(Sorry, there’s no picture, but I forgot to take one. My bad!)

There is just something about building your own salad dressing that totally appeals to me. First of all, the frugal gal in me loves saving money whenever possible. Of course, I also love spending money, but that’s a subject for another time!

But when it comes to salad dressing, I’m completely in favor of spending good money on extra virgin olive oil, really great balsamic vinegar, top notch Dijon mustard, shallots, fresh lemons, fresh garlic, etc. etc. Because however much I spend on the ingredients, I am invariably going to come out ahead on both flavor and money spent if I build the dressing myself. Not that there aren’t good tasting salad dressing available in our local grocery stores. But like I have said many times before, who needs some of the ingredients in bottled dressing that have as many letters in their name as supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!  

But, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, an adjective BTW, means extraordinarily good; wonderful. (Don’t believe me, look it up!) Whereas, some of the long, unpronounceable words in the ingredient list for bottled salad dressings, are not necessarily good for us. And believe it or not, I did some research on this subject. And I learned that my instincts regarding bottled dressing and other processed foods was spot on. So, what did I learn.

Bottled dressings are generally loaded with chemical and artificial additives which are considered by governmental agencies to be safe in small quantities. (Great! In small quantities, we should be OK?) That salad dressings are usually formulated using substandard cheap ingredients like low quality oil, contain more sugar or high fructose corn syrup than is necessary, way too much salt, and often include flavor enhancers. (Why would you need a flavor enhancer if really good oil and vinegar were part of the equation?) Anyway, I’m sure by now you understand why I make my own dressings. And speaking of salad dressing, this simple to prepare honey balsamic dressing is fabulous.

I have actually used it twice now on 2 different salads. Which, because I love each and every one of you, I am also going to share the salad recipes with you at the bottom of this post. Plus, recipes for my super simple way to fix Oven Roasted Beets and the best Sweet and Spicy Glazed Pecans you will ever taste!You’re welcome!

Well, that’s it for today. It is still terribly smokey here from regional wildfires. The weathercaster has promised a 90% chance of rain for tomorrow, so I am keeping my eyes and fingers crossed.   

On a serious note, please remember to vote in the upcoming election. We are truly at a crossroads here in America. Our democratic way of life seems to be slowly eroding. So, please do your part and vote. It’s the least any of us can do.

And as always, peace and love to all.

2 T. honey

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 T. Dijon mustard

½ tsp. fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

rounded ¼ tsp. granulated garlic  

¼ c. good balsamic vinegar

¾ c. extra virgin olive oil

Whisk or shake together. Store in fridge. Bring to room temperature before using.

Salad Recipe #1

Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Vinaigrette dressed greens with Oven Roasted Beets, Sweet and Spicy Glazed Pecans, crumbled feta cheese, and red onion

4-5 c. chopped romaine

1-2 c. mixed greens

½ c. chopped red onion

1 c. Oven Roasted Beets, diced

¾ c. crumbled feta cheese

½ c. Sweet and Spicy Glazed Pecans, or more to taste

Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Vinaigrette, to taste

Place the romaine, greens, red onion, beets, feta cheese, and pecans in a large salad bowl. Add just enough dressing to coat the veggies. Serve immediately.

Salad Recipe #2

Broccoli Salad with Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Vinaigrette and Sweet and Spicy Glazed Pecans  

4-5 c. chopped fresh broccoli

⅓ c. finely chopped red onion

3-4 T. Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Vinaigrette

½ – ¾ c. Sweet and Spicy Glazed Pecans

Place the broccoli in a mixing bowl. Add red onion and enough vinaigrette to coat the veggies. (You don’t need a lot of dressing.) Stir in the pecans and serve immediately.

SWEET AND SPICY GLAZED PECANS:

½ c. powdered sugar

¾ tsp. kosher salt

scant ½ tsp. cayenne pepper

4 tsp. water

2 c. pecans halves

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and water together.  

Add the pecans and stir until the nuts are evenly coated.

Transfer the pecans to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Make sure the nuts are evenly spread out. (If they are clumped together, they won’t cook evenly). Scrape out any remaining glaze from the bowl and drizzle over the nuts.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 14-15 minutes, or until the pecans are caramelized and the caramel on the baking sheet is a rich brown color. (The nuts around the edges will darken first so watch closely so they don’t burn.)

Remove from oven and immediately slide the parchment paper off of the hot baking sheet. (This stops the nuts from continuing to bake.) Allow the pecans to cool completely. Once cool, remove the pecans from the parchment, breaking apart any clusters if necessary, and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Note: If the nuts are sticky after cooling, that means the glaze coating is not fully cooked. Pop them back in the oven for a few minutes and let cool again.

OVEN ROASTED BEETS

beets (your choice of color)

extra-virgin olive oil

fine sea salt

Preheat your oven to 375-degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Scrub the beets really well under running water. (No need to peel the beets at any point).

Slice off the base and pointy end of each beet. Cut the beets in half. Then slice the halves into half rounds ½ to ¾-inch thick.

Place the beet pieces on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with just enough olive oil to coat the pieces, then arrange in a single layer across the pan. Sprinkle the top side of each piece with a bit of salt.  

Roast for 30 minutes on the first side. Then flip and bake the second side for about 15 minutes. When done, you should be able to easily cut into each piece with a paring knife.

Remove from oven and either eat immediately, store in your fridge for a couple of days, or freeze for later use. (Cooked beets freeze beautifully BTW.)

Great as a side veggie or as a great addition to salads.