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AJ’s Apricot Quinoa Pudding

Recipe by: Chef AJ , from her video “Apricot Quinoa Pudding Parfait – Vegan, Low-fat and SOS-free”

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup white quinoa
  • 1.5 cups unsweetened plant milk
  • 1 cup fresh apricot or if not in season 1 can of peaches in their own juice,
  • diced 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots, unsweetened and unsulfured
  • 4 Tablespoons Apricot Balsamic
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

  1. Place all ingredients in your Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
  2. Let pressure release naturally.
  3. Enjoy hot in place of your usual breakfast oatmeal or chill and make a parfait with the following toppings.
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Rice with Apricots, Parsley and Almonds

Recipe by: Eileen M

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1 cup skin on almonds
  • 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 1 and 1/2 cups finely chopped parsley
  • 2T. Apricot Balsamic, or more to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool, then chop. Set aside.
  2. Rinse rice several times, until the water runs clear.  Bring about 4 cups of water to a boil, add the rice, turn down the heat, and simmer about 12 minutes. The texture should be cooked but still firm. Remove from heat and drain. Scatter the apricots on top of the rice, cover and let sit 5 minutes.
  3. Fluff rice with a fork. Shake the Apricot Balsamic, add to the rice and stir to combine. 
  4. Mix in the parsley and almonds and serve warm. Enjoy! 

Notes: 

  •  Feel free to substitute your preferred type of rice and to use your favorite method of cooking the rice. Almonds that have already been sliced and/or roasted can be substituted for the whole almonds. 
  •  My preference is to use Unsulphured Dried Apricots, which means they have been dried directly in the sun without added Sulphur Dioxide. They have a dark brown appearance and a much richer and sweeter taste than the more common ‘orange’ apricots. The texture should be moist and chewy. If you can’t find them, any type of dried apricots, or golden raisins, can be substituted. 
  • This recipe is a good example of how using a California Balsamic product can carry the entire recipe. The Apricot Balsamic is very flavorful- slightly sweet but also tangy, with complex, layered tasting notes. It  is simple to make and each bite is packed with flavor. It can serve as either a side dish or a main dish. 
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Cowboy Caviar

Recipe by: Eileen M. , Featured on Chef AJ’s channel on Feb 20th

Ingredients 

  • 2 cans (14 ounces each) beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked 
  • 1 can (14 ounces) black-eyed peas , rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked 
  • 1 can  (14 ounces) corn, drained or about 1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen 
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes (about 12 ounces) Can use grape, cherry or Roma 
  • 1 medium red, orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 3/4 cup chopped red onion (about one small red onion)
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, leaves and stems
  • 1 avocado (optional)
  • 3T. Persian Lime  Balsamic, or more to taste (optional: substitute Jalapeño Lime Balsamic)

Directions:

  • In a large serving bowl, combine the drained black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and cilantro.
  • If you’ll be including avocado, wait to dice it until you’re ready to serve so it doesn’t turn brown.
  • Add the balsamic vinegar and mix well. 

Notes:

  • The photo shows a simple “avocado rose” but avocado is optional. Using diced avocado, added just before serving, is fine.
  • This is a large recipe but it is easy to make and keeps well, up to 5 days in the refrigerator. It can easily be downsized by omitting the black eyed peas and cutting back on the other ingredients, by about one third.
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Persian lime balsamic spinach and chickpeas stew

Recipe by: Susan V. , Featured on Chef AJ’s Channel on February 20th

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 3 tablespoons Persian lime balsamic
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
  • Fresh cilantro for garnish 
  • Red Pepper flakes for heat (optional) 

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, sauté chopped onion and minced garlic in a splash of vegetable broth until softened.
  2. Add chickpeas, diced tomatoes (with juice), ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to the pot.
  3. Add in red pepper flakes if you are using. Stir well.
  4. Pour in vegetable broth and Persian lime balsamic. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes.
  5. Add fresh spinach to the pot and stir until wilted.
  6. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  7. Once the spinach is cooked, remove the pot from heat.
  8. Serve the Lime Balsamic Chickpea and Spinach Stew hot, garnished with fresh cilantro if desired. 

Notes:

  • I actually like to eat it over cooked basmati rice.
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Persian Lime Balsamic Chia Pudding Parfait

Recipe by: Susan V. , Featured on Chef AJ’s Channel on February 20th

Ingredients:

  • For the Chia Pudding:
    • 1/4 cup chia seeds
    • 1 cup coconut milk
    • 2 tablespoons Persian Lime Balsamic
    • 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup (adjust to taste, optionally substitute agave or date syrup)
  • For the Parfait Layers:
    • Fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
    • Granola (I make my own, recipe in the notes below)
    • Lime slices for garnish

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, whisk together chia seeds, coconut milk, Persian Lime Balsamic, and maple syrup. Stir well to avoid clumps.
  2. Let the chia pudding mixture sit for 10 minutes, then stir again to prevent clumping.
  3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight until the chia pudding thickens.
  4. Once the chia pudding has set, layer it in glasses or jars with fresh berries and granola.
  5. Repeat the layers until you reach the top of the glass, finishing with a layer of berries and granola.
  6. Garnish with lime slices.
  7. Refrigerate for an additional 30 minutes if desired or serve immediately.

