New twists on vinaigrette
By Judy Hevrdejs
(MCT)
It takes longer to spell vinaigrette than it does to make it. Vinegar. Oil. Salt. Pepper. Mix it up. Splash it on the season's first greens.
Taste. Consider the elements of your salad. Adjust.
Now improvise.
Embellish it with herbs, spices, mustard or honey. Drizzle it on blanched asparagus, sliced tomatoes, grilled vegetables, fish or meat.
The key to success: balancing the acid (vinegar or lemon juice, for example) and oil (olive, corn, etc.) to complement a salad's ingredients.
Strong-flavored lettuces, pickled vegetables, a Cobb salad, delicate greens or subtle fruit—they each require a different balance of vinegar to oil.
TIPS:
Add interest with vinegars: mild rice or sweet balsamic, tangy red wine or apple cider.
Oils range from mild vegetable to olive; go easy with intensely flavored seed (sesame) or nut (walnut, hazelnut) oils.
When a salad is served after an entree such as roast chicken or beef, add a bit of the pan juices to the vinaigrette.
Use a fork, a whisk, a blender — or a clean screw-top jar.
Lettuce leaves should be dry so dressing clings to them.
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BASIC VINAIGRETTE
Prep: 5 minutes Makes: About 1/2 cup
Adapted from the 12th edition of "The Fannie Farmer Cookbook" (first published in 1896).
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
Mix vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl; let stand a few minutes. Slowly stir or whisk in oil. Taste for acid and salt; add more if needed. Stir to blend before using, or store in a jar with a tight lid in refrigerator; shake well before using.
Variations:
Mustard French dressing: Add 1 to 11/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard to the vinegar. Blend. Proceed with recipe.
French dressing with fresh herbs: Add 2 teaspoons fresh chopped herbs, such as basil, chervil or tarragon.
Chiffonade dressing: Add 1 tablespoon minced parsley, 2 tablespoons minced sweet red pepper, 1 tablespoon minced onion, and 2 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped.
Nutrition information: Per tablespoon: 120 calories, 100 percent of calories from fat, 14 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, 146 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
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PINEAPPLE-SESAME VINAIGRETTE
Prep: 5 minutes Makes: 1 3/4 cups
3/4 cups each: canola oil, pineapple juice
1/4 cup dark roasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon each: honey, soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Whisk all ingredients together vigorously in a bowl, blender or food processor. Stir to blend before using, or store in a jar with a tight lid in refrigerator; shake well before using.
Nutrition information
Per tablespoon: 76 calories, 92 percent of calories from fat, 8 g fat,
1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 64 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
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(c) 2009, Chicago Tribune.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.