Spinaci con funghi (Puglia spinach & mushrooms)

For ➍

4 tbs olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

300 g fresh mushrooms, sliced

250 g clean fresh spinach, roughly chopped

2 tbs balsamico

10 cl white wine

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic in the oil until they start to become tender. Add the mushrooms, and fry until they begin to shrink, about 3 to 4 m. Toss in the spinach, and fry, stirring constantly for a few m, or until spinach is wilted.

Add the vinegar, stirring constantly until it is absorbed, then stir in the white wine. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until the wine has almost completely absorbed.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with fresh parsley.  Serve hot. 

Eggplant with feta, mint rice & tomato sauce

For ➍ 

3 garlic cloves

5 tbs mild olive oil

10 cl balsamico

4 eggplants

1 tbs dried oregano

300 g three-color rice or nut rice

1 shallot

400 g polpa with basilic

½ tbs brown sugar

16 caper apples

200 g feta 43+ or vegan alternative

40 g fresh mint

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Squeeze ⅔ of the garlic into a small bowl and mix with ⅘ of the oil and balsamic vinegar. Halve the eggplants lengthwise, leaving the stem on. Cut the eggplants on the cut side crosswise every centimeter and place them cut side up on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with half of the balsamic mixture and sprinkle with the oregano. Season with pepper and possibly salt. Bake for 35 m until soft and cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook the rice according to package directions.

Chop the shallot and finely chop the rest of the garlic. Heat the rest of the oil in a small pan and fry the shallot and garlic for 2 m over medium heat. Add the finely chopped canned tomatoes, season with pepper and the brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over low heat for 15-20 m.

Cut the capers in half. Crumble the feta. Remove the leaves from the mint sprigs and roughly chop. Set aside 1 tbs mint (per 4 people) and mix the rest of the mint with the rice. Remove the eggplant from the oven. Sprinkle with the rest of the balsamic mixture and the caper apple halves. 

Serve with the mint rice and the tomato sauce and garnish with the feta, the reserved mint and some pepper.

Portobello burgers

For ➋* 

4 tbs balsamic vinegar 

2 tbs virgin olive oil 

¼ ts Italian herbs 

salt & pepper 

2 large portobello mushrooms 

2 rolls 

a bunch of mesclun 

1 medium tomato, sliced 

1 scallion, diced 

2 slices cheddar cheese 

mayonnaise to taste 

Preheat the grill until very hot (180 ° C). **

Wash and gently scrub the mushrooms. Blot dry with paper towels. Snap off the stems and discard. In a small bowl, beat together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and Italian seasoning. Pour the mixture over the mushroom slices, turning to coat well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Grill the portobello mushrooms, for about 20 m. **

Top the mushrooms with a slice of cheese during the last m of cooking or until the cheese melts. 

Split the rolls in half and grill both slices until lightly toasted about 1 m per side. Assemble the sandwiches by brushing the bread with mayonnaise to taste, then top with mesclun, the grilled portobello slices with cheese, tomato slices and chopped scallions. Serve hot. 

Serve with a salad of lettuce and pine nuts.

* Double quantities for main course.

** Use the preheating to start cooking the mushrooms.

Pollo e funghi al aceto balsamico (balsamic & mushroom chicken)

For ➍
2 tbs vegetable oil
125 g butter
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 200 g each
200 g sliced white button mushrooms
½ large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
150 g cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 tbs balsamico
20 cl red wine
1 ts salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Flatten the breasts by pounding them.
Combine the vegetable oil and 2 tbs of butter in a large skillet over high heat. Once the butter and oil are bubbling, add the chicken breasts to the skillet. Sear on each side until the chicken is golden, about 2–3 m per side, then transfer them to a large baking dish.
Melt the remaining butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, 15 to 20 m. Add the mushrooms, stir, and raise the heat to high. Allow the mushrooms to cook until most of their liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 m. Add the tomatoes and cook, shaking the pan, for 10 m, or until the tomatoes begin to break down. Add the balsamico, wine, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 15 m.*
Pour the mushroom mixture over the chicken and place the pan in the top half of the oven for 20 to 35 m, or until the chicken has just cooked through.**
Remove from the oven and serve each piece of chicken topped with mushroom mixture. Serve with pasta or small rösti.

*The mushroom mixture can be made the day before.
**Cook on stove-top for 25-30 m, after browning the chicken. Transfer oil/butter to another skillet and keep the chicken cooking on medium fire with a lid on the skillet. Add the extra butter to the second skillet. Add te mushrooms and prepare them for 10 m, with lid on. Add the tomatoes for 5 m. Add the balsamic and wine and cook for 5 m. Add the mixture to the chicken and cook until chicken is cooked. (Probably 30 m in total, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Tearing the chicken into pieces will reduce the cooking time.)

