Balsamic Chicken

Balsamic vinegar and I have had a long love affair, dating back to my time in New York.  My roommates and I frequently ate at a restaurant called Bianca and I always ordered the balsamic poached chicken.  It was wonderful and it's something that I really miss.  I've tried a couple of times to recreate it but have never pulled it off.  I think it's probably an old family recipe that requires many hours of cooking and a few secret ingredients.  Even though this isn't quite the same, here is a great balsamic chicken recipe.

Pork Chops and Rice

Pork chops and rice is a dish my mom has been making since I was a tiny little kid.  Dad and my brother loved it because it's stick-to-your-ribs man food.  I hated it and gave Mom all kinds of grief every time we had it for dinner, flat refusing to eat anything.  Eventually I agreed to eat the rice.  I later agreed to eat the pork chop, but only with a heaping helping of ketchup.  Now I love it so much that I almost requested it for my birthday dinner.  It may sound bland, but, trust me, if you like pork, you'll love it.

Quick Banana Pudding

Mom doesn't make banana pudding often, but when she does it's fabulous and gone in a flash.  She had a very complicated recipe that involved preparing her own pudding from scratch, but ditched it after making my Aunt Lisa's version.  Here's how she does it now.

Spicy Mustard Salmon

I love salmon, but it's rare that I get to cook it because Mom greatly dislikes fish and we generally eat our meals together.  However, she doesn't eat lunch, so when I'm not substituting (like today), I try to prepare fish for lunch.  This is a great Asian-ish recipe that includes soy sauce, garlic, and spicy mustard.  Really, how could that combination of ingredients taste bad?  I hope you enjoy it!