Homemade Dijon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Does anyone else get annoyed at the hosts of cooking shows who really tout how wonderful and easy it is to make homemade salad dressing? Such was the case with Clinton Kelly on “The Chew.” Blah, blah, blah my salad dressing is so fantastic and it just takes moments to make. This is coming from the same people who have hair and make-up artists to help them get ready in the morning and have assistants to chop their onions for them. I have no time for those chefs who make these fantastic things with ingredient lists 25 items long that take hours of braising. That’s not real life folks! With that attitude, I hesitate to post homemade salad dressing recipes because there’s nothing easier than buying dressing out of a bottle. I won’t sit here and tell you that your life is going to be dramatically altered after you taste this salad dressing, but I will tell you that it’s a nice change if you are going to spend some time preparing a meal that’s special.

Recently I made this dressing and served it on a simple bed of romaine lettuce. I think I added some dried fruit too, maybe some craisins. I usually try and add some fun crunchy toppings because dear hubby thinks that all salads need “accessories.” Man, he’s become high maintenance in his salad demands J We had some friends over for supper and I made one of our “company” meals. Meaning I usually don’t put that much time or effort into an ordinary weeknight meal for just the family. Our “company” meal consisted of a beef roast with onions and carrots, mashed potatoes, gravy, spoon cornbread and my lettuce salad. The salad added an element of crunch to an otherwise soft meal. The dressing has a nice bite to it, so it adds a sour element that would otherwise be missing.

So if you have a few extra moments and are making a “company” meal, this dressing would be a great finishing touch!

Clinton Kelly’s Dijon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard (leftover in jar)
• 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Shallots (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

Note: I doubled the recipe as the measurements above won’t yield much dressing for four people. I also used my immersion blender to ensure emulsification, but you could easily use a jar and just go to town shaking.