All posts tagged: Balsamic vinegar

Autumn Slaw

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I just love the colour of this salad but what I love even more, is that one of my children will eat bowls full of it and that makes me, and him feel really good!!  It’s good advice to try and eat the rainbow, as diverse a colour range of fresh fruit and vegetables as you possibly can, to feed our bodies the abundance of vitamins, minerals, phytochemical and antioxidants they contain. This will help reduce inflammation and give the immune system an all important boost, especially beneficial at this time of year. So, anything that gets the family diving into veggies, gets my vote! It could be the lovely fresh, tangy flavour as well as the colour that appeals but whatever it is, for now I will be making a lot of it! An incredibly simple dish to make with very few ingredients.  I’ve used white balsamic vinegar as part of the dressing which gives an amazing flavour, slightly more subtle than dark balsamic and with the advantage of not colouring everything brown! The one I use is actually labelled, White Condimento of …

Herby Baked Mushrooms

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If you’re looking for a quick lunch or supper recipe that takes about 30 minutes to make then try this! These Herby Baked Mushrooms are a real family favourite whether served as a meal or an accompanient. They tend to vary a little each time I make them, depending on what is in the fridge and store cupboard and, to be honest, I don’t really measure everything out accurately for this one, as it really doesn’t matter! So, take the quantities as a guide and don’t be afraid to take the basic recipe and run with whatever you find or fancy! I’ve given a few of our favourite variations at the end of the recipe. 4 large flat mushrooms 4tbsp houmous 1/2  red pepper 4tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander 4tsp finely chopped fresh chives handful baby spinach leaves, finely chopped juicer of 1/2 lemon 1tbsp balsamic vinegar freshly ground black pepper 4tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese a generous pinch chilli flakes Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Wipe the mushrooms with a damp piece of kitchen paper …

Baked Cherry Tomatoes

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Here’s another quick post to use up the end of another summer favourite before we reap the autumn harvest of earthy squash, root vegetables and orchard fruits. If like me you’re lucky enough to occasionally be handed delicious fresh homegrown produce from family and friends gardens then this recipe could be for you! My parents gave me a bag full of tomatoes last weekend as they’ve had a bumper crop this year. They were cherry tomatoes, so I decided to roast them for supper to serve with a quinoa salad and some chargrilled vegetables. The flavour is so amazing as the roasting really enhances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and the delicious garlicky juices soaked into the quinoa and was eagerly mopped up with some warm crusty bread. Sadly the home grow tomato season is very nearly over so I’ll be making these with bought tomatoes when my supply has run out!  The recipe is so simple and quick. Wash and dry the tomatoes and pile them into an ovenproof dish. Drizzle over a little …

Roasted Strawberries (& Figs)

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Not a throw back to summer but rather an attempt to make it last longer! My aim with this recipe was to try to jazz up some end of season strawberries that are beginning to lose their flavour and colour, then I noticed a couple of ripe figs in the garden. Now I’m not usually very lucky at timing picking the figs as most of them get eaten by birds and insects before I realise they’re ripe! But having picked them I was determined they weren’t going to sit on the fruit bowl, so they became the perfect addition to the strawberries in this recipe, adding some valuable fibre too. This is completely optional so please don’t go hunting around for figs to include here as the recipe is perfect with just strawberries. I think the whole family was amazed by the result of roasting the strawberries for such a short time. The secret ingredient, a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar, helps to caramelise the juices into a rich syrup and adds an amazing flavour. There is no …

Mozzarella, Parma Ham & Mango Salad

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I’ve been making this salad for a while now and I’m so pleased its become a family favourite. Its the easiest salad to put together and is really packed full of delicious flavours. This is one of those recipes that look like you’ve spent ages in the kitchen but with a few great ingredients you can serve something amazing really quickly! I find a good plateful of the salad is enough for me but would usually serve it with a big bowl of pesto pasta to fill up the family!  It would also make a perfect summer lunch served with crusty bread or a good gluten free alternative such as a herby quinoa salad. I’ve chosen to use Parma ham but any other Prosciutto (Italian cured air-dried ham) would be great too. I’ve used one of my favourite ingredients, dried chilli flakes, in this recipe, I find the children enjoy a small amount but you could just sprinkle half the salad with chilli and let them tuck into the the chilli free half! You can vary the quantities depending …