For love of balsamic vinegar!

My gentleman and I recently came back from a visit to Houston. During this visit, we ate. We ate a lot. Like, a lot A LOT. And much of it was not necessarily healthy eating. Delicious eating, but not always healthy. So, when we got back, we moved to this place in our lives where we decided we needed to step up our health game - eat better, be more active. The day after we got back, we finally signed up for a Krav Maga studio about 20 minutes away, and I stopped at the local grocer to get salad and some simple meats. Then, we proceeded to have a veritable feast of balsamic vinegary foods. By the end of the week, my belly was in throes of ecstasy that have since calmed down due to this no longer being the menu. However, the leftover possibilities for these dishes are tremendous, and worked well for our surprisingly busy summer lifestyle.


Baked Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

1 bag brussels sprouts (I use the big one from Costco) cleaned and halved
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tbsp lemon olive oil
1/4 c blackberry white balsamic vinegar
1 dash red wine vinegar
1 dash olive oil
fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet or pan with foil.
2. In a boil, combine all ingredients and toss to cover the brussels sprouts.
3. Bake in oven for about 25 minutes. If you like, you can take them out at around 15 minutes and stir the brussels sprouts so they cook more evenly.
4. When the 25 minute mark hits, check to make sure that your sprouts are finished - they should be easy to eat. You decide how crispy you want them to be.
5. Enjoy! I like to reserve some of the sprouts for salads later on. They go great with a simple spring mix and chicken salad.

Steak Strips with Mushrooms and Onions

2 thin steaks - sandwich or thin flank steaks work beautifully for this - cut into thin strips

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 c sliced mushrooms

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 in ginger paste or fresh ginger

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 c balsamic vinegar

fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil and the pan for about 3-4 minutes. 
2. Throw in the onions, mushrooms, and half of the vinegar.
3. Cook until the onions are soft and the vinegar has started to thicken. Remove this mixture from pan. 
4. Add a dash more of olive oil to the pan. Allow to heat for about 2 minutes. 
5. Add steak strips and remaining balsamic vinegar to the pan and cook until brown. 
6. Add garlic and stir.
7. Pour onion/mushrooms mixture into the pan and allow vinegar to cook down.
8. Serve on tortillas with lettuce, or over rice. 

*The leftovers for this are delightful when mixed with leftover balsamic chicken and served over rice.

Please let me know if you try any of the recipes on my blog! I would love to hear how they turn out!