'Aceto balsamico' (balsamico vinegar) is not a wine vinegar: it is made from grape pressings that never fermented into wine. 900 years ago, vintners in the Modena, Italy region were drinking balsamic vinegar as a tonic.
Sweet white Trebbiano grape pressings are boiled down to a dark syrup and then aged under rigid restrictions in oaken kegs, along with a vinegar mother. Over the years it graduates to smaller kegs made of different wood, taking the perfume of the wood and, as moisture evaporates out, the vinegar further thickens.
Balsamico also comes in a white variation. Balsamico will turn sweet when heated, do not use it in aluminum containers.

Spinach salad with balsamico vinaigrette

For ➋
100-125 g spinach, rinsed & dried
2 small cucumbers or ½ cucumber
200 g grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
shaved Parmigiano
balsamico vinaigrette

Rinse spinach and spin dry. Transfer to a large salad bowl.
Slice cucumbers, thinly slice carrots and halve cherry tomatoes. Toss all the veggies into the salad.
In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: 2 tbs balsamico, 2 tbs olive oil, ½ ts salt and ¼ ts pepper. Briskly whisk or shake the dressing ingredients together.
Sprinkle the top with Parmigiano and drizzle the salad with balsamico vinaigrette.

Balsamico vinaigrette

For ➋
2 tbs balsamico
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ ts salt
¼ ts pepper or to taste

In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: 2 tbs balsamico, 2 tbs olive oil, ½ ts salt and ¼ ts pepper. Briskly whisk or shake the dressing ingredients together.>In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: 2 tbs balsamico, 2 tbs olive oil, ½ ts salt and ¼ ts pepper. Briskly whisk or shake the dressing ingredients together.
Serve with spinach salad.

Greek grilled vegetables with halloumi

For ➍
250 g mushrooms
1 red chilli, seeded & quartered
2 zucchini, chopped
1 small red onion, peeled & sliced
2 small eggplants, roughly chopped
6 tomatoes, halved
4 cloves garlic
9 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
8 tbs balsamico vinegar
2 tbs sugar
juice of 2 lemons
500 g halloumi cheese, cut into 0.5 cm slices*
½ small bunch basil
salt & pepper

Heat oven to 180°C.

Place the chilli, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, eggplant and garlic in an oven-proof roasting pan. Drizzle with a third of the olive oil and half the vinegar.

Place the halved tomatoes face up in another oven-proof pan. Sprinkle with the sugar, salt and pepper and drizzle with another third of olive oil and the rest of the vinegar. Place both pans in the oven and roast for thirty minutes, turning vegetables occasionally.

5 m before vegetables are ready, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet. When sizzling, let the halloumi slices slide in and sear quickly (2 m a side).

Combine dish and dot with basil.

Serve with bread.

*Obviously you can omit the halloumi. Or serve with grilled fish or chicken.

Read more halloumi recipes: red sparkled halloumi or a recipe for balsamic roasted vegetables.

Frizzone (Italian vegetable stew)

For ➍-➏
3 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, peeled & chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large eggplant, chopped
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 medium carrots, trimmed & chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
1 500 g can cherry tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
1 ts dried oregano
20 cl water
3 tbs fresh basil, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup olives, chopped
¼ cup salted capers, rinsed
salt & pepper
2-3 ts aged balsamico vinegar

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, wide bottom saucepan.
Add the onion, celery, eggplant, zucchini, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 to 10 m.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, water, basil, and half the parsley, and cook until the stew has thickened, about 20 m.
Stir in the remaining parsley, olives, and capers.
Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the balsamico vinegar.
Serve warm, or allow to cool to room temperature.

Lumaconi with olives, tomatoes & green herbs

For ➍
500 g lumaconi (or other large pasta shells)
6 cloves garlic
1 red pepper
120 g olives with almond stuffing
3-4 tbs honey
a dash of balsamico
a dash of white wine
4 tomatoes
green herbs (basil, parsley, coriander, oregano)
butter
olive oil
black pepper & coarse salt

Crush the garlic cloves and chop finely.
Remove the seed list from the red pepper and chop finely.
Cut the stuffed olives into pieces. Stew together over low heat in butter and olive oil and simmer for 15 m.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta water. Dip the tomatoes briefly in boiling water and peel them. Add the pasta to salted boiling water. Cut the tomatoes into thick slices, remove the seeds and cut only the meat into cubes.
Put the olive mixture, honey, white wine and balsamico on fire. Quietly reduce until the alcohol has evaporated. Taste the sauce and garnish with black pepper and coarse salt
Chop a hefty amount of green herbs coarsely. Add spices only at the end to the sauce.
Drain the pasta and mix the sauce underneath.
Pour out the pasta in a dish and spread it over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with some coarse salt.

