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October 6, 2009

Balsamic Dijon Dressing



What dinner could possibly follow the butter and sugar laden brunch of Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes? In my mind there was only answer, and that was to build the biggest and most veggie packed salad imaginable. This wasn't just a "I know I should" sort of thing, my body actually craved a pile of raw vegetables. I dug through the cabinets and refrigerator for every veggie possible and put myself to work chopping for about 45 minutes. My boyfriend was over for dinner and he stopped a few bites in and said, "Are there almonds in this? .. I think this might be the best salad I've ever had in my life." A few bites later he stopped, "Are there avocados in this? .. This is the best salad I've ever had in my life!" I agreed -- this salad definitely hit the spot. I'm not sure if I can recall all of the things in it, but here's what I can remember: carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, avocado, toasted almonds, black olives, bulgarian feta, beets, mushrooms, red onion, broccoli and cauliflower.

I looked in the refrigerator at the couple of packaged salad dressings I had and I was uninspired. The bottle of dijon mustard, however, grabbed my attention. A quick search for a homemade dressing of the dijon influence yielded this Balsamic Dijon Dressing. Two of my favorite dressing flavors together! This dressing was fantastic and it played a huge role in this being "the best salad I've ever made".



Balsamic Dijon Dressing
(from cdkitchen)

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1/2 cup olive oil

Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

3 comments:

  1. Oh Wow! Your salad looks absolutely delicious! I really LOVE how you used up what you have in the kitchen and turn them into a perfect dinner. I've stopped buying salad dressing from the store since the New Year so I'm so glad to find this new quick and easy recipe, thank you so much for sharing.

    p.s. Also thanks for the link to cdkitchen, I love it:)

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  2. Yummy salad (for me, anything with Dijon mustard is a plus!), but what is interesting is that you have the same response to too much sugar that I do - I need a salad. No, I CRAVE a salad. Ditto for too much heavy food. I guess we just have some sort of internal balancing mechanism - probably very healthy, indeed.

    Cheers!

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  3. Mmmm I have times too where all I want is a big plate full of salad. Yours sounds incredible! And yum on the dressing. I LOVE Dijon mustard!

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