I like salads. I really do. In my family, I definitely got the “loves veggies” gene – apparently as a baby my favorite food was creamed spinach. As an adult, some of my favorite foods include roasted broccoli and sugar snap peas. I’m weird like that.
What I don’t particularly like is bottled salad dressing. Bottled as in store bought, that is. It’s practically impossible to find one that isn’t full of extra sugar and/or vegetable oil, not to mention whatever else they like to toss in just for fun. I’d much rather just use a drizzle of 18 year aged balsamic vinegar. Unfortunately for me, that stuff is expensive and my favorite brand is located in California, so I have to ration it. Add to that the fact that I’ve been wanting to mix things up a bit…and what’s the point of having a food blog if you can’t experiment?
And so, I tossed together a bunch of ingredients and ended up with a tangy, Greek inspired vinaigrette which I oh-so-appropriately titled, “Easy Greek Vinaigrette.” Call me clever. Or boring. Or lazy. Whatever way you spin it, it doesn’t get much easier than this.
Basically, this is a combination of red wine vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, and some spices. In my case it was a McCormick’s Gourmet Blend “Greek Seasoning”, which is a mix of onion, garlic, oregano, and mint. Alternatively you could just use a blend of your favorite spices, or keep it simple and use basil and oregano. The possibilities with something this easy are endless!
This somewhat sweet, mostly tangy dressing was a great compliment to a simple arugula and tomato salad, sprinkled with some goat cheese. Wow. And what’s better is you can keep this dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week – just shake it up before you’re ready to use as separation may occur.
I have to say, I never actually thought I’d ever make my own salad dressing. But then again, I never expected to make homemade mayonnaise either. Oh, the things this blog has taught me!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
1/4 c. red wine winegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp your favorite seasoning blend
WHAT TO DO:
In a jar or tupperware container (something with a lid), add vinegar, mustard, and seasonings. Stir to combine. Add in oil and shake well. Done!
It’s so easy that I feel the need to add extra words to this blog post…just to make it longer.
Bear Family Strong 