Christina's Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

from barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com

2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper, finely ground
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Add the oil and whisk thoroughly to combine. Continue whisking until the dressing is fully emulsified.

Store in a jar with a lid and refrigerate. Shake well before serving. Enjoy!

Side note: If you choose to make this in the blender (as I like to do for almost every other recipe) this will be a thicker dressing. Still delicious, simply thicker. I prefer the consistency of this particular dressing when whisked by hand.

Christina's Maple Vinaigrette

from Perry's Plate

1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the basil and mustard. Whisk in the vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, and garlic. Slowly pour the oil into the mixture while whisking. Whisk for about 15-20 seconds until mixture has emulsified and thickened slightly. Whisk in salt and pepper, adjusting to suit your tastes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (Makes about 1 1/2 cups of dressing.)

Christina's Crock Pot Beef and Balsamic Onions

from $5 Dinners

1 2.6 lb. beef roast
2 onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

1. In a large pot, sear or brown the beef roast on all sides in a little olive oil.

2. Slice onions into strips. Crush garlic clove with flat part of the knife. 

3. Place seared roast into slow cooker with the oil that it was seared in. Season with salt and pepper.  Add sliced onions and smooshed garlic around the roast.  Sprinkle about 1/4-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar into the slow cooker.

4. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Christina's Grilled Chicken Salad

1/4 cup grape seed oil or olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dried dillweed
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Montreal steak seasoning or Kansas City steak seasoning
8 cups spinach
3/4 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1. For vinaigrette, in a screw-top jar combine oil, vinegar, dillweed, garlic, pepper, and oregano. Cover and shake well; let stand 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken breast halves lightly with steak seasoning. Grill chicken on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender and no longer pink (170 degree F), turning once. Cool slightly.
3. Arrange salad greens on 4 plates; top with grapes, goat cheese, and pine nuts. Slice each chicken breast and arrange one sliced breast on each salad. Shake dressing and drizzle over the salads.

Christina's Fennel-Crusted Roast Pork

4 small red onions (10 oz total), each cut into 6 wedges
3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lb boneless pork loin, trimmed and tied
2 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
Garnish: fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush onions with 2 teaspoons vinegar in a lightly oiled shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pan. Roast in middle of oven, turning over halfway through roasting and keeping wedges intact, until browned and tender, about 15 minutes. Cover to keep warm. Reduce temperature to 400°F. Coarsely grind fennel seeds, salt, and pepper to taste with a mortar and pestle or in an electric coffee/spice grinder, then spread on a plate. Roll pork in fennel mixture, coating all sides evenly. Roast in a flameproof small shallow roasting pan in middle of oven until a thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of pork registers 155°F, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate and let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Add broth to roasting pan and deglaze by boiling over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Transfer broth to a small saucepan and simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Add remaining teaspoon vinegar and simmer 1 minute. Stir together cornstarch and water and stir into broth. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in butter. Serve pork with onions and sauce.