Vinaigrette recipe...

I've gotten angry over the years when heading through the dressing aisle at the grocery store. There's just something fundamentally wrong with purchasing large quantities of vinaigrette dressings for over $3 and $4 a bottle - and much of what is in it, you can't pronounce. What is up with that?!

The low-fat ones are the worst, really. If you look at a low-fat dressing, and compare it with it's full-fat counterpart, you'll see what I mean. Look at the back label - no, not under the calories from fat - no, down... a little further - yeah, there ya go. Look at the sugars per gram... And now, look at the ingredients... WOW! High Fructose Corn Syrup? Dextrose? Fructose? Yup - it's in the low-fat one... It's only considered low-fat because it doesn't have a lot of OIL in it... But let me tell you - the sugar will turn to fat once it's in your system... It's just as bad, if not worse than, the full-fat counterpart.

Now, don't stress about it - just don't buy it anymore. Why? Because you don't have to. Honestly, you don't. No really - making your own is so simple it's not even funny. All you need is pretty much in your kitchen right now...

I'm posting all three versions of vinaigrette that I know of. As a note - the "regular" version is my own... The basics of it will be under each heading, and then what you can add to it is in it's own category.

This is all about ratios, so if you can figure out equal parts of something, then you can do this. These all set up to serve about 4 people, give or take a few tsps.

Restaurant Vinaigrette
(ratio 1:3)
1 Tbsp vinegar
3 Tbsp oil
1/8 tsp ground mustard OR yellow mustard
salt
pepper


"Regular" Vinaigrette
(ratio 1:1)
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp oil
1/8 tsp ground mustard or yellow mustard
salt
pepper


Low-Fat Vinaigrette
(ratio 1:2:1)
1 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp fruit juice
1 Tbsp oil
1/8 tsp ground mustard or yellow mustard
salt
pepper

Oils:
Any oil you want to use, you can use. Olive, sunflower, hazelnut, walnut, vegetable - you name it, you can use it - you can even use infused oils if it tickles your fancy. The only caveat I need to post is watch the allergies - if someone is allergic to nuts, chances are you don't want to use a nut oil.

Vinegars:
Any vinegar you like the taste of would work perfectly.

Flavorings:
Garlic is an immediate go-to for me... You can also use chopped herbs like tarragon, parsley, sage, rosemary, chives, cilantro, basil, chervil, practically any green herb you can think of. Zests and juices of citrus fruits work well, as do crushed berries. Other flavorings you can try are peppers (hot and mild), and spices as well - the only thing I can say about using spices is to try and make sure you get whole spices, toast them gently, and then grind them as needed. You'll get a lot more flavor out of them that way.

How much to add? Well, it's up to you. A serving of 4, like above, should only have about 3 flavorings in them (otherwise your tongue will get overpowered). Only about 1-2 Tbsp total of the flavorings should be in that dressing.

Unlike what we do at restaurants, where you'd make a huge batch and look for perfect emulsions, this is a simple recipe, so you can put it in a small, well-sealed container, and shake it when you want it.

The nice thing about doing things this way is that you can change it up. Don't want to have tarragon-garlic vinaigrette tomorrow? No problem! This time, use basil and flat leaf parsley.

This is also a great time to start thinking of growing a few herbs in your windowsill. It's cheaper to grow them, and you can grab what you need without worrying about the rest of it never being used.

Oh - almost forgot - this is also GREAT for making marinades!

Enjoy!

Oaxacan-inspired Shrimp Salad

So, I play around in the kitchen a lot with different foods and ideas. Many times, the weather inspires me to put together whatever it is I end up serving. Other times, it's budget that constrains me... Tonight, both of these were in play, but there was nothing cheap about what came of it...

There are two componants to this salad - the first is the meat, namely shrimp. You can also do this with tilapia fillets if you like, or scallops. I wouldn't recommend any seafood that was meaty or dark, since this ends up being really delicately flavored... The second is the rest of the salad, which can be prepared up to several hours in advance...

Prep time: About 30 minutes
Cook time: About 2 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb 51-60 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 can (12 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups fresh or flash-frozen (now thawed) yellow corn
1 large red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 habanero pepper, minced
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 avocados, diced
1/2 package of queso fresco cheese, diced
2-3 Tbsp Kosher salt
1-2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

In a plastic ziploc bag, combine the first portion of the ingredients together, and let marinade at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients together, and let sit in the fridge until the shrimp have finished marinating.

Heat a large skillet to high heat. Once you see the beginnings of smoke come off the pan, add all the shrimp at once, and stir constantly. This size shrimp should be perfectly cooked in about 1-2 minutes.

Add to the salad, and let chill in the fridge. Season to taste and serve cold.

Mediterranean pasta salad

3 cups orzo pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 small jars marinated artichoke hearts (with marinade)
1 cup kalamata olives
3 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
4 oz feta cheese
2 Tbsp lemon zest
salt
pepper

Mix all ingredients together and let sit covered in fridge about 4 hrs. Serve chilled.