Meals Made with Vinaigrette's, Marinades and Dressings

Last week I posted my Dry Italian Dressing Mix.  Here are some pictures and ideas of some meals and side dishes made with this amazingly versatile sauce.

Oven Roasted Balsamic Mushrooms and Onions:
I made the balsamic vinaigrette variation and tossed it with mushrooms and onions then seasoned it with Celtic sea salt and fresh ground pepper.  I  roasted them in a 475 degree oven.  Once they were tender I removed them from the oven.  I served them at room temperature on a roasted vegetable platter.

Balsamic Tomato Saute':

Heat balsamic vinaigrette in a pan over medium heat.  Add minced garlic, diced onions and tomatoes; cook until tender and tomatoes begin to break down into a sauce.  Toss with cooked rice or pasta and fresh chopped basil.  I also added mushrooms and topped it with a chicken breast that was marinated in balsamic vinaigrette and grilled (see below).  I do not know why I don't have a picture of the finished product but who knows I was cooking at a friend and we might have had a few sips of beer and a lot of conversation and I forgot to take a picture!

Oven Roasted Vegetables:

In this picture I tossed the carrots with the Italian vinaigrette and a little honey and the asparagus with the balsamic vinaigrette then seasoned with Celtic sea salt and fresh ground pepper. I roasted both in a 475 degree oven until tender/crisp.  I added these to my roasted veggie platter on Father's day.

Cucumber Tomato Salad:

Toss diced tomatoes and cucumbers with Italian vinaigrette.  This also works well with the balsamic vinaigrete or the Greek variation.  I sometimes add feta cheese, goat cheese or fresh mozzarella.  Make it a complete meal by adding some grilled meat or seafood.  Vegetarians can add cooked quinoa.

Ranch Tomato Cucumber Salad:

Toss diced tomatoes and cucumbers with ranch dressing.  Always a kid friendly option!

Use as a Marinade on Meats:

Chicken Breast marinated overnight in Italian vinaigrette and balsamic vinaigrette (the dark ones).

Pork Kebabs:

1. Rub meat with dry dressing mix and some palm sugar.  Brown sugar or sucanat may be substituted. 
2. Just before it was done cooking I brushed it with BBQ sauce and finished cooking.

Grilled Veggies taste great and will not stick to the grill if brushed with your choice of vinaigrete.

Finished Grilled Vegetable Platter:

• Balsamic mushrooms, asparagus and onions
• All other veggies were tossed with Italian vinaigrette before roasting.
• The mozzarella balls were tossed with balsamic vinaigrette and chopped basil
• The goat cheese ball in the center is half goat cheese and half cream cheese with some dry italian dressing mix added for flavor
• I made this platter one day in advance
• After the event I chopped up all of the leftovers including the mozzarella and combined it with the remaining goat cheese then I divided it among tortillas and made vegetable goat cheese quesadillas.  We ate some and froze some for later (see below).

Goat Cheese and Vegetable Quesadillas:

I love quesadillas and frittatas because thay make leftovers into a amazing "planned over" meals.

Roasted Garlic: 

1. Pour Italian Vinaigrette into an oven safe dish. 
2. Cut of top of garlic head and place exposed side down. 
3. Roast in a  475 oven until very soft. 
4. Serve with veggie platter or puree and use as spread.  Roasted garlic may also be added to sauces. 

 I apologize for any spelling errors.  For some reason my post spell check is not working.
Please share any ideas and uses you have for dressings and vinaigrettes.

Have a great week!
Take it One Prep at a Time!
Chef Jackie