wayne's vinaigrette basics
(yah, i don't think it's spelled that way either...)This recipe was inspired by Electra's parents, who make the best salad I've ever tasted. They use liberal amounts of garlic, mashed with salt, and they use (I believe) white balsamic vinager. Yum.
Making a delicious salad is simple:
1) Use something that is not lettuce. I've eaten more lettuce in my life.... It's great in a Caesar salad; it's great keeping your bun off your hamburger. But please--try some arugula for once, or dandelion greens, or spinach, or mustard greens...
2) Slather your greens in vinagriette: the key ingredients are mustard and vinegar (no fat), garlic (good for the soul and preventing cancer, or something), olive oil (the good kind of fat), and other happy spicy things.
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Mash the garlic with the side of a knife. Why bother mincing it? Put in a small mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt. (Alternately, mince up a shallot and throw in instead. Or use both. It's your checkbook.)
Add a teaspoonful of Dijon mustard (or horseradish mustard, brown mustard, etc.).
Add some vinegar (red wine, white wine, rice wine, balsamic)
Add other flavorings: hot sauce, soy sauce (great with rice wine vinegar), Worchestershire sauce, chopped kalamata olives, etc.
Drizzle in olive oil (or any other fancy oil you desire), stirring as you go.
Slather aforementioned greens. Enjoy your fiber and vitamins for once...