If you like mozzarella cheese then you will definitely love burrata, which is creamier and even tastier counterpart of mozzarella. Try to pick the best tomatoes you can find and I guarantee your salad will be amazingly flavorful. I highly recommend to visit your local farmers market to buy all the ingredients, I am sure you will find some hidden gems there. The secret of good food it’s just simple but really fresh ingredients!

Arugula-Burrata Salad

By voloshyna, August 11, 2014

• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• arugula - 4 cups
• big organic heirloom tomatoes - 2, sliced
• burrata cheese - 16 oz
• extra virgin olive oil - 2 oz + more for garnish
• balsamic vinegar - 1 tablespoon
• salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• toasted baguette - 6-8 slices

Instructions:

Whisk together olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, toss the arugula and tomatoes with balsamic dressing. Arrange dressed salad on a plate and top with burrata. Cut into burrata, allowing cheese to coat the arugula and drizzle with an olive oil; season with freshly ground pepper. Serve right away.

Potato salad is a beloved tradition at many cookouts, but the classic variety can be tough on your healthy eating plans. Make this flavorful variant instead. Balsamic vinegar and dill give it a snap reminiscent of pickles, but if that’s not your herb of choice, it can easily be made with rosemary, basil or thyme instead for a potato salad you can enjoy time and again.

Forget traditional potato salads, heavy with mayo and salt. This dish highlights the natural beauty of perfectly cooked red potatoes with a light dressing of balsamic vinegar and dill so you can enjoy the potassium-packed potatoes as a healthful side dish as your next cookout. 

Zesty Dill Potato Salad

By voloshyna, July 9, 2013

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• medium red potatoes - 1 lb, scrubbed
• salt - to taste
• balsamic vinegar - 2 tablespoons
• white-wine vinegar - 1 tablespoon
• extra-virgin olive oil - 1 tablespoon
• red bell pepper - 1/4 cup, diced
• green bell pepper - 1/4 cup, diced
• chopped scallions - 1/4 cup, chopped
• chopped fresh dill - 1 tablespoon
• Freshly ground white or black pepper - to taste

Instructions:

Boil potatoes in salted water in a saucepan until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut into approximately 1/2-inch slices. Place in a serving bowl. Sprinkle the potatoes with balsamic vinegar, white-wine vinegar and oil, tossing gently to coat. Add red and green bell peppers, scallions, dill and pepper and toss gently to mix. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Whether you’re a vegetarian or not, this grilled mushroom recipe will delight you. The soy and ginger soak into the tender mushrooms for a powerful flavor. Serve on a whole-grain bun like a burger or with brown rice and greens for a complete meal. You can use a grill or a broiler for these mushrooms.  Marinate them first for an hour in this simple sweet-tangy marinade with a zing of fresh ginger.  So easy, so yummy. Thanks Guiding Stars for this amazing recipe!

Ginger-Marinated Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

By voloshyna, July 9, 2013

• Total Time: 01h 10min
• Prep Time: 60 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• large portobello mushrooms - 4
• balsamic vinegar - 1/4 cup
• pineapple juice - 1/2 cup
• chopped fresh ginger - 2 tablespoons
• chopped fresh basil - 1 tablespoon

Instructions:

Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth and remove their stems. Place in a glass dish, stemless (gill) side up. To prepare the marinade, in a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, pineapple juice and ginger. Drizzle the marinade over the mushrooms. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, turning mushrooms once. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Grill or broil the mushrooms on medium heat, turning often, until tender, about 5 minutes on each side. Baste with marinade to keep from drying out. Using tongs, transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter. Garnish with basil and serve immediately.

Worth to try! Only 25 minutes to cook. I recommend to serve this breakfast with a green salad garnish.

