DON’T MAKE EATING HEALTHY BORING

Boring food at home is the main reason why people want to eat out and that begins the chain of unhealthy eating. Here are some healthy recipes with balsamic vinegar, a very versatile and healthy ingredient Turning healthy is quite traumatic if you love eating out thrice a week. But for most of us its either that or discovering that the gourmet dishes of the local hospital after a bypass at 40 are ...well... edible cardboard. But eating healthy doesn't mean being on a permanent diet. A permanent diet is the fastest way of losing it simply because it's not a long term solution.      That said, I am not a very good cook and neither am I a creator of recipes. What I do know is that if the food at home is not interesting and varied, the urge to order in or eat out is simply overpowering. So on the great adventure of finding what works there are always many failures and some great successes – time to try and test being our biggest challenge.      One ingredient I have find very versatile but healthy is balsamic vinegar. Some balsamic vinegars have been aged for over 100 years. It is this aging process that makes true balsamic vinegar from Modena in Northern Italy so expensive. Luckily, a little balsamic vinegar goes a long way much like saffron.      Several reasons to use it beyond the obvious one that it is a low fat ingredient – it assists in producing greater disease fighting oxidants even as the amino acids may work to slow ageing process. It aids the production of digestion enzymes thus improving metabolism even as the added minerals help in strengthening of bones and fight anaemia as well as fatigue.  RECIPES  ROASTED TOMATO SALAD  Slice large tomatoes (great anti oxidant). Season well and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Roast in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil. Put it on a bed of rocket or arugular salad and voila.... Salad  Hint: This recipe easily turns into a healthy snack if you simply put the mixture over a piece of toasted heatlhy bread.  CHICKEN WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR  2 skinless chicken breasts (about a half kg) – can be cut into pieces if you prefer Olive oil spray 2 small chopped onions 2 cloves finely chopped garlic 7-8 mushrooms sliced thiny 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup white wine 2 tablespoons of fresh or dried rosemary      1 teaspoon of butter      Salt and pepper to taste  Spray a non stick pan with the olive oil spray. Brown the chicken on medium high heat for two minutes each side and transfer to a plate. In the same pan add garlic, onion and mushrooms and saute on low heat for a couple of minutes till onion is midly transclucent. Add balsamic vinegar, wine, pepper, salt and rosemary. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then return the chicken to the pan. Cover the pan and let is simmer until the chicken is cooked. Transfer the chicken to a platter and cook the sauce over high heat till it is reduced to about 1/2 cup and remove from heat. Whisk the butter and pour sauce over the chicken. Garnish with rosemary sprigs.