Fig-Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Figs blended with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup....well, what's not to love? This lovely salad dressing is delicious atop a salad of fresh organic greens, maple roasted walnuts, heirloom apples, and fresh figs. Sounds gourmet-ish doesn't it?

Well, you could pour yourself a glass of wine and imagine yourself sans children dining at one of those fancy, expensive restaurants. I do anyways. It's a nice break from watching the twin toddler WWF wrestling matches we have going on here all day.

This dressing recipe was inspired by a salad served at Cafe Gratitude last weekend. My friend and colleague, Dr. Jean Layton, walked to this wonderful, gluten-free, mostly raw restaurant in San Francisco. I ordered the "I am Celebrating" which consisted of a deep dish pizza made from raw buckwheat groats and sunflower seeds topped with an olive tapenade, fresh tomatoes, and a nut cheese. The large salad that came with it was drizzled with a luscious fig-balsamic dressing. The whole meal was so amazing I decided to order another to go. The fig dressing still lingered with me so I decided to recreate it.....

Balsamic Roasted Chicken with Figs and Sweet Onions

Every now and then I will bake a whole, organic chicken for dinner. Since figs and sweet onions are in season right now I am finding more creative ways to use them!

Roasting the figs and onions with the chicken brings out mouth-watering sweet and savory flavors in the juices. The onions practically melt in your mouth after 2 hours of roasting. To serve, slice the chicken and drizzle with the juices, onions, and figs. I serve this over brown rice but cooked quinoa or steamed, mashed winter squash would be equally as delicious. We also like to add a few green olives on the side as a treat. :)

This recipe would also be delicious served with my Zucchini Bake and a green salad with my Everyday Salad Dressing. Or try it with this Soaked Whole Grain Flatbread recipe.