HONEY VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

This dressing has been my very favorite for years now.  The flavors of garlic, dijon mustard, and honey work so well together and make any salad over the top delicious!

One of the reasons I like this dressing so much is that it tastes so fresh (because it is), and it is super easy to throw together!  It will keep in the fridge for several days to a week.  It could probably last longer but I am over cautious when it comes to food safety!  Tonight, I grilled some tilapia, made some garlic brown rice (it was from a box and scrumptious), and served this salad and dressing along side of them.  Healthy, filling and super tasty!

If you are used to buying bottled dressings, I would urge you to just give this a whirl.  I think you will see that it is worth the little bit of extra time it takes to make it from scratch!

HONEY VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

 (I usually double this recipe)
 

2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced

Enough salt to make a paste

1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed Lemon

2 teaspoons Honey

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup Olive Oil

Fresh Ground Pepper

 

With the back of a spoon mash the garlic and salt into a paste.

Combine the other ingredients and add to the garlic paste.

Whisk all ingredients together until well incorporated.

Serve over your choice of salad greens.

 

 

ENJOY!

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE

 

 

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

Eating healthy does not have to be boring or tasteless.   I have tried so many times to like this dressing when I go out to eat and it is just....tolerable in most restaurants.  Bottled balsamic dressing is not even worth it...I'd rather just eat plain lettuce. So, I decided to see if I could improve the taste just a bit. I did....and now it is one of my favorites! 

This dressing is seriously the quickest, easiest dressing ever.  The most important part is to purchase a good balsamic vinegar.  It makes a difference.  My favorite balsamic vinegar is one that I bought at a cooking expo.  It was an aged balsamic vinegar from Modena.  I have saved the label so I could order some online.  I saw the label just this week and then when I went to look for it, of course, I cannot find it.  But here is America's Test Kitchen's review of balsamics that they recommend.  Balsamic vinegar should be aged and thick like a syrup....although the one I used tonight was one I bought at HEB grocery store.  I just took a chance,  It was Central Market brand but when I took at little sip, it burned the back of my throat a little. 

However, I realized that have another bottle that I bought at the same expo and it was called Leonardo and Roberto's Gourmet Blend Traditional Balsamic Vinegar. It has a smooth, sweet taste.  It is so good that I could probably just put it on my salad without making a vinaigrette.   As balsamic vinegar ages, it gets richer and sweeter and loses its acidity.  So, this is one brand that I can testify to the taste.  Another thing, balsamic vinegars are a little costly for the good ones.  This bottle cost around $50 but it is worth it and it goes a long way!  If you do not want to purchase online, I am thinking that any gourmet kitchen store would probably have a good balsamic vinegar.  Beaumont is about 20 minutes from my home and they have a great kitchen store called Kitchen Concepts, I bet they would probably have several to choose from for those of you who live close.

Tonight, I cooked salmon and served it with baked sweet potatoes and a salad with this dressing.  I hope you will give it a try...healthy, easy, delicious....perfect combo!


BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper (I always taste and add a little more!)

Put in a mason jar or cruet with a lid and shake well!

ENJOY!

 

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE

LEMON VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

One of my biggest pet peeves, when I go out to dinner, is that almost every restaurant offers a salad but they dress it with a bottled dressing.  Usually, those dressings are full of calories and taste yucky (I tried to come up with a better word but it fits!)   Dressings are so easy to make.  They take no time at all and they store in your refrigerator for sometimes a few weeks.

I have several salad dressing recipes that I will share with y'all over the next few days.  I made this one yesterday and it took me like 10 minutes or maybe even less.  This recipe does have the tang of the lemon and vinegar, so something sweet compliments it really well.  It goes so well with fruit that  I literally dunked leftover mangos into the vinaigrette and ate them!!

One of my favorite salads at a restaurant is Katharine & Company's Mango Avocado Salad.  I, of course, do not have their recipe but that is what inspired me to create the Lemon Vinaigrette.  I threw together a spinach and spring greens salad, topped with my brined grilled chicken from the night before, sliced mangos, sliced red onion, chunky bites of avocado, crumbled goat cheese with salt and pepper to taste.  I drizzled the lemon vinaigrette over it and it was amazing! 

If you have never made dressings from scratch before, I would urge you to try one.  I will be posting the recipes for my Poppy Seed Dressing, Honey Vinaigrette,Balsamic Vinaigrette and Fresh Cucumber Dressing soon.    I say if you're going to eat salad...you should look forward to it!!  Agreed?


LEMON VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
 (this makes a small amount, you might want to double)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (nothing else will do)
1/2 cup Olive Oil (I use the light flavored version
2 teaspoons Honey
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a food processor and process or
place in a mason jar and shake until all is blended well.

You can store this in the refrigerator for 2 days.

ENJOY!

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE