Grapefruit Balsamic Glazed Chicken Breasts

I made a huge purchase of pink grapefruit and I've been searching for ways to use them up! (What was I thinking?!?!?)

I love grapefruit and the bag was a good buy, but honestly, I've shared and shared and I still have plenty!  These guys take up so much space in the veggie drawer.  In effort to reduce the stash,  I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how use them  besides eating them for breakfast, juicing them and making sorbet (not that those are bad options).

Ah ha!  An idea blooms....after all it is spring and the weather here has been unseasonably warm and what goes with warm weather?  Of course, cookouts!   A quick trip through the local Price Chopper for some chicken breasts and a jalapeno pepper and oh, a freshly filled backup tank of propane and I was soon back home putting on my apron and firing up the Weber.

I gathered ingredients from the fridge and cabinets, totally flying by the seat of my pants and completely unsure of the end result.  I have to say I was pleased with the result and plan on fixing this recipe again soon.  Many of the items included in the recipe came from The Olive Tree. 

Grapefruit Balsamic Glazed Chicken Breast
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons of Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil  
1 teaspoon of Smoked Bacon Chipotle Salt  
2 ruby red or pink grapefruits
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar (or more to suite your taste preference)
1 Tablespoon Grapefruit Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon finely minced jalapeno (seeds and membranes removed)

Directions:
Prepare the chicken breasts for grilling by coating them well on both sides with the Butter Olive Oil.
Season the chicken breasts on both sides with the Smoked Bacon Chipotle Salt.
Set the chicken  aside while you prepare the glaze.

Halve and section one of the grapefruits, removing all the seeds.  Place sections in a medium saucepan.
Squeeze any remaining juice from the grapefruit into the saucepan.
Halve and squeeze the juice from the second grapefruit, removing any seeds, into the saucepan.

Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the grapefruit. Taste and adjust sugar if necessary.
Add the jalapeno pepper and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.  Stir occasionally to prevent any sticking.
Boil the mixture until it reduces by half.
When the mixture is reduced, stir in the Grapefruit Balsamic Vinegar and mix thoroughly.
Boil another 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Grill the chicken breasts.  After the initial chicken flip, baste the cooked side of the chicken breast with the grapefruit balsamic reduction.  When chicken has cooked completely, flip again and brush he unglazed side of the chicken with the sauce.
(I know, I know.... you aren't supposed to flip meat more than once while grilling, but I did flip these a couple more times to get a nice glaze on them.    
Remove from the grill and serve.

To accompany the chicken, I grilled  asparagus spears  seasoned with sea salt, cracked black peppercorns and a little drizzle of the Butter Olive Oil. I put them on the grill when the chicken was nearly done.  Give the pan a shake a time or two during the cooking so the spears cook evenly.

Once plated, I topped it with a grating of fresh Parmesan cheese and a few pignoli (pine nuts).

...and that's What's Cooking at Cathy's ~ Enjoy!

Grapefruit Balsamic Glazed Chicken Breasts

This week's entry is simple and easy to make. I have this wonderful bottle of Grapefruit Balsamic Vinegar sitting on my counter from olivetreekc.com.  It is lip smacking good and today I decided to make a little sauce to drizzle on the grilled chicken I was having for lunch.

I typically prepare chicken on my George Foreman Grill, seasoning it with basic salt, pepper along with a little sprinkle of chili and cumin for added kick.  I fix enough for heat and eat or to slice and dice on salads during the week to make meal prep easier. 

Grapefruit Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Grapefruit Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Water
1/2 teaspoon Truvia
1 grilled chicken breast

Directions:


Place the ingredients in a small saucepan or a small saute pan (I use my non-stick saute pan for easier cleanup).
Mix the ingredients together with a whisk and heat over medium heat.
Let the mixture reduce, stirring constantly.

When the mixture thickens, drizzle it as a glaze over your sliced chicken breast and serve with a vegetable of your choice.

and that's What's Cooking at Cathy's ~ Enjoy!

Balsamic Chicken Wraps

Like much of the population, I have made a goal for myself in the new year to lose some weight and eat healthier.  I have established my benchmark and goal and have enlisted a friend to keep me on track.  I am determined!
As a result, the blog will include recipes that I am making to help me on the way to becoming thinner and healthier.

