The kitchen itself is in dire need of updating. The cabinets are original from the 1950s and falling apart. Literally. I opened the cutlery drawer the other night and the drawer face came away with no drawer attached to it. But we're making do until at least the end of the year. After the holidays we'll start talking budget and updating. But, without further ado, let's get on with this recipe.
I love vinaigrette dressing for salad but can't really find any store-bought dressing without a bunch of gunk in it. I used to get the Italian salad dressing mix in a pouch that comes with its own cruet. After I converted to Paleo I just drizzled oil and vinegar on every salad I ate. That lack of variety can sometimes get boring which is why I started experimenting with making my own dressings. I don't think I'm reinventing any wheels here, but my goal was to be able to come up with a delicious dressing alternative with ingredients that are readily available at almost any time in any kitchen. This recipe is the bare bones basic and can be dressed up further in any number of ways. The secret is the fruit spread.
Jams and jellies are pretty much verboten when it comes to Paleo because of all the added junk they put in there. I have found a few brands that make fruit spreads sweetened with fruit juice instead (apple or grape) and without adding all the processed junk. I like to stock up on all varieties of these spreads every year when I go apple picking in upstate NY, but recently I found my local Trader Joe's is now selling their own natural organic (and Paleo-friendly) preserves. YAY! If you're really stuck, you can order these Fiordifrutta preserves online through Amazon (I recommend you buy in bulk, though, or get killed with shipping).
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| Fresh from the orchard... |
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| Fresh from, umm, the store... |
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| 'gredients! |
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp fruit spread of your choice (fig, raspberry, strawberry, etc)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar (I used white balsamic, but regular balsamic is fine)
- 3/4 tsp course grain kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
- Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until combined.
- Dressing is ready to serve immediately!
- Store extra in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The olive oil will congeal a bit when cold, so let the dressing sit out a few minutes to "melt" again prior to serving.
Try serving over Autumn Salad!
Wanna dress this baby up? Try adding some herbs to the mix. Dried oregano or fresh torn mint leaves will take your dressing TO THE MAX!
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| mixing up the fig balsamic dressing... |
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| mixing up the raspberry balsamic dressing |
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| Mmmm... figgy |