Fried eggs with balsamic glazed mushrooms

By voloshyna, April 22, 2013

Ingredients:

• eggs - 2
• extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp
• small shallot - 1, finely chopped
• cremini mushrooms - 1/4 lb, thinly sliced
• salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• balsamic vinegar - 1-2 tbsp
• wheat buns or any other - 2
• swiss cheese - 4 slices
• chili powder - 1/4 tsp

Instructions:

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add chopped shallot; cook 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.Add balsamic vinegar, black pepper, and salt; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove mushroom mixture from pan; keep warm. Return pan to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Crack eggs into pan, and cook 4 minutes or until whites are set.  Top each bun with a 2 cheese slices.  Divide mushroom mixture evenly among buns, and top each serving with 1 egg. Sprinckle with chili powder

You can cook this dish with almost any vegetables you have in your fridge! The delicate taste of a dark, thick balsamic will emphasize the natural flavor of the vegetables. I also added just a teaspoon of Zen-Sational Fennel Pollen and the vegetables became even more aromatic and piquant.

Roasted vegetables with balsamic vinegar

By voloshyna, February 23, 2013

Ingredients:

• potatoes (pink, purple, yellow) - 1 lb, cut into halves
• fennel - 1, cut into quarters
• leek, only white part - 1, roughly chopped
• minced garlic - 1 clove
• extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsps
• balsamic vinegar - 1/3 cup
• salt - to taste
• Zen-Sational Fennel Pollen - 1 tsp
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• chopped green onion - 1/4 cup
• Parmesan - 1/2 cup

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a shallow roasting pan put all the vegetables and garlic. In a small bowl mix together balsamic, olive oil, salt,  Zen-Sational Fennel Pollen and pepper. Toss mixture until vegetables evenly coated. Bake for 30-40 min, or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with green onion and freshly grated Parmesan.

This salad is very easy and quickly to make. Crunchy iceberg leaves perfectly combine with fantastic balsamic dressing and fried bacon. Nothing new, but so beautiful and appetizing.

Iceberg lattuce with balsamic dressing

By voloshyna, August 13, 2012

• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• iceberg salad - 1
• baguette cut into 1/2 inch cubes - 2 cups
• applewood smoked bacon - 4 strips
• extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbs.
• Italian seasoning - 1 tsp.
• finely chopped parsley - 2-3 tbs.
• For the dressing: -
• extra virgin olive oil - 4 oz
• balsamic vinegar - 3 tbs.
• Worcestershire sauce - 1,5 - 2 tbs.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place the bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with Italian seasoning, bake for 4 to 6 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool. Cut bacon into a small pieces, fry on a dry skillet. Place on a paper towel to drain the fat. Iceberg lettuce cut into 4 pieces and place them into 4 plates, add croutons, bacon and tomato slices. In a small bowl mix together all ingredients for the dressing. Drizzle salad with a balsamic dressing, sprinkle with a parsley and serve immediately.

Very bright and healthy dish, with vivid colors of different vegetables and delicate aroma of balsamic dressing. Even if you are new to cooking, you cam make it easily.

Roasted vegetables with balsamic dressing and parmesan

By voloshyna, July 24, 2012

• Total Time: 01h 10min
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients:

• eggplants - 2
• tomatoes - 1
• sweet red onion - 1
• bell pepper - 2 (red and yellow)
• balsamic vinegar - 3-4 tbs.
• extra virgin olive oil - 1/3 cup
• salt -
• garlic - 3 cloves
• freshly ground black pepper -
• grade Parmesan - 2-3 tbs.

Instructions:

Slice eggplant thin slices, but not until the end, at the base they must be bound. Put eggplants in a bowl, rub them with a good pinch of salt and leave for 10 minutes, so the bitter juice can stack. Cut the other vegetables into thin circles, about 1/2 inch. Wipe the salt from the eggplant with a paper towel. Place the vegetables alternately between the slices of eggplants. Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix olive oil, chopped garlic, balsamic vinegar, pepper and salt, shake well. Pour the vegetables with balsamic dressing, bake in an oven for 50-60 minutes. For 5 minutes before the end sprinkle vegetables with grated Parmesan cheese.