Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Cook Time: 1 hr
Level: Easy
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
* 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 2 garlic cloves, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 (4-pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (giblets, neck and
backbone reserved for another use)
* 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
* 1 teaspoon lemon zest
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and
pepper in small bowl to blend. Combine the vinaigrette and chicken
pieces in a large resealable plastic bag; seal the bag and toss to
coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at
least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the bag and
arrange the chicken pieces on a large greased baking dish. Roast until
the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour. If your chicken
browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the baking dish on a
burner over medium-low heat. Whisk the chicken broth into the pan
drippings, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the baking
sheet with a wooden spoon and mixing them into the broth and pan
drippings. Drizzle the pan drippings over the chicken. Sprinkle the
lemon zest and parsley over the chicken, and serve.

Balsamic Chicken Drumettes

Cook Time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/2 cup honey
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 5 sprigs of rosemary
* 5 garlic cloves, halved
* 10 to 12 chicken drumsticks
* 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Combine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs,
and garlic cloves, in a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Shake and
squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown
sugar. Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal with as little
air as possible in the bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for
2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the chicken drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until
the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35
minutes.

Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade
to a boil (in order to kill bacteria). Reduce the heat to simmer and
cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Reserve.

Use a pastry brush to brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked
chicken. Place the chicken on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the
sesame seeds and the chopped parsley.

Cook's note: I like the rosemary and garlic flavors in the background.
Brushing the cooked drumettes with the reduced marinade helps the
flavors along. Also, re-moistening helps the parsley and the seeds to
adhere.

From: foodnetwork.com

Penne with Beef and Arugula

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

1 (1-pound) New York strip steak
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for steak and pasta water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for steak
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 cups chopped arugula

Season the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper, herbs de
Provence, and minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive
oil over medium heat. Cook steak about 7 minutes per side. Remove the
meat from pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak.
Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite,
stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving
1/4 cup of pasta water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard,
1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and 3/4 cup olive
oil. In a large bowl toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing
and the reserved pasta water. Add the arugula and steak, more
dressing, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, as
needed. Toss, pack for the picnic, or serve.

From: food network

Prosciutto-wrapped Scallops

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped pitted black olives (about 10 olives)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 medium scallops
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 slices prosciutto
2 cups arugula
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, add the tomatoes, basil, olives, and olive oil and process until finely chopped.

Season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper. Rub each scallop with the tomato mixture. Fold each slice of prosciutto in half lengthwise, then wrap each scallop in 1 slice of prosciutto. Place wrapped scallops in a buttered baking dish, seam side down. Bake until scallop is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, toss the arugula with the balsamic vinegar. Season the arugula with salt and pepper. Place the arugula on a serving platter or divide among individual dishes. Top with the scallops and serve immediately.

From: food network