Notes:

  • To make your own Granola use the following recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups rolled oats 
  • 1/2 cup pure, maple syrup 
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • Add in raisins, coconut or nuts, or any other mix ins that you would like (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 
  2. In a bowl, mixed oats, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extract
  3. Spread the mixture out onto a parchment line baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes
  4. Mix and bake an additional 10 minutes
  5. allow granola to cool and store in an airtight container 
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Persian Lime Balsamic Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • Fresh cilantro (optional, for garnish)

For the Lime Balsamic Dressing:

Directions:

  • Rinse the quinoa under cold water. Cook it according to package instructions.
  • While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the vegetables.
  • In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and black beans.
  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together Persian Lime Balsamic, lime juice, salt, and pepper to create the dressing.
  • Pour the dressing over the quinoa and vegetable mixture. Toss everything together until well combined.
  • Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.
  • Chill the salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
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Persian lime mousse

Recipe by: Susan V.

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1/4 cup Persian Lime Balsamic
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • Zest of one lime
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • Fresh berries for topping (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a blender or food processor, combine ripe avocados, Persian Lime Balsamic, maple syrup, coconut milk, lime zest, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
  2. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
  3. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity as desired by adding more maple syrup or lime balsamic vinegar.
  4. Transfer the avocado mousse into serving glasses or bowls.
  5. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow the mousse to set.
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Persian lime popsicles

Recipe by: Susan V.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
  • 1/4 cup Persian lime balsamic
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 cup coconut water

Directions:

  1. In a blender, combine mixed berries, Persian lime balsamic, maple syrup, and coconut water.
  2. Blend until smooth.
  3. Taste the mixture and adjust sweetness or acidity if needed by adding more maple syrup or lime balsamic vinegar.
  4. Pour the berry mixture into popsicle molds.
  5. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze for at least 4-6 hours, or until completely frozen.
  6. Once frozen, run the molds under warm water for a few seconds to release the popsicles.
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Persian Lime Massaged Kale Salad 

Recipe By: Eileen M.

Ingredients: 

  • Kale – 1 bunch with stems stripped and torn into bite sized pieces. (Or fresh bagged kale, with any big stems removed) 
  • Mango- 1 cup of thawed frozen mango chunks (or 1 fresh mango) 
  • Corn- 1 cup canned or thawed frozen.
  • Black beans- 1 cup canned. Drained and rinsed.
  • 1 Red pepper- seeded and chopped
  • Mint leaves- 2 T., with any large leaves torn into bite sized pieces.
  • Hummus- 1/3 cup. I like Roasted Red Pepper but use your favorite.
  • 3 T. Persian Lime Balsamic, or more to taste
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (Optional).

Directions:

  1. Place the kale in a large bowl and massage it with the hummus for about a minute. It will soften and become limp.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. The Persian Lime Balsamic will blend with the hummus and make a creamy and delicious dressing.

Notes:

  • This is an ideal everyday salad for the winter and early spring. It is easy to keep all the ingredients on hand and they are relatively inexpensive. Kale keeps incredibly well in the refrigerator, usually for a week or more. It is fine to omit the tomatoes, especially when they are not in season. 
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Uniquely Delicious Persian Lime Salad 

Recipe by: Eileen M

Ingredients:

  • Spinach, arugula, or a spinach arugula mix- 5 ounces 
  • 3T. Persian Lime Balsamic 
  • 1 mango, peeled and diced
  • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced 
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 2 T. fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 grapefruit, sectioned
  • 2 T. chopped scallions (Optional)

Directions:

  1. Empty the greens into a large bowl. 
  2. Combine the mango, fennel, cucumber, avocado, basil and scallions if using, in a second bowl, and set aside. 
  3. Just before serving, drizzle the Persian Lime Balsamic over the greens while tossing, until every leaf is lightly coated. 
  4. Add in the remaining ingredients, toss again, and enjoy! 

Notes:

  • It might seem odd to have fennel, basil and grapefruit in a salad but this unique combination works! The sweetness of the Persian Lime Balsamic complements the slightly bitter greens. This salad is perfect in winter, when grapefruit and fennel are in season.
  • To save time you can substitute the following:
    • Buy Prewashed greens. 
  • Use frozen mango chunks- about a cup. 
  • Use jarred grapefruit sections- about a cup.
  • As always, using the Persian Lime Balsamic is a big timesaver and flavor boost!