Cod with soy balsamic glaze

For ➋
400 g white meat fish (cod, halibut, striped bass)
2 ts vegetable oil
2 ts sesame oil
17 grams ginger (1.25 cm piece)
8 g garlic (1 large clove)
45 g scallion white part only (3 scallions)
1 tbs Shaoxing wine (or any dry rice wine)
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs balsamico
coriander (for garnish)

Lightly salt and pepper the fish.
Heat 2 ts of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the fish, flipping halfway through.*
When the fish is cooked through, plate it and then wipe out the pan.
Turn the heat up to high and add the sesame oil to the pan along with the ginger, garlic and scallions. Saute until very fragrant and the aromatics start to brown.
Add the Shaoxing, soy sauce and balsamico and boil until the sauce starts to thicken.
Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with cilantro.

*Alternatively, steam the fish.

Lemony green salad

For ➍
1 large clove garlic, crushed (or grated, or mashed into a paste with a pinch of salt)
3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs good balsamic vinegar
1 tbs anchovy paste or finely chopped anchovies (or more to taste)*
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
juice of 1 lemon (I always use a full lemon)
1 head crisp romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 stalk celery (2 stalks if small), sliced into half moons
½ cup grated Parmigiano cheese
salt, if needed, and lots of freshly ground black pepper to serve

Add garlic to a large salad bowl
Add olive oil and stir and let sit for a few minutes.
Add vinegar, anchovy, Worcestershire, and lemon juice, and stir. For a thicker dressing, add half the Parmigiano now. You can let this sit while you prepare the rest of your meal.
Dip a lettuce leaf in to taste your dressing. If it doesn't taste fiercely of lemon juice, garlic, and anchovy, add more of those, to taste. The balsamic and Worcestershire should be in the background.
Just before serving, add lettuce and celery and toss.
Add Parmigiano and freshly ground pepper before a final toss.
Serve immediately.

*Replace with salt for a completely vegetarian salad.

♥︎Fat-free orange vinaigrette

For ➍
4 tbs orange juice
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
2 ts honey
⅛ ts coarsely ground black pepper

Put orange juice, vinegar, mustard, honey and pepper in a jar with tight-fitting lid. Shake until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. 
Use with oriental or summer salads.

*The vinaigrette will keep a week in the fridge. Shake before serving.

Balsamic roasted vegetables

For ➍-➏
200 g red potatoes, unpeeled
100 g baby carrots
1 large red onion, sliced into strips
2 tbs balsamico vinegar
4 ts olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed & finely chopped
1 ts dried thyme
1 ts dried crushed rosemary
1 ts rubbed sage
50 g sliced green beans
¾ ts salt
½ ts ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 200°C.

Toss the prepared potatoes, carrots, and onions with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic and herbs. Arrange the vegetables in a lightly oiled, large roasting pan. Roast the prepared vegetables for 35 m, stirring every 10 m.

Add the cut green beans to the pan and roast the vegetables for an additional 10 m. Arrange the roasted vegetables on a serving platter and season them with salt and pepper.

Serve as a light vegetarian dish with some good bread. Or as a side-dish with roasted poultry or meat.

Read the similar oven baked cherry tomatoes or grilled vegetables recipes.

Oven-baked cherry tomatoes

For ➍
250 g cherry tomatoes
drizzle of olive oil
splash of balsamico
4 sprigs thyme
4 bay leaves
4 sprigs oregano
(coarse sea) salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 150°C.

Put the cherry tomatoes in a shallow dish.

Pour a little olive oil over the tomatoes. Splash the balsamico over the tomatoes.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over the tomatoes.

Spread bay leaves, sprigs of thyme and oregano sprigs over the dish.

Put the dish in the oven. Let cook for 20 m.

Serve with fish or lamb. The cooking juices (with the herbs removed) can be used as sauce on the fish).

Read a recipe for balsamic roasted vegetables.

Fichi ai prosciutto (figs with prosciutto)

For ➋
10 ripe figs*
5 slices prosciutto*/**

Cut stems off figs and slice in half.
Grill the spliced figs lightly if wanted. Brush them with olive oil first. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary.
Cut prosciutto* slices in half.
Wrap prosciutto* around figs. (Secure with toothpick).
Drizzle some balsamico and oil over the bites if wanted: heat 2 tbs of balsamico until sirupy, beat 1 tbs of olive oil through. Grill the spliced figs lightly if wanted. Brush them with olive oil first. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary.
Serve with several* glasses of cool Moscato d'Asti.

*When not in love, use 2 figs and 1 slice of ham per person. 1 glass of Moscato will do.
**Parma or any good dry-cured ham e.g. Spanish jamon Serrano or Flemish Ganda ham.
Try the similar marinated mozzarella with figs & prosciutto.

Believed to be an aphrodisiac... (Picture from Plein Soleil, René Clément's magnificent, luscious movie of Patricia Highsmith's The talented Mr. Ripley, starring Alain Delon and Marie Laforêt.).