini Brand)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3-4 chicken breasts
• 3-4 slices mozzarella cheese or 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions

Prepare the topping early in the day or a day ahead: In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper, and mix well.  Refrigerate the topping until ready to use.

When ready to make the chicken, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Turn each chicken breast over and, using your hands, open up the breast where it comes together so it lays more flat. It will look like a heart shape sort of and be more even thickness all over. Place each breast in the baking dish in a single layer and top evenly with prepared buschetta topping.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until no longer pink throughout. The bake time will vary according to how thick your chicken breasts are. The temp should register 160 degrees F when an instant read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the breast. Top with mozzarella and bake until cheese melts. Let rest about 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

A recipe for the Creamy Italian Salad Dressing coming soon! It is crazy good!