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Sweet Maple Pasta with Walnuts
1 lb. angle hair pasta
¼ cup sugar
OWOC Vermont Maple Balsamic, to taste
Walnuts, to taste
Raisins, to taste
Sour Cream, to taste
OWOC Espresso Balsamic Vinegar, to taste
Boil pasta in salted water adding ¼ cup sugar. Boil until done. Heat large pan and add balsamic. Add walnuts and raisins to pasta and toss. Plate pasta. Add a dollop of sour cream infused with Espresso balsamic and serve warm.
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Maple Balsamic Glazed Pork Medallions
¼ cup OWOC Vermont Maple Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 Tbsp. OWOC EVOO (any mild regional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Dried or fresh thyme to taste
In a small saucepan, slowly bring balsamic to a low boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in Dijon mustard. Slice tenderloin on the bias into eight equal pieces. Place each piece between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap and pound to a ¼-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Heat EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork evenly with salt, pepper and thyme to taste. Add pork to skillet and cook for three minutes on each side. Add balsamic reduction and continue to cook for one minute or until desired degree of doneness, turning pork to coat. To serve, plate medallions and drizzle with balsamic reduction.
Alternate Serving Suggestion: Place warm medallions over seasonal greens; add candied nuts of your choice, blue cheese crumbles, etc. Warm balsamic reduction is used as the dressing.
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Maple Balsamic-Bacon Vinaigrette Spinach Salad
2 quarts young spinach leaves, stems removed, washed
4 Tbsp. OWOC Vermont Maple Balsamic
4 slices center-cut bacon, cooked to a crisp and finely crumbled
2 Tbsp. OWOC Red Wine Vinegar
½ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. finely minced shallots
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp. good quality Dijon-style mustard
4 Tbsp. OWOC Regional EVOO, your choice
Place spinach in a serving bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the maple balsamic, half the crumbled bacon, red wine vinegar, salt, half the shallots, freshly ground black pepper and mustard. Gently warm while whisking, but remove from heat before mixture reaches a simmer. Allow to cool for a minute, then whisk in the EVOO to emulsify. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Gently dress spinach with warm vinaigrette and top with remaining crumbled bacon and shallot.
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