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| Paris, 2012 |
Today's post is a roundup of various yummy dishes made with a simple vinaigrette.
The basic recipe for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part acid. You can experiment with different oils:
- Olive oil -the traditional oil element
- Walnut oil
- Sesame oil -for a rich Asian flavor
- Canola oil
- Even hot bacon grease for dishes like the Southern wilted lettuce
You can also play around with different acids:
- White vinegar
- Red wine vinegar
- White wine vinegar
- Rice vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Lime juice
And you can also add some other ingredients for various tastes:
- Dijon mustard -to make a French vinaigrette
- Garlic and oregano -to make an Italian dressing
Most Americans are familiar with using vinaigrette as a salad dressing, but vinaigrette is an amazingly versatile sauce for various dishes including:
- Lentilles en Vinaigrette (Lentils in Vinaigrette) -lentils
- Salad Antibes -tomatoes
- Anne Burrell's Asparagus Salad -asparagus (Delicious and unique! Folks have a hard time figuring out what the diced asparagus is.)
- Ina Garten's Celery and Parmesan Salad -This delicious and unusual take on celery is similar to Anne Burrell's asparagus salad except with celery.
- Ina Garten's Avocado and Grapefruit Salad -an amazing blend of buttery avocado and tangy grapefruit
- Pico de Gallo Beans -I have also experimented with a tasty alternative to this recipe where I use a bit of vinaigrette to provide a tang for a cold blackeye pea salad.
- Cucumbers -In Germany I've had a number of salads consisting of grated cucumbers tossed with a vinaigrette.
- Potatoes -Also in Germany, one traditional version of a warm potato salad consists of skinned, sliced, and cooked potatoes mixed with a vinaigrette and bits of bacon.
- marinade -Vinaigrettes are often mixed with herbs to make delicious marinades.
On what other vegetables and dishes can you use this versatile dressing?
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