Splash on the Flavor with Nakano Seasoned Rice Vinegars

I will be the first person to tell you that our family meals are B-O-R-I-N-G! We tend to eat the same things week after week, and almost always things are cooked the same way too. Trust me, it’s not by MY choice. If I had it my way I’d be experimenting with a new meal every day. It’s my family that are the boring eaters.

My husband is from a large Italian family. You would think he’d be open to the idea of flavorful foods. Nope. He’s not. He won’t even eat Seafood. On Christmas Eve my mother in law used to make every seafood you could imagine… eel, lobster, crab, shrimp, fish and more. Because my husband won’t even entertain the thought of trying those foods his mother would make him a roast beef. Sheesh!

I do try and mix things up whenever possible. I like to experiment with different herbs, spices and other seasonings. Sometimes it works out, other times it bombs. I still remember trying to use mustard (my husband hates mustard). I tried to sneak it into a recipe but unfortunately my husband smelled it the moment he walked in the door and refused to eat what I made. There have also been plenty of times where I’ve been able to slip in something different that either goes unnoticed or my family ends up enjoying it.

I recently received some samples of Nakano Seasoned Rice Vinegar. I have seen flavored vinegars before but have never tried them. I honestly don’t know what to do with flavored vinegars. I do use Balsamic vinegar, but that is about it.

I received a sample of Nakano Original and Nakano Roasted Garlic seasoned vinegars. I also received a recipe book which I was very grateful for because like I mentioned, I didn’t know how to use flavored vinegars. I also found more recipes on the Mizkan website, Mizkan.com/recipes.

I looked through the recipes to see if there was something I could try that my family might enjoy. I found a recipe for Bow-tie Pasta and Chicken in Garlic Cream Sauce. I tweaked the recipe a bit and used cut up chicken pieces instead of the chicken thighs like the recipe calls for. I’ve never cooked chicken thighs before. It was easier for me to broil a couple of chicken breasts and cut them up to use in the recipe.

When I think of vinegar I think of something with a very powerful taste. I know some people drink vinegar for health reasons. I find vinegar too powerful to have on it’s own.

I was concerned that the Nakano seasoned vinegar (in this recipe I used the Roasted Garlic) would stand out and be too strong. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the taste was not powerful. You can taste the garlic and a bit of a “kick” but it’s doesn’t have the strong vinegar taste like you would expect. Perhaps that is because its a rice vinegar? I’m not sure.

I also used the Roasted Garlic rice vinegar to make an Easy Veggie Salad recipe that I found on the site as well. It calls for fresh beans (which my kids love), broccoli and asparagus. My kids only eat broccoli steamed and they don’t like asparagus so I altered the recipe a bit. I used beans, red and green pepper slices and onion with a splash of the Roasted Garlic vinegar. It turned out great! It was the perfect side dish to the steak we were having that nice. It was so easy to make and perfect for the summer time since the veggies are in season and it doesn’t involve any cooking.

I personally tried the original rice vinegar myself (my family hasn’t tried it yet). I love Fish & Chips (fish and french fries). I grew up eating fish with a splash of vinegar on it. Since the only fish my kids eat is tuna, salmon and fish sticks I opted to make some fresh fish from the seafood place down the street and some steak fries. I drizzled on the original flavor Nakano rice vinegar. It was nice. It has a much lighter taste than traditional vinegar. It’s not as strong.

Over all I liked experimenting with the Nakano flavored rice vinegars. I’ve tried to add flavor to dishes with herbs and spices. Never did I think about using flavored vinegar to add flavor to my meals.

Nakano rice vinegars are available in a variety of flavors including Original, Roasted Garlic, Natural, Basil & Oregano, Red Pepper, Italian Herb Red Wine and Balsamic Blend. Of the two I tried I like the Roasted Garlic the best. Of the other flavors I would love to try the Balsamic Blend, Italian Red Wine and the Basil & Oregano.

Nakano is having a 60-Day Splash It On, Step It Up Challenge. It’s hosted on Facebook (application). The challenge is to encourage participants to eat more veggies, get more active and lead a healthier lifestyle. The special Facebook application will including helpful fitness and health features such as a step tracker, healthy eating and fitness tips.

You can win great prizes too!

First prize is a one year gym membership. If participants record over a million steps they will over a second prize. That winner will receive six personal training sessions. A third prize winner will receive a Nakano workout bag.

Also check out Splash for Cash. The Splash Recipe Club includes a blog and great recipes. Each month a Splash subscriber will have a chance to win $150.00! That is awesome!

If you would like to learn more about Nakano flavored rice vinegars visit Mizhan.com/Brands/Nakano/ProductsandFlavors. Also, don’t forget to check out their Facebook Page and their Twitter page (@NakanoSplash).

Kimberly

*I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Nakano and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

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