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Roasted Chicken Thighs with Black Cherry Glaze

The thigh is an under-appreciated piece of chicken! Thighs are flavorful and inexpensive and here’s a fast, easy way to dress them up with INFUSIO Black Cherry Balsamic.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Black Cherry Glaze

• 4 organic chicken thighs, with bone and skin
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
• About ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• About ¼ cup INFUSIO Black Cherry Balsamic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large saute pan with heat proof handle on high. When hot, add olive oil then the chicken, skin side down. Allow the skin to get a crispy golden sear, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and sear on the other side for 5 minutes. Place the saute pan into the oven (if you don’t have an oven-proof saute pan, transfer the chicken to a baking dish and reserve the saute pan to make the sauce.) Finish the chicken in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees.

Place a pot holder over the hot handle, remove the pan and place back on stovetop. Take chicken out of pan and set aside. If there is a lot of fat, pour off a bit and place back on the stovetop on medium high heat. Add about ¼ cup of INFUSIO Black Cherry Balsamic and scrape the flavor bits off the bottom of the pan. Once the balsamic is bubbling and heated through, spoon over the seared chicken thighs and serve immediately.

 

 

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INFUSIO Dips for Bread & Crudites

At fine Italian restaurants, you will always find a good quality olive oil and balsamic on the table. One of my favorite parts of the experience is dipping bread or fresh vegetables into the oil and balsamic. INFUSIO Olive Oils and Balsamics give you so many flavor options! Here are two dips that make great starters!

INFUSIO Dips for Bread & Crudites

Tuscan Dip for Bread and Crudites

• Crusty baguette, toasted and sliced 
• Crudites, your favorite fresh vegetables
• INFUSIO Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
• INFUSIO Traditional Balsamic
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Using small dip bowls, combine 3 parts INFUSIO Tuscan Olive Oil with 1 part INFUSIO Traditional Balsamic. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve with sliced bread and crudites.

Herbs de Provence Dip for Bread & Crudites

• Crusty baguette, toasted and sliced
• Crudites, your favorite fresh vegetables
• INFUSIO Herbs de Provence
• INFUSIO Pomegranate Balsamic
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Using small dip bowls, combine 3 parts INFUSIO Herbs de Provence Olive Oil with 1 part INFUSIO Pomegranate Balsamic. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve with sliced bread and crudites.

 

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Meatballs with Vanilla Fig Glaze

Here’s a hearty appetizer to make your guests swoon! Take a basic meatball and roll it to the size of one perfect bite. After it’s cooked, add INFUSIO Vanilla Fig Balsamic to make the most delicious glaze! Then cover them in caramelized onions. Your meatballs will be a HUGE hit! This might be my favorite balsamic of the whole line, but wow, it’s hard to choose! 

Meatballs with Vanilla Fig Glaze

• ¼ + ¼ cup cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• ½ pound ground organic beef (grass-fed best)
• ½ pound Italian hot sausage
• 1 egg
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
• ½ bunch fresh Italian parsley, leaves only, chopped
• About ¼ cup INFUSIO Vanilla Fig Balsamic

Place a large pan on medium high heat. When hot, add about ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil and the onions. Saute the onions for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook for another 20 minutes until they reach a deep golden brown. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine beef, sausage, egg, sea salt, pepper and chopped parsley. Once well combined, make small, bite-size meatballs (about 1.5” in diameter) and set onto a baking sheet. When all the meatballs are rolled, place a large saute pan (with heat proof handle) on high heat. Add about ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil and then the meatballs in a single layer. Do not crowd the pan. After about 2 minutes, turn the meatballs over place the whole pan into the oven for 3-5 minutes.

Place a hot holder over the handle, remove pan from oven and transfer meatballs to a serving platter. Place the pan back on the stovetop on medium high heat. Add the Infusio Vanilla Fig Balsamic and let it bubble while you scrape the flavor bits from the bottom of the pan, about a minute. Pour the glaze over the meatballs, then top with the caramelized onions and serve.

 

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Papaya & Prosciutto

Here’s a twist on the traditional combination of melon and prosciutto – papaya with prosciutto! Add a drizzle of INFUSIO Peach White Balsamic and it takes it to a new level. The sweetness of the melon with the salty prosciutto and the bit of acid from the lime, and then the zing of the peach balsamic… WOW!

Papaya & Prosciutto

• 1/2 papaya, seeded, peeled and sliced
• Squeeze of lime
• 3 thin slices prosciutto
• Drizzle INFUSIO White Peach Balsamic
• Fresh basil, for garnish

Once the papaya is sliced and prepared, squeeze a bit of lime over it. Tear each piece of prosciutto in half. Wrap each slice of papaya with prosciutto. Just before serving, drizzle with INFUSIO White Peach Balsamic and garnish with fresh sprigs of basil.

 

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Avocado Toast

Want the BEST avocado toast of your life? All it takes is a drizzle of INFUSIO Meyer Lemon Olive Oil to make it sing! This is Caroline’s creation and it’s simply perfect!

Avocado Toast

• 2 slices Dave’s Seed Bread (thin slice variety)
• Drizzle of INFUSIO Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
• 1 ripe avocado
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried dill)
• Sea salt & ground black pepper
• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 sweet baby bell peppers, thinly sliced
• Handful of micro greens (or sprouts)

Mash the avocado in a bowl with lemon juice, dill, sea salt and pepper. Set aside. Toast the bread. While still hot, drizzle INFUSIO Meyer Lemon Olive Oil on the bread. Spread the avocado on the toast. Add a large handful of micro greens. Top with radishes and sweet baby bells.

 

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Fennel and Blood Orange Salad

This refreshing Northern Italian salad is one Caroline’s grandma used to make with tangy fennel, sweet blood orange and a good quality salty pecorino. Since blood orange is seasonal, you can substitute regular orange and still get the flavor of blood orange with INFUSIO Blood Orange Olive Oil! Finish with a drizzle of INFUSIO Pomegranate Balsamic and you have a unique and special flavor combination. 

Fennel and Blood Orange Salad

• 3-4 fennel bulbs and stalks, chopped (save some feathery ends for garnish)
• 1 blood orange (or regular orange), supreme to remove all pith
• ¼ cup pomegranates, seeded (optional)
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
• INFUSIO Blood Orange Olive Oil
• INFUSIO Pomegranate Balsamic
• Pecorino Romano, shaved thinly (or Parmigiano Reggiano)

Place the chopped fennel and supreme orange sections onto a shallow serving plate. Add a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds, if available. Slowly cover with INFUSIO Blood Orange Olive Oil and then season with sea salt and pepper. Add a drizzle of INFUSIO Pomegranate Balsamic. Lastly, cover the entire salad with generous amounts of thinly shaved slices of pecorino. Serve immediately.