Salad with Homemeade Vinaigrette

"It takes four men to dress a salad: a wise man for the salt, a madman for the pepper, a miser for the vinegar, and a spendthrift for the oil." ~ Anonymous

The last time I threw a party, which was quite a while ago as a matter of fact (note to self: might be time for another one) I made a big salad and put it out on the buffet table.  It wasn’t meant to be the star performer, merely an extra.   Much to my surprise, however, it almost stole the show.  Everyone loved it and now, whenever I am invited for dinner and ask the standard, “What can I bring?” the answer is invariably, “Bring that salad you make”.  So, that has become my signature “bring” around the ‘hood. 

  

It’s a pretty simple spinach salad, but it’s the dressing that makes it.  I had always taken the easy way out and gone with store bought vinaigrette but, once the spotlight had been turned on, I decided to step up my game a bit and began making my own dressing.  It’s super easy and you can control things like salt, fat content and sugar, and it’s about a tenth of the cost.  I've included recipes for a Raspberry and a Spicy Mustard Vinaigrette. Try them both and I promise, you’ll have a hard time buying dressing again.  By the way, if you remember nothing else about vinaigrette, remember this: the magic ratio of oil to vinegar is 3 to 1. As long as you know that, you won't need to consult a vinaigrette recipe ever again. Just remember three parts oil to one part vinegar and you'll be all right.
   

 Regarding the actual salad, I don’t measure anything.  I just throw a bunch of stuff in a bowl and mix it up.  The ingredients below are some of the things I like but don’t be afraid to experiment.  Add mandarin slices or watermelon, Gorgonzola or bleu, pine nuts, candied almonds or walnuts.  It’s your world, in other words...go crazy.

Salad (4 servings)

1/2 bag of baby spinach (torn into bite size pieces)

A small handful each of feta, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions, slivered almonds (toast lightly to make the flavor pop) and Craisins (coarsely chopped).

Wait until just before you’re ready to serve before tossing everything together…this will keep your salad from wilting before it hits the table

Raspberry Vinaigrette 

3/4 cup oil (canola or olive depending on your preference)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbs seedless raspberry jam
1tbs maple syrup or honey
salt and pepper, to taste
Whisk everything together until smooth.  Store leftover in a jar in the refrigerator.

Mustard Vinaigrette
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs honey
1 tbs prepared spicy mustard
1/2 tsp pepper
2-3 cloves garlic (grated over mixing bowl)
4 drops hot sauce (adjust according to your tolerance)
Salt to taste

Throw everything into a bowl and whisk together until smooth.  Store leftover in a jar in the refrigerator.