Author: California Balsamic

Recipe by: Karen Richter, featured on Chef AJ Live on 11/21/23

Ingredients:

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbsp. of California Blazin Habanero Balsamic
• 3 whole stalks of green onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 ½ cups of fresh cranberries or a bit more for a thicker dressing (mine were from Trader Joe’s)
• 1 small-ish (thumb-size) chunk of fresh ginger, or more to taste
• 7 Medjool dates, pitted (do remember to keep track of those pits!)
• 1 Tbsp. of miso paste (I used Mellow White)
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• ¼ tsp of the following: allspice; mustard powder; sage; thyme
• 1-1 ½ cups filtered water

Directions:

1. Blend together all ingredients in a high-speed blender. This recipe Makes 24 oz of dressing, enough to fill to salad dressing bottles and then some.

Notes:

• Substitution Possibilities: Sweet or red onion to replace the scallions/green onions

Recipe by: Mandy Burns, featured on Chef AJ Live on 11/21/23

Ingredients:  Serves 4

• 1 package of Tempeh
• 1-2 Tb of Blazin Habanero Balsamic
• 1-2 Tb of Smoked Hickory Balsamic
• 1-2 tsp Water
• 2 med Spaghetti Squash (or sub any type of pasta for faster meal prep)
• 1 jar of Marinara Sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400*.  Cut both squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and any stringy bits.  Set seeds aside for later.  Place squash cut sides down on a baking sheet that is covered with a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Bake in the oven for 45-75 minutes, depending on the size of the squash halves.  Test doneness every 15 minutes starting at 45 minutes by piercing the back of the largest squash with a fork, it should slide in easily.
2. While the squash is cooking, dice the tempeh into small cubes.  Mix together equal parts Blazin Habanero Balsamic and Smoked Hickory Balsamic in a small dish, thin with a little water. Toss the tempeh in the balsamic mixture to evenly coat, then air-fry pieces for 20 minutes at 400*.  [The tempeh could also be baked in the oven, the airfryer gives it a nice crisp texture that I prefer.]  Reserve the remaining marinade.
3. Clean the squash seeds discarding any of the stringy bits leftover from the spaghetti squash.  Once cleaned, toss the seeds in the leftover tempeh marinade and allow the seeds to sit until the squash is out of the oven.
4. Warm the marinara on the stovetop.  Once the squash is done cooking, remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to the lowest temperature (100*-150* is fine).  Use a fork to fluff up the “spaghetti” strands, remove from the skin and plate it.  Top with marinara and tempeh cubes.  
5. Spread the seeds on a baking sheet that is covered with a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and bake at 100*-150* for 1-3 hours.  Shake or stir the seeds every 30-45 minutes so they cook evenly and don’t stick together.  Check for doneness at 1h, 30 minutes by eating one, the seeds should be nice and crunchy.  Enjoy!

Recipe by: Brenda Pachel, featured on Chef AJ Live on 11/21/23

Ingredients:

• 2 (14.5 Oz) cans pumpkin purée
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (14.0 Oz) can light coconut milk
• 2 (14.5 Oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 Tbls Blazin Habanero Balsamic
• 1 Tbls Sweet Apple Pie Balsamic
• 1 Tbls honey, or sweetener of choice
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 large jalapeños, seeded & diced
• 1 1/2 – 2 Tbls curry powder
• 1 Tbls Garam Masala
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp dried cilantro
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
• 1 small honey nut squash, peeled, seeded and 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tsp pumpkin spice balsamic

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a parchment lined baking sheet place the squash cubes and sprinkle them with the pumpkin spice balsamic. Stir to coat. Bake 22 to 30 minutes , or until tender and slightly browned.
2. In a Dutch oven add onions and jalapeños. Sauté over medium heat until softened.
3. Add remaining ingredients to onions, except for the coconut milk and squash cubes. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.
4. Stir in the coconut milk and squash cubes. Let simmer briefly just to warm the squash.

Notes:

• This soup freezes nicely.

Recipe by: Eileen Mierski, featured on Chef AJ Live on 9/19/23

Ingredients: 

• 4 large, firm apples, washed and cored 
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 T. raisins or chopped dates
• 1 T. Almond butter
• 1 t. Cinnamon or apple pie spice mix
• 2T. Autumn Apple Balsamic or more to taste 

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. 
2. Peel the apple about 1/4 way down. See photo
3. Combine the walnuts, oats, raisins, almond butter and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse to a crumbly texture.
4. Stuff the mixture into core of the apples
5. Drizzle with the Autumn Apple Balsamic
6. Arrange the apples in a baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup of water around them. Cover and bake until tender, about 50 minutes. 
7. Serve warm. Drizzle additional Autumn Apple to taste. Enjoy! 

Notes:

• A simple and sweet, SOS-free, apple based treat that is good for you! 
• There are many types of firm apples suitable for this recipe. Some examples are Gala, Jonathan, Jonagold, Honey Crisp, Braeburn, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. A good tasting apple is key to this tasty desert! 

