Gourmet Balsamic Strawberries

These are sensational. Treat your tastebuds to this very easy and healthy snack or dessert. The flavours are complementary and are really worth a try!

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 250  g strawberries (Washed, hulled and halved)
• 3  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar (Good quality)
• 2 -2 1⁄2 tablespoons Splenda sugar substitute (or Honey or Sugar, to personal sweetness taste)
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cracked black pepper (Freshly milled)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Directions

1. Mix all in a dish and marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
2. Alternative Notes: Make a glaze: In a small saucepan, mix 2.5 Tb caster sugar (no substitutes ie. not splenda), vanilla, pepper and balsamic vinegar with 2 tablespoons of water and cook over a low - medium heat, stirring continuously, until all of the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has reduced by half to a sticky syrup. (This takes about 5 minutes). Allow to cool. Pour over strawberries and marinate for 1 hour.
3. Serving Suggestions: Serve as is, or on hot pancakes or crepes with vanilla ice cream, or in a tall martini glass with vanilla creme fraiche or vanilla yoghurt garnished with freshly milled cracked black pepper and pistatios or lightly toasted almond flakes and a basil or mint leaf, or topped on a bowl of vanilla ice cream, or on a chocolate fudge (300ml cream with 300g dark chocolate melted and combined then divided into 4 serving cups and refigerated for an hour til firm) with a dollop of cream.