Recipe: Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar and Grilled Eggplant with Fresh Mint and Balsamic Vinegar for Renee!

Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar
Yield: 4 Servings
Source: ChiliDog's Kitchen

4 Tablespoons olive oil
3 zucchini; Sliced
3/4 Pound mushrooms; Sliced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts; halved
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Medium onions; chopped
1/2 Cup chicken broth
16 Ounces canned tomatoes; undrained
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon salt

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and saute until tender-crisp and lightly browned. Remove to plate. In skillet, add one tablespoon oil and saut mushrooms until browned. Remove to a bowl. Coat the chicken with the flour. In the same skillet, in 2 tablespoons hot oil, cook chicken until lightly browned and no longer pink inside. Remove to the bowl with the mushrooms. In skillet drippings over medium heat, saute onion until tender and browned. Slowly stir in broth. Return chicken mixture to skillet, add tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and salt and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Add zucchini, heat through and serve warm.

Grilled Eggplant with Fresh Mint and Balsamic Vinegar
Yield: 6 Servings
Source: Peggy Morgan

3 eggplants, (1 pound) sliced lengthwise
2 tb olive oil
3 onions, sliced
1 can (28-ounce) Italian plum tomatoes, drained and crushed
1 c tightly packed torn mint leaves
2 tb balsamic vinegar
8 flat anchovies filets

Preheat a grill or a stovetop grill over high heat. In a pot of boiling, salted water blanch eggplant slices for 2 minutes without crowding; you may have to do this in batches. Drain on paper towels and pat dry. Brush with olive oil and grill, covered, until slightly charred and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl. Heat oil in a saucepan and saute onions just until softened. Add tomato, heat to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Pour over eggplant. Sprinkle with mint and balsamic. Toss carefully, trying to keep slices whole. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Top decoratively with anchovies before serving. Yield: 6 appetizer servings.