SMOKY CHERRY BALSAMIC SAUCE
When you find a sauce that can be used with savory plus sweet dishes, and both applications produce moans of pleasure from your guests, then you’ve hit a culinary jackpot! Smoky Cherry Balsamic Sauce is one of those rare sauces!
Makes 6 cups
2, 12 oz. bags froz. pitted red cherries, thawed
1 c. 100% grape juice
1 c. beet juice
1/4 t. pink Himalayan salt
1 c. water
1 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. Grade A maple syrup
2/3 c. Balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1-2 t. liquid smoke or to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1.75 oz. pkg. SURE-JELL premium fruit pectin
1/3 c. cornstarch mixed in cup with 1/3 c. water till completely dissolved
In large saucepan place all ingredients, except pectin and liquid cornstarch. Stir well, then cook over medium heat till boiling point, then reduce heat and cook about 10 minutes, stirring as needed.
Add pectin all at once, stirring continuously till dissolved and liquid becomes silky.
Add cornstarch liquid, stirring continuously till dissolved. Continue to cook about 10 minutes longer, stirring often. Remove from heat. When cooled to room temperature pour into lidded jars and refrigerate to use as needed.
Notes: Using the cornstarch liquid with the pectin creates a smoother sauce that doesn’t clump up when chilled, allowing for a cold, warm or hot presentation.
APPLICATIONS:
1- Serve over sauteed veggies and rice. An example:
SWEET SOUR PEPPER MUSHROOM RED RICE
Sauteed green pepper, crimini mushroom and red onion with fresh ginger sticks, garlic and grape tomatoes. Served with red rice tossed with fresh cilantro, parsley and basil. Covered with a Smoky Cherry Balsamic Sauce.
Serves 6-8
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 lg. green peppers, cored and sliced
1 lb. crimini (or white button) mushrooms, trimmed, washed and sliced
1 lg. red onion, peeled and cut into chunks
2 t. pink Himalayan salt
fresh grind black pepper
2 thumb-size pieces fresh ginger, peeled, sliced thinly into planks, then stacked and cut into tiny sticks
2 c. grape tomatoes, cut in half from end to end
8-10 med. size fresh garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
2 c. Smoky Cherry Balsamic Sauce
In extra-large skillet, over medium-high heat, melt olive oil.
When skillet is very hot, add peppers, mushrooms and onion. Stir to distribute, then add salt and pepper, stirring again to distribute.
Saute over medium-high heat till all liquid extracted from the mushroom evaporates and veggies glisten and become charred in some spots.
Reduce heat and add cherry balsamic sauce, stirring to coat. Heat till hot.
Add ginger sticks, garlic and grape tomatoes. Stir, cook till hot and bubbly throughout. Turn heat off and serve over cooked rice.
Use any type rice you want. For this dish, this time I used red rice:
3-1/2 c. water
2 T. vinegar – any kind you have on hand
2 t. pink Himalayan salt
2 c. red rice
1 c. fresh chopped parsley
1 c. fresh chopped basil
1 c. chopped fresh cilantro
In large saucepan combine water, vinegar, rice and salt. Bring to boil, stir well, reduce heat to low and tightly cover. Cook 10 minutes.
Remove cover, stir up from bottom, replace cover and cook 20 minutes longer or till tender as you like.
Transfer cooked rice to extra-large bowl. Add all fresh herbs and stir till evenly distributed throughout rice.
To serve: Either mold rice in custard cup and invert onto serving plate or scoop rice onto individual plates, then top with sauteed veggies and sauce. Garnish with fresh herbs.
2- Next, we have 2 desserts using the Smoky Cherry Balsamic Sauce:
dairy-free ice cream – I used LOTTA MINT CHIP by Nada Moo Organic
store bought ginger snaps (accidentally vegan) with Lucky’s store brand on the label
SMOKY CHERRY BALSAMIC SAUCE
Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup (accidentally vegan)
SO DELICIOUS COCOWHIP non-dairy frozen coconut whip topping
Grade A maple syrup
ALMOND CHOCOLATE CRUMBLE or other nut crumble of choice
Spoon ice cream into bowls.
Surround with ginger snap cookies.
Pour couple spoonfuls Smoky Cherry Balsamic Sauce over ice cream.
Drizzle with chocolate sauce.
Top with spoonfuls of whip topping.
Drizzle with maple syrup.
Serve and eat immediately. Wow.
Notes: One pint ice-cream made two servings. I’m glad Steve only bought a pint, since we hadn’t tried it before, otherwise we easily could have eaten two pints between us.
3- Another dessert, this time using fresh fruit:
fresh blueberries, washed
bananas, peeled and sliced
Smoky Cherry Balsamic Sauce
Hershey’s Chocolate Sauce
SO DELICIOUS COCOWHIP frozen whip topping
Place blueberries, banana slices and as much Smoky Cherry Balsamic Sauce as you want in mixing bowl. Toss to evenly distribute.
Spoon into dessert cups. Top with frozen whip topping thawed just a bit.
Drizzle with chocolate sauce, then top with Almond Chocolate Crumble.
Serve alone or with cookies. I used ginger snaps because they go so well with the cherry balsamic sauce.
https://animal-freesous-chef.com/2019/12/28/almond-walnut-chocolate-crumble/
ANIMAL-FREE SOUS-CHEF™ 
One thought on “Smoky Cherry Balsamic Sauce”