balsamic vinegar Archives • New Nostalgia

RECIPES/ Sides

Balsamic Glazed & Roasted Asparagus

Balsamic Glazed and Roasted Asparagus

I am a huge asparagus fan, and I’m also a huge balsamic vinegar fan. Put the two together and I’m a very happy girl.

It is amazing how easy it is to prepare roasted asparagus, and we eat our share of it around here, especially in the springtime!

My favorite is tender, small stalks of asparagus. They roast so quickly and make the perfect snack or side dish. I will make a pan of it and just set it out after school for the kids to come grab and eat. No plates needed!

To prepare the asparagus, simply snap the tough end off the bottom, it usually is about an inch. You could cut them too, which is what I do because it is faster.

I simply gather them together and lop off the thick end. Wash, cut the end, pat dry. The pat part is important…you want them to roast, not steam. Drizzle with some olive oil–about 4 tablespoons.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until tender. You will know they are done when the parts touching the pan are a bit brown.

Once you remove the asparagus from the oven, drizzle with Trader Joe’s Trader Giotto’s Balsamic Glaze and toss. If there is not a Trader Joes close to you, you can order some here at Amazon, OR just use your favorite balsamic vinegar. It won’t be as thick or sweet, but it will still taste delicious.

If a thicker glaze is what you want, here is a recipe for Homemade Balsamic Glaze.

I love tossing the asparagus in the glaze, then making impressive design drizzles on the plate. Isn’t it so pretty?

Make sure you do not over-roast. You want it tender but not soggy, and no blackened tips!

Enjoy with your favorite pasta dish, as a brunch side dish, or as a simple snack.

Healthy Eating/ RECIPES/ Sides

Balsamic Vinegar + Pomegranate Mist For Salads! Yum!

I have been eating soup and salad almost daily since my diagnosis. It is a great way to get most of my vegetable servings in. I have loved experimenting with my salads, the goal always to have lots of different colors going on for maximum health benefits.

I have been on the lookout for the perfect salad dressing, and have not been too happy. There are so many in the grocery store that have high fructose corn syrup in them, or bad oils that I do not want cloggin’ up my body. The non-fat versions crank up the sugar, in an effort to add the taste back in that is missing, once fat is removed. The few that I did find that were healthy enough, lacked in the taste department.

Because of all this…I AM SUPER EXCITED ABOUT MY NEW FIND!!

Hello

Gourme’ Mist!!

I was at my local health food store and a cool- looking mist bottle among their salad dressings caught me eye. It said “Balsamic Vinegar + Pomegranate.“ I love both flavors. I looked at the ingredient list and guess what is in it??

~100% Barrel Aged Balsamic Vinegar from Medena, Italy
~Pomegranate Juice

Just 2 ingredients! Isn’t that a beautiful thing?? Another beautiful thing is that each bottle contains 384 servings! They are super fun to use–pump 5 times and then spray.

The mist bottle is very cool. So very convenient. I looked it up on Amazon.com to see if I could get it any cheaper, and if it comes in any other flavors. It does. They have just plain Balsamic, Balsamic and Raspberry, Olive Oil Mists, ect. I noticed they also come in a half size, which would be perfect to throw in your purse to use on the go.

I cut some pepper strips and broccoli florets for a snack, and had a whole bunch of fun spraying them. It is really, really tasty– so much flavor! I plan on drizzling my salads with some olive oil, then giving them a mist. Simple and healthy.

It is a bit pricey- I paid 7.99 for it- but the amount of servings in a bottle helps justify that, plus I plan on re-using the bottle by filling it up with olive oil or my own balsamic vinegar. I’ll make up for the pomegranate part by sprinkling my salads with pomegranate seeds.

If you wanted to save money, you could skip the Gourme’ Mist all together and just purchase a spray mist bottle like this one, then fill it with your own Balsamic Vinegar.