Recipe by: Brenda Pachel, featured on Chef AJ Live on 9/19/23

Ingredients:

• Salad:
  1. 2 cups sweet potato, bite sized cubes
  2. 2 cups cooked quinoa
  3. 1/3 – 1/2 cup walnuts, roasted and rough chopped
  4. 1 large gala apple, bite sized cubes
  5. 1/8 tsp cardamom
  6. 1/2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
  7. 2 Tbls unsweetened applesauce
• Dressing:
  1. 2 Tbls Autumn Apple Balsamic
  2. 1 Tbl Ginger Balsamic
  3. 2 Tbls Apple butter (like Eden Brand)
  4. 2 Tbl unsweetened Apple Juice
  5. 1/4 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
  6. 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  7. 1/8 tsp cardamom
  8. 2-4 drops liquid stevia, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl combine, sweet potato, apple sauce, cinnamon, and cardamom.  Stir to coat.
3. Place sweet potatoes on prepared baking sheet and bake 25 – 30 minutes, or until done.
4. While the sweet potatoes are baking, place the walnuts in a small skillet and pan fry until fragrant and toasted.   When done, let them cool and give them a rough chop.
5. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bottle and shake until well combined.
6. In a medium bowl combine the sweet potatoes, apples, quinoa, 3/4 of the walnuts and dressing, stir to combine.
7. Serve with a garnish of the remaining walnuts and an extra drizzle of autumn apple balsamic, if desired.

Notes:

Note:  For extra flavor, cook your quinoa in unsweetened apple juice.  This salad also tastes delicious served on top of some fresh spinach.

Recipe by: Lori Gibson of OhSoYum.org, featured on Chef AJ Live on 9/19/23

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp finely chopped sweet onion
• 1 garlic clove, crushed or minced
• 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 12-16 oz fresh baby spinach
• 2 Tbsp Autumn Apple Balsamic 
• 3-4 Tbsp Crumbled Almond Feta

Directions:

• Microwave Method
  1. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, spinach and 1 Tbsp Apple Autumn Balsamic to a heat-safe covered casserole. Microwave on high 3-5 minutes until nicely wilted. 
  2. Plate, drizzle on the remaining balsamic and sprinkle on the feta. 
• Stovetop Method
  1. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and 1 Tbsp Autumn Apple Balsamic to a pot large enough to hold the spinach. Dry sauté on medium heat until the aromatics become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add a small splash of water as/if needed to keep things from sticking.
  2. Add the spinach, cover tightly and cook until nicely wilted, about 3-5 minutes. 
  3. Plate, drizzle on the remaining balsamic and sprinkle on the feta. Enjoy!

Notes:

• Find more quick and tasty recipes on my website OhSoYum.org and in my cookbook: Oh So Yum!  https://amzn.to/45GOWwW

Adapted from a recipe by: Elspeth “The Speedy Vegan”

Ingredients: (Makes 24 bites)

• 1C shredded carrots
• 1C old fashioned oatmeal
• 6 medjool dates, pitted or you may use 1 frozen ripe banana in place of dates
• 1/4tsp cinnamon
• 1/4tsp turmeric
• 1/4tsp ginger
• 1/2C unsweetened shredded coconut, chia seeds or hemp seeds(optional coating)
• 2-4tbsp Coconut balsamic (optional coating, as a glaze)

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients, except the coconut to a food processor and process for a couple of minutes or until the mixture is well combined. Taste to make sure the mixture is sweet enough for you. Just add an extra date or two if you prefer it sweeter.
2. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out 2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into balls. You can roll the balls in the Coconut Balsamic, shredded coconut, chia seeds or hemp seeds or just skip this step if desired.
3. Serve them right away or chill for 30 minutes before serving. Store the bites in the refrigerator for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes:

Perfect little flavor bombs to pack in your snack bag when hitting the hiking trail!

Recipe by: Susan V.

Ingredients:

• White meat rotisserie chicken shredded
• 1 Cucumber, diced
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 avocado, cubed
• Cilantro, chopped
• 2 to 3 TBSP Crisp Cucumber Balsamic or Persian Lime Balsamic
• 1 Red Pepper, chopped
• Garlic powder to taste
• Onion powder to taste
• Salt(optional)
• Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together and serve on top of Beef Steak tomatoes or a salad or eat as a sandwich.
2. Another option is to cut your Red Pepper in half length wise and fill with the chicken salad mixture.
3. “my husband eats the standard American diet (he’s a meat eater). He wanted a chicken salad so I made an alternative one which is different from the traditional recipe that requires mayonnaise and grapes. Here is the recipe I made. I did leave out the avocado as my husband is not a fan of it and I did cut up the red pepper and mix it in the salad.”

Recipe by: Eileen M.

Ingredients:

• ½ C Quinoa, rinsed well (white, red or tricolor) or substitute with Bulgur wheat instead
• 1 15oz can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ C cooked)
• 1C cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1C chopped cucumber
• ½ C flat leaf parsley, minced (optional: substitute or add mint or cilantro as well)
• 2 scallions, minced
• For dressing: 3 TBSP Crisp Cucumber Balsamic, less or more to taste (optional: Substitute Fresh Basil Balsamic)

Directions:

1. Cook the Quinoa according to package directions. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
2. When the Quinoa is cool, add the remaining ingredients including the dressing. Toss to combine.
3. To serve, spoon onto a bed of your favorite greens, such as Frisee (as pictured), Arugula, Spring salad mix or Romaine lettuce.

Notes:

• To make the basil ribbons, stack 5 leaves, roll tightly from bottom to top and slice from side to side. Repeat with the next 5 basil leaves.