Vinaigrettes and Dressings

Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette, Meyer Lemon Spicy Pecans and Massaged Kale Salad

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I rarely have unexpected spare time on my hands.  It’s always fun to see what activities I turn to when I do.  More often than not, I end up in the kitchen.  This day, my youngest took a nap, which never happens.  She never really napped which pretty much reduced my spare time in the past few years to little to none.  I had some amazing Meyer lemons and pecans that my brother and sister-in-law brought with them from Texas when they visited in January.  A huge perk of them visiting in the dead of winter!!  Fresh Meyer lemons from her parents trees…in their yard.  They are so good!  And the pecans…don’t even get me started.  They are the best pecans I’ve ever had.  So I went to work on some recipes to incorporate both.  I made the Meyer lemon spicy pecans and Meyer lemon vinaigrette to top a yummy kale salad.

MEYER LEMON SPICY PECANS

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Ingredients:

2.5 cups whole pecans

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp honey

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp curry powder

zest of 1/2 Meyer lemon

2 tbsp Meyer lemon juice

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground red pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all of the ingredients (except the pecans) in a microwave safe bowl or saucepan. Heat the ingredients until melted and stir to incorporate.  Add the pecans and stir until they are coated.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet (with sides) and spread out in a single layer.  Bake in the oven for 10 min, stir and bake another 10 minutes.  Let cool completely.

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MEYER LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1/2 Meyer lemon

zest of 1/2 Meyer lemon

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp white vinegar

1 small shallot, minced

pinch of salt

Place all of the ingredients in a glass jar and shake!

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Next a make a massaged kale salad.  Rip the desired amount of kale into bite sized pieces.  Drizzle with olive oil and massage and knead with your hands until it’s bright green and soft in texture.  For your salad, use pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, the spicy pecans and the vinaigrette.  You can also use orange slices, blueberries or avacado and add feta or goat cheese if desired!!  The variations are endless!

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Basic Vinaigrette

cmgift 4 Comments

This time of year we have an abundance of fresh lettuce and salads are a staple! One of the things that I have stopped buying altogether is salad dressing.  I started looking at labels and was shocked at the ingredients I found in store bought dressing.  And a basic vinaigrette is so easy to make!  I make a jar of this at least weekly and use it for salads and as a marinade for grilled vegetables and chicken.  I also toss with quinoa and whatever vegetables and herbs we have on hand for a simple side.

Vinaigrette

In a canning jar, combine the following ingredients and shake vigorously!

1 minced garlic clove

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp honey (optional to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Change it up- use balsamic vinegar or another kind of vinegar, add herbs such as oregano, basil or thyme, add red pepper flakes- there are so many options!