Vinaigrettes

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Vinaigrettes

Basic homemade vinaigrette salad dressing

Ingredients :
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
1-1/2 Tablespoons raw blackberry honey
dash of sea salt and pinch of fresh ground pepper

Preparation :Place all ingredients except olive oil in a medium mixing bowl, whisk until honey and sea salt have dissolved. Add extra virgin olive oil and whisk together until emulsified.Drizzle over fresh spring greens. You can garnish with chopped walnuts and raisins.

Balsamic vinaigrette with honey.

Ingredients :
2 - 3 Tablespoons of aged Balsamic Vinegar
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
A dash of sea salt, fine grained
A dash of fresh ground black pepper
A Tablespoon of a mild honey, star thistle honey will work very well

Preparation : In a medium bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, and the honey. Add fresh ground pepper and sea salt a little at a time, taste to adjust flavor to your preference. Make sure both the olive oil and the honey are quality ingredients; these will determine the flavor for your balsamic vinaigrette. Use balsamic vinaigrette immediately over fresh garden green salads.

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Ingredients :
7 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Preparation :

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and sauté until golden, about 1 minute. Transfer garlic mixture to blender. Add blue cheese, white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, sugar, hot pepper sauce, salt, pepper and remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil; blend well. Transfer vinaigrette to bowl. Mix in chopped basil. (Vinaigrette can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Classic French balsamic vinaigrette.

Ingredients :
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon gourmet Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic , pressed through a garlic press
1 tsp gourmet raw honey (optional)

Preparation : Put balsamic, Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil and pressed garlic in a tightly capped container or jar. Shake together until emulsified. Toss with salad. Will also make a great meat or vegetable marinade. Makes about 4 servings.

Greek Lemon Dressing

Ingredients :
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (1 tablespoon fresh, chopped, if available)
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary (1 tablespoon fresh, chopped, if available)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Thin strips of lemon zest

Preparation :

Combine all ingredients in a screw-top jar. Shake vigorously until the dressing is well blended. Refrigerate several hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend. Remove the strips of lemon zest before serving and use them to garnish the salad.

Italian Salad Dressing

Ingredients :
6 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparation :

Place oil in bowl; add garlic and stir well. Discard bits of garlic [we do not]. Add all other ingredients and beat well with a wire whisk. Add herbs to your taste – basil, oregano, anchovies, crushed red peppers. Chopped fresh scallions, powdered mustard, parsley, etc. Also 1 teaspoon minced celery leaves. Be sure to beat well. Refrigerate. Take out of refrigerator 1 hour before using.

Mustard and Red Wine Vinaigrette

Ingredients :
1 cup dry red wine
7 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped shallots or scallions
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup safflower oil
1/2 cup olive oil

Preparation :

Boil wine, 5 tablespoons vinegar, shallots and bay leaves in a heavy small non-aluminum saucepan until the liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Pour the reduction into a medium bowl; cool. Discard the bay leaves. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and the mustard into the reduction. Gradually whisk in both oils. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Red raspberry vinaigrette.

Ingredients :
1/4 cup red raspberry vinegar
1/4 tsp sugar
1 small shallot peeled and minced
1 tbsp chopped walnuts, (your option)
2 tsp Italian parsley finely minced
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup walnut oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Preparation : In a medium-size bowl combine the raspberry vinegar, minced shallot, sugar, and Italian parsley. Add walnuts if you are going to use them. Whisk in the walnut oil and the peanut oil until mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. If necessary add a pinch more of sugar. Makes about 1 cup. Red raspberry vinegar has a delicate flavor but it combines with nut oils very well. Chopped walnuts add to the texture of the vinaigrette but also brings a wonderful nutty flavor to the vinaigrette. A red raspberry vinaigrette is ideal for green garden salads, salads with white meat such as chopped chicken breast, and fruit salads. Walnut oil does not store well so make this vinaigrette in small quantities.

Herbed Oil and vinegar simple Dressing

Ingredients :
1 sprig fresh oregano, minced
1 sprig fresh thyme, minced
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preparation : Using a medium mixing bowl combine the oregano, thyme, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix together and pour mixture into a bottle. Cover tightly and store at room temperature. Serve over fresh garden green salad. yield: 1 cup.

Lemon garlic Vinaigrette

Ingredients :
lb large fresh tiger shrimp unshelled
6 cloves of garlic peeled and pressed through a garlic press
1/3 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 T minced fresh Italian parsley
1.5 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
1.5 teaspoons grated lemon zest, (lemon peel)
Coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preparation :

Bring to boil a large pot of salted water. Add shrimp and cook until bright orange in color, will take about 2 minutes. Drain the shrimp, and after they have cooled to touch, remove the shells and set to one side. In a medium bowl combine garlic, squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, herbs and lemon zest. Whisk thoroughly together. Season to personal taste with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Add shrimp and carefully toss to coat Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Tropical Vinaigrette

Ingredients :
1 mango, peeled with seed removed
1/2 cup passion fruit juice
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
salt to taste
honey to taste

Preparation : Blend the mango and passion fruit juice in a blender. Combine the vinegar and lime juice in a small bowl. Add vinegar mixture and peanut oil to the mango while the blender is slowly running. Mix in orange juice, salt, and honey. Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container. Yield: about 2 cups

Tarragon Vinaigrette

Ingredients :
2 tablespoons gourmet Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
2 pounds fresh asparagus spears

Preparation : In a small bowl place mustard and whisk in the vinegar, salt and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly, until completely incorporated. Stir in the shallots and tarragon. Set to one side for at least 15 minutes.

This vinaigrette work very well with warm the asparagus.. Steam, roast or grill the spears whole until just tender when pierced with a fork. Do not overcook. Arrange the still-warm asparagus on a warm serving plate, spoon the dressing over it and turn the asparagus gently to coat. Serves 4 to 6

Warm tomato vinaigrette

Ingredients :
1 lb fresh vine ripe tomatoes
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ lemon squeezed
2 tablespoons fresh herbs i.e. fresh basil oregano, chives, Italian parsley, marjoram, and thyme (you can substitute cilantro for mixed herbs)
Sea salt and ground pepper

Preparation : Peel tomatoes in this manner: Carefully place whole tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove, drain, and immediately place them in ice water. Drain tomatoes and peel skins. Core tomatoes and discard seeds. Chop tomatoes and set aside. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy pan and sauté the minced shallots until soft. Add pressed garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes. Now add the chopped tomatoes and stir until completely heated through. Add remaining olive oil, vinegar, squeezed lemon juice, and fresh herbs. Toss all ingredients until mixed. Remove from heat add sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Serve over Fillet of Sole, pasta, rice, or poached chicken breasts. Serve warm as vinaigrette sauce. Makes about 3 cups

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