balsamic & lime vinaigrette

Remember when I talked about preferring homemade salad dressing over here? The store bought stuff tastes perfectly fine but 1) when I make my own I feel like I can TASTE the ingredients which to me makes something even more delicious and 2) I know what goes in it and I can make modifications if I want. Control freak, much? heehee...

I read somewhere once that if something (store bought product) has more than seven ingredients, avoid it. Of course there are exceptions, but what that says is that there is a lot of junk in our junk. Take a look at this salad dressing label.

I am no chemistry wiz, but what the heck IS disodium phosphate? 

This balsamic and lime vinaigrette from GP's book My Father's Daughter is delicious, easy and one of my favorites to mix up. All you need is olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey or agave, a lime, salt and pepper. It's tangy, sweet and GP says all her friends ask for the recipe. Trust me, it is very tasty. Let's do it!

In a bowl or jar with a lid that will seal, add two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. 

Add two tablespoons of honey or agave (when using honey I cut it back to one, it's plenty sweet).

Whisk in 1/4 cup plus two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, six tablespoons total. Hold your pinkie in a goofy manner for flair.

Add one tablespoon of fresh lime juice. I like use about half a lime.

A few pinches of salt, some black pepper, mix and you’re done! I like to store it in a container with a lid so I can shake it up when I'm ready to use it. It will separate out between uses. This makes about half a cup or 8 tablespoons of dressing. While not low cal, you can feel good about this clean dressing which has about 100 calories per tablespoon.

Today, I sprinkled it over a quick lunch salad of leftover steak, cherry tomatoes and romaine lettuce.

It would also be fantastic on veggies like squash, zucchini and peppers hot off the grill. Or even a cold, marinated veggie salad. Maybe grill the veggies above, toss in some artichoke hearts and this dressing and chill for a cold summer side dish. Toss that with pasta for a pasta salad. Might have to try that soon. 

If you prefer a creamy dressing, I also love this Pioneer Woman buttermilk ranch that my mother in law makes when she visits.

Do you have a favorite homemade salad dressing?

Balsamic & Lime Vinaigrette

·         2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

·         2 tablespoons light agave nectar (or honey)

·         1 tablespoons fresh lime juice

·         6 tablespoons olive oil

·         Coarse salt

·         Freshly ground black pepper

Whisk vinegar with agave nectar and lime juice in a bowl. Slowly whisk in oil; add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

This and several other GP recipes are over at Self.com HERE.