Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing [Zack]

I’ve come a long way from my early cooking days in my presentation.  My improvements have come less from an increase in skill, but I now take a little bit of time to conceptualize and arrange the plates before serving.  I used to think that the flavors of my food would speak for themselves, but taking an extra minute or two to wipe down a plate or to add some fresh accent colors to a dish makes a marked difference.

Note:  Unless you are my Mom (who will light candles and use accents like parsley when eating alone), this tip only applies when you are cooking for others.  When I’m fixing a salad for myself, I use large Tupperware container indiscriminately add the ingredients.  I pour the dressing over the top, cover it with a lid, and shake until the dressing is evenly distributed.  I plop a few warmed goat cheese circles to the top, and voila! 

This recipe is my new favorite dressing recipe for your fancy or Tupperware salad.  The light sweetness from the Raspberry jam offsets the tartness from the vinegar, and is balanced with a great umami note from the soy sauce and mustard.  Goat cheese is the perfect complement to the dressing.

Process:

Making salad dressing in a jar is one of my favorite life pro tips.  Just spoon or pour each ingredient into the jar, cover with a lid, and shake like crazy.  It will emulsify your dressing, plus if you don’t use it all, it’s ready to go into the fridge for a second use.

Therefore, add the raspberry jam, mustard, olive oil, vinegar, and soy sauce to the jar.

Give it a good shake, and dress your salad with it.  I like to shake it (Always Sunny reference)

Pour it over your salad to lightly coat the leaves.  You can toss the salad in a bowl, then add the rest of the ingredients for a nice visual.

My salad was:  warmed goat cheese circles, butter lettuce, sliced red peppers, and whole grain croutons (sautee leftover bread cubes in olive oil, butter, and any powders or herbs that you enjoy).

Ingredients:

3T raspberry jam
2tsp dijon mustard
3T extra virgin olive oil
2T apple cider vinegar
1tsp soy sauce
freshly-cracked black pepper

Song:  John Legend - who did that to you