To start the saga, I purchased some chicken breasts on sale at the local market.  They were a deal because they had skin on and ribs. 
I first set up my Kitchen-Aid and attached the meat grinder.  This machine is a beast and I love using it.  If you don't have one or don't have any desire to grind your own meat, you can purchase pre ground chicken at the market.  

 A good sharp knife and about 10 minutes and my chicken looked like I had purchased it skinless and boneless.

I carved each breast into strips that would easily go into the grinder and what resulted was lovely lean freshly ground chicken.

Balsamic Chicken Wraps

Ingredients:

30 ounces ground, skinnless, boneless chicken breast (4 large)
2 cups red cabbage leaves, finely chopped
14 green cabbage leaves
3 teaspoons roasted minced garlic
6 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Grind or finely chop the chicken.  Mix together the chicken and garlic, vinegar, onion powder, grated ginger, salt and pepper.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken thoroughly.  With the balsamic, it is moist enough you will not need additional oil.

Finely chop the cabbage.  Red cabbage will provide interest and color, but I opted to use green since that is what I had on hand. 

Add the finely chopped red cabbage  (I used more green rather than buy red) and saute until the cabbage is tender.

Clean the green cabbage leaves and remove the core end by cutting a "v" at the base.
Microwave the green cabbage leaves in small batches for 10-15 seconds to soften them.

Place 1/3 cup chicken mixture on one cabbage leave and roll into a wrap.
Repeat untl all filling is used.

Wraps can be reheated in the microwave for 1 minute on high.

I ended up with the nearly white interior leaves and opted to use three of them to make "cups" to hold the meat mixture and promptly ate them up for lunch!

   ....and that's What's Cooking at Cathy's ~ Enjoy!

Strawberry Balsamic Jam

Vinegar and Strawberries?  Yes, a special kind of vinegar...Balsamic Vinegar.  This exquisite vinegar is not the apple cider or white vinegar typically stored in your pantry. Balsamic is an absolutely splendid pairing for the strawberries and it adds  complexity to the jam. 

Let me say that before you think about whipping up a batch of this jam, it does require a boiling water bath.  So you will need some gear to accomplish this.  If you do not have a canner, a large stock pot will do the trick.  You will need a jar grip or some type of method of removing the jars from the boiling water at the conclusion of their bath.

The purpose of the boiling water bath is to kill any bacteria that may be lurking and is used for canning high-acid foods.  This enables the jam to be stored in a cool dark place without refrigeration. 

The main attraction in this recipe is strawberries and the season is nearly upon us.  Soon we will be able to go to our favorite u-pick, farmer's market or our back yard garden spot for ripe and ready berries so gather your canning gear and give this recipe a try.

Strawberry Balsamic Jam

Yield:  4 1/2 pints

Ingredients:

4.5 pounds Fresh Ripe Strawberries
3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
4 Tablespoons quality Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

1. Wash the strawberries, remove the tops and coarsely chop. 
2. Place the berries, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy bottom pot and bring to a boil.  (I used my enameled cast iron pot.)
3. Boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently, and skimming off the foam for 20 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to a slow boil and continue to cook until the jam has almost set. Stir occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick.  This step should take between 45 minutes to an hour.
5. Add the balsamic vinegar and mix well.
6. Cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Note:  To test if your jam has set, place a small plate in the freezer before you begin to make the jam.  Whe you think your jam has thickened enough, take a small spoon and spoon a small amount onto the plate.  Place the plate in the refrigerator for a minute or two.  Remove the plate and hold it sideways.  The jam should be thick enough to mound on the plate and not run off.

• Sterilize your jars and lids and while still hot, fill with the jam leaving about 1/2 inch head space.  Place the lids onto the jars and boil in a water bath with jars covered by 3 inches of water for 10 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and let sit an additional 5 minutes before removing the jars from the water. 
• Place the jars on the counter and let sit untouched for 6 hours before storing.  You will hear a pop when the lids seal.  If you aren't around to hear the "music" of the popping lids, you can check by pressing the center of the lid.  If it is down and will not move the jar is sealed.  If the jar isn't sealed, refrigerate and use immediately.

Think creatively this "jammy" jam is good for dipping pretzels, spreading on toasted angel food cake, as topping for waffles or pancakes, filling for crepes, mixed in with your plain vanilla yogurt or used as a glaze for a pork roast or grilled chicken, let your imagination run wild!

Enjoy!

Strawberry Balsamic Jam