Grilled Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Glaze

Grilled Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Glaze

The Mediterranean diet is well known for its promotion of healthful fats including olive oil, nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, olives and avocados along with fatty fish (salmon and tuna).  It also emphasizes  whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables.  I wrote about the Mediterranean diet about a year ago in my post HERE.  A Boston-based non-profit organization called Oldways, whose main mission is to promote and preserve culinary traditions around the world and to combat problems associated with chronic diseases through traditional ways of eating, established May as Mediterranean Diet month.  Now that’s a celebration in my book.  I love these wonderful ingredients and how they combine into some of the most flavorful dishes on the planet while being essential to good health.  I’ve added the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, created by Oldways which illustrates the heart-healthy and diabetes prevention foods we need to be including in our diets every day.  I’m striving to pattern the balance of Inside Karen’s Kitchen  after this model.  I think I do more chicken than fish, but it’s a goal.  How does your diet match up?

You can see that it’s based on colorful, fresh and healthy foods you won’t find in boxes or convenience stores.  I love the emphasis on non-food behaviors including daily physical activity and enjoying meals with others.

In honor of Mediterranean Diet month I created Grilled Caprese Chicken, a marinated grilled chicken breast topped with Mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes and basil finished with a balsamic vinegar reduction.  My oh my, this is a recipe for the highlight reel.  Seriously, I’ve been eating this dish for days and then making it again and again because it’s so delicious, easy-to-prepare with ingredients you most likely have (or will start having around because you’ll want to make this over and over like I do) and because everyone at the table appreciates it.

It turns ordinary grilled chicken into something you want to share and write home about.  I hope you do just that.  And with the grilling season right around the corner you won’t have to look very far for your first grilling dish.  It’s right here.

The balsamic vinegar glaze is simply balsamic vinegar combined with brown sugar which is brought to a simmer and reduced by half to create a smooth, slightly thickened sauce, not as thick as syrup, but close.  But oh the flavor addition to the chicken is AWE-mazing.  You’ll have to put up with a little vinegar smell in the house when you reduce the mixture, but it is so worth the effort.  Happy Mediterranean Diet Month.  May all your meals be full of olive oil with love from my kitchen to yours.

One year ago:  Spinach and Feta Cheese Omelet