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.
