Asian Asparagus

This is another side dish that I like to turn into my main meal. The fresh asparagus of the season is just so good.

Asian Asparagus 

1 bunch asparagus
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp Olive-N-Grape Toasted Sesame Garlic Ginger Oil
1 tbsp Olive-N-Grape Garlic Cilantro Balsamic
1 tsp sesame seeds, black and white mixed
Few pinches Bonito flakes
     or, 1 tsp fish sauce

Trim the woody ends off the asparagus and cut into bite sized pieces on the angle.

Heat the sesame oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Saute for 30 seconds and add the asparagus. Season with the bonito flakes. Cook stirring often, until fork tender and bright green, 5-7 minutes.

While still on the heat, sprinkle on the balsamic and sesame seeds. Toss to coat quickly and remove from the heat.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

These are great as a side dish, but I love to save them to use on sandwiches or to toss with pasta! I often double of triple this just because I love them so much. Will last around a week in the fridge.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

1 pint grape tomatoes
2 tbsp Olive-N-Grape Greek Seasoning Olive Oil or
     Olive-N-Grape Oregano Olive Oil & a squeeze of Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Olive-N-Grape Fig Baslsamic

Preheat the oven to 350°. Halve the tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the olive oil and stir well to coat.

Turn the tomatoes out into a baking dish large enough to spread them out in a single layer.

Place on a lower shelf in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring once, halfway through.

Drizzle the balsamic over and return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Chicken Marsala

I love eating out. But it can get pricey, so I've learned to make tons of stuff at home. I don't always make it like a restaurant would, but you can usually recognize what it was supposed to be! 

Chicken Marsala is a restaurant favorite. I don't always dredge the chicken in the flour at home, but it does give it that nice crust. I included the leftovers recipe as well. Simple, but fun. 

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp favorite spice blend, Prime Rub or Original are best
1 lb thin sliced chicken, cut into strips
4 tbsp Olive-N-Grape Porcini olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and spies and stir to combine thoroughly. Dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any bits from the bottom of the pan.

When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken broth and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Add salt and pepper, to taste and serve immediately.

Leftover Chicken Marsala Salad

My favorite leftovers. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces and serve on top of greens with extra sauce for dressing. Delicious.

Kickin' Jalapeno Salad

Kickin’ Jalapeno Salad

¼ Red onion, diced

2-4 strips crispy bacon, crumbled

1 small cucumber, sliced in quarters

A few handfuls of Arugula and Romaine, roughly chopped

½ pint small tomatoes, halved

1 avocado, diced

½ jalapeno, seeds removed and minced

1 tsp Key West Spice Blend

2 tbsp Jalapeno Balsamic

1 tbsp Oregano Olive Oil

Put all the salad ingredients into a large bowl and toss gently to combine. Portion into individual bowls.

 Stir the spice blend into the olive oil and drizzle onto the salads. Follow with a drizzle of the balsamic and enjoy!

Desserts and Drinks

Last Valentine's Recipe Post

Easiest Berry Cake

Slice a store-bought angel food cake and top with berries and Raspberry Balsamic drizzle. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and it's perfect.

Balsamic Bellini

In every glass, a splash of White Peach Balsamic and some raspberries.

Add a generous portion of prosecco for the adults, and sparkling grape juice for everyone else.

Rosemary Raspberry Chicken

This is the rest of the Valentine's Chicken dish I promised from yesterday. Rosemary and berries are some of my favorite things to put together. The bright fruit flavors and the clean herbs balance each other out and combine for a savory treat. Desserts tomorrow!

Rosemary Raspberry Chicken

8 boneless chicken breast halves (about 2pounds)

2 tbsp Rosemary Olive Oil

1 small onion, sliced finely

2 tbsp Raspberry Balsamic

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

Marsala Rosemary Sea Salt

Thinly sliced almonds (optional)

Heat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, toss the oil with the onion slices and the chicken so they are evenly covered. Spread out into a large casserole pan in an even layer. Sprinkle with the sea salt and chopped rosemary.

Bake 25 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken is no longer pink at the thickest part. Brush the chicken and onions with the Raspberry Balsamic and the almonds and return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Garnish as desired with a few sprigs of rosemary and raspberries as desired.

Crisp Roasted Asparagus

This is a two part recipe. I made this as part of a Valentine's meal, but wanted the Asparagus to have its own post.

I really love crispy asparagus, so I make these quite often. You can use almost any oil and salt that you have on hand. The Rosemary oil I used here is a tie into the chicken recipe that will post tomorrow.

Happy early Valentine's Day!

Crispy Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus

1 tbsp Rosemary Olive Oil

Sea salt, to taste

Heat the oven to 400°F.

Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus and lay the spears in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle the oil over top and turn to coat. Sprinkle with the sea salt.

Roast for 18-20 minutes until lightly browned. If you like them crispy like I do however, at about 15 minutes, give them a flip, and continue roasting about 10-15 minutes more. I like them almost burnt and crunchy. But I know not everyone does, so watch them carefully.