Recipe Roundup: Vermont Maple Balsamic

This balsamic uses natural 100% pure maple produced at a small family farm in Vermont. It is outrageously good! Think pancakes, barbecue sauce base, waffles, roasted Brussels sprouts, glazed bacon, pork chops, salmon, ham, ice cream, dressings, marinades, chocolate, cake, fruit; the possibilities are endless.  

Olive oil pairing suggestions: Navel orange, any mild & buttery Sigona’s Fresh Press extra virgin olive oil. 

Check out these recipes!

Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and a Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

The maple and bacon in this are likely to make a Brussels sprout lover out of even those most adamantly opposed to this Brassicaceae-family vegetable. Topped with sweet pear and Gorgonzola this is a perfect way to incorporate Brussels sprouts to your Thanksgiving menu. Serves 4 to 6 as a side.

Check out this recipe

Maple Balsamic Whipped Garnet Yams (or Sweet Potatoes)

Garnet yams are the absolute best yam to choose for your Thanksgiving feast. They have a lovely deep orange color and fantastic flavor, and mixing in a little maple syrup highlights their natural sweetness. If you’ve been asked to bring a sweet potato or yam dish to dinner, this simple recipe is sure to please.

Check out this recipe

Maple-Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

This dish is simple for any night of the week, yet impressive enough to be served for Sunday dinner. Delicious! Recipe courtesy of Rachel Bradley-Gomez of Au Jardin Potager. Serves 4

Pork Chops

• 8 boneless pork chops, 1/2-inch thick, trimmed
• 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 TBL Sigona’s Fresh Press olive oil (we suggest a robust oil)
• 3 TBL finely sliced shallots
• 1/3 cup Sigona’s Dark Maple Balsamic

Directions: Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with sea & and pepper. In a nonstick, 12 inch skillet, heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Cook chops for 4 minutes on one side, turn over and cook 3 minutes the other. Transfer to platter and keep warm with a tent of aluminum foil.

Increase heat to high and stir the shallot into the pan juices. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the balsamic, scrap up any brown bits from the pan, and cook down for an additional 2-4 minutes or until reduced so it’s at a syrup-like consistency. Adjust seasoning with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

To serve, ladle the pan sauce over the pork chops.

Carmelo’s Buckwheat Pancakes with a Dark Maple-Olive Oil Syrup

Buckwheat is a fantastic alternative for those who are gluten intolerant or are seeking a healthier alternative to from-the-box pancake mixes. I simply love mixing our Dark Maple Balsamic with our Arbequina olive oil because the olive oil is mild and buttery in flavor so there is no need to add on extra butter. It’s a two-for-one! Serves 4-6.

Pancakes:

• 2 cups buckwheat flour
• 2 1/2 TBL brown sugar (or raw sugar or honey)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs (try our pastured Wattle & Comb eggs!)
• 2 cups low-fat buttermilk or milk (buttermilk makes for a richer flavor)
• 2 TBL Sigona’s Fresh Press olive oil OR melted butter

Balsamic Syrup:

Whisk well together equal parts:

• Sigona’s Fresh Press Arbequina Olive Oil
• Sigona’s Dark Maple Balsamic

Adjust flavor by adding more of one or the other to achieve best flavor.

Optional:

• Fresh, in-season berries
• Very thinly sliced apple

Directions: Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl then create a crater in the middle of the mix.

In a smaller bowl, mix together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the crater made in the dry ingredients and stir together to mix.

Preheat your skillet to optimum pancake-cooking temperature. If desired, add some cooking spray or oil. Pour about a 1/3 cup of the mix onto the skillet or griddle at a time. Cook on one side until tiny bubbles appear, then flip the pancake and cook until evenly browned on both sides and cooked through.

Serve with the Dark Maple Balsamic-Olive Oil syrup. Add on fresh berries for a sweet treat.

Brussels Sprouts with Dark Maple Balsamic TWO WAYS

Brussels Sprouts roasted with Dark Maple Balsamic

This recipe, courtesy of Caroline, author of the food blog After Dinner Dance, is simple, healthy and delicious. Roasting the Brussels sprouts with the balsamic makes for a richer, more caramelized flavor. Serves 2-4 as a side.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
• 1 TBL Sigona’s Fresh Press extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 TBL Sigona’s Dark Maple Balsamic
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1)      Preheat oven to 400F.

2)      Cut the ends off of your Brussels sprouts and remove a few of the outer leaves.

3)      Chop your Brussels sprouts in half and place them on a baking sheet or pan.

4)      Combine the olive oil and balsamic, then drizzle evenly over your Brussels sprouts. Season with salt and pepper.

5)      Toss your Brussels sprouts to coat them with the glaze.

6)      Roast Brussels sprouts in oven for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through.

7)      Adjust seasoning as needed and serve warm.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts Drizzled with Dark Maple Balsamic

This recipe, courtesy of our very own Joseph Loewinsohn, calls for the Sigona’s Dark Maple Balsamic to be drizzled on at the end, bringing out a more prominent maple and balsamic flavor. Pairs famously with maple balsamic glazed ham. Serves 4 as a side.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
• 1 – 1 1/2 TBL Sigona’s Fresh Press extra virgin olive oil (a mild cultivar, such as Mission or Sweet Barnea)
• At least 1/2 cup low- or no-salt stock OR water (may need more, see below)
• 1 – 1 1/2 TBL Sigona’s Dark Maple Balsamic (more or less depending on preference)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: Trim the bottom of each sprout and remove a few outer leaves. Slice them in half and place them in a skillet, cut side down, with a splash of either very mild olive oil (such as Mission or Sweet Barnea, rather than a bold oil that would overpower the flavor of the Brussels sprouts) and cook over medium high heat, cut side down, until the sprouts get some color (4-5 mins).

Flip them all over and immediately de-glaze the pan with a generous splash of no-salt stock or water, cover and simmer for 10 min or until the sprouts are fork tender (most of the stock/water should be absorbed). If not for tender when moisture is absorbed, add in a little more stock or water and continue simmering.

Pour into a serving dish, drizzle with a little more olive oil or toss in a pad of butter (optional), drizzle with Sigona’s Dark Maple Balsamic and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Maple-Sesame Pot Sticker Dipping Sauce

Whether you’ve made your own or picked some up at the store, pot stickers are always best served with a sauce for dipping. Sweet and tangy, this simple recipe is a Sigona’s favorite.

What you need:

• Sigona’s roasted sesame oil
• Sigona’s Dark Maple Balsamic
• Optional: red chili flakes

What to do: In a small bowl, mix together 1 TBL roasted sesame oil and 1 TBL Dark Maple Balsamic. Give it a taste, add more of one ingredient if necessary to adjust flavor. Add in a shake or two of red chili flakes to give it a little heat. Serve with warm pot stickers.