Balsamic Glaze

1/3 cup balsamic
3 Tbsp. brown sugar

Cook over medium heat in small saucepan stirring ingredients together while it cooks.  Mixture will start to bubble.  When mixture has thickened and is filled with bubbles.  Turn off and let thicken.  Mixture should have reduced to about half.

Great as a drizzle over your favorite pizza, grilled chicken, or tomato Caprese salad.

Also great as a pizza sauce for a pizza with savory toppings like prosciutto, fig and Manchego cheese.

Porter Marinated Chicken Skewers

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. minced garlic

½ cup honey

½ cup water

3/4 cup porter (or stout or other dark beer)

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. black pepper

¼ cup minced red onion

1-2 lbs. chicken breast cut into bite sized cubes

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients except cubed chicken in a large airtight container, or dish that can be covered.  Once well mixed, add chicken.  The chicken should be wholly covered by the marinade.  Keep refrigerated for 4 - 24 hours.  Skewer the chicken.  Grill, Broil or bake the chicken until done. 

Great served atop:Crisp Asian Spinach Salad

Asian Honey Seasme Salad Dressing or Marinade

Salad dressing:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. chopped fresh ginger

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. honey

3 Tbsp. sesame oil

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

To Toast Sesame Seeds.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Place sesame seeds in single layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes until lightly toasted.  Set aside to cool.

Mix all ingredients together in a Tupperware container with lid adding sesame seeds last and only after cooled.  Store in refrigerator, can be used for up to 2 weeks.  Shake before each use.

***Also makes a delicious marinade for chicken, salmon, tuna, pork or steak.

Summer Rosemary Garlic Dijon Marinade for Grilled Pork or Chicken

This is a fun summer recipe perfect for grilling. 

Ingredients:
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 bulb garlic minced (about 5 Tbsp.)
8 sprigs rosemary chopped (about 1/4 cup)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in large bowl or dish.  Add desired meat (recommend chicken, pork or steak, works great for kebabs).  Marinate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

If making kebabs, I also like to add my vegetables sliced vegetables to the marinade for at least an hour (up to 4 hours).  Remember, that if you mix raw meat and vegetables or use any marinade that was mixed with raw meat for the vegetables, you must make sure to cook the vegetables thoroughly.

Remove meat from marinade and Grill or Bake meat until done.

I usually baste my kebobs or meat with the leftover marinade every few minutes while grilling.  Remember that the marinade contained raw meat, so you must stop basting before the meat or kebabs are done and make sure to cook the basted meat long enough to ensure any marinade is also thoroughly cooked through.