Vinaigrette is a classic, versatile, and simple dressing that can easily be made at home. It is generally an emulsion, meaning a mixture of two liquids that ordinarily do not mix well. In this case, the mixture of oil and vinegar. One cannot expect that the oil and vinaigrette in an emulsion will mix together; these two liquids will eventually separate. This will be obvious, as the oil goes to the top and the vinegar settles to the bottom.

Making your own vinaigrette at home is an incredibly simple procedure. It is all a matter of blending or whisking together a few ingredients together with your major ingredients – the oil and vinegar. The ratio of oil to vinegar is usually three parts oil to one part vinegar, but it is all a matter of preference. Some prefer to have more vinegar, while others prefer more oil. This also depends upon the type of vinegar you use; others are more acidic and some are sweet tasting, so your proportions are really adjusted. Some of the usual items that are incorporated into vinaigrette mixture would be salt and pepper, lemon juice, herbs, and some spices. The possibilities for innovation in your dressing are endless, as you can experiment with countless numbers of ingredients that you would like to incorporate in the mixture.

In order to achieve the fullest flavor, allow your vinaigrette to stand for several hours before finally serving it. This will allow the flavors of your dressing to be fully realized and each bite will be bursting with varying sensations. Others even heat their dressing for a few seconds in a microwave to give it a bit of warmth and to allow the flavors to be extracted a bit more.

Vinaigrette is a dressing that keeps very well, so storing it is something you don’t have to fret about. Leftover vinaigrette can be easily stored in an airtight jar and placed in the fridge until you are ready to use it again. This can keep for several days and even weeks. Don’t be surprised to see how your oil and vinegar have separated the next time you take a look at your dressing. Simple give your jar a good shake to allow the two liquids to mesh together again.

Who would have thought the mustard would go so well with oil and vinegar? One ingredient that is popularly added to vinaigrette is Dijon mustard. This helps to emulsify the mixture and make it easier for the oil and vinegar to mix together. Furthermore, Dijon mustard has a very delicious and potent taste, adding to the kick of your dressing.

Finally, don’t be afraid to add fresh or dried herbs to your home made vinaigrette. Try adding minced shallots, diced onions, crushed garlic, fresh basil and parsley, or grated ginger to the mix. It’s all a matter of experimentation and you can come up with great flavors if you are willing to go the extra mile with your dressing.
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These days, vinaigrette is starting to gain considerable notice and popularity among people. They are now starting to prefer this kind of dressing against the thick and heavy dressings that were very popular years ago. This simple mixture of oil and vinegar is a fresh tasting and healthy alternative to the heavy dressings that were popular decades ago.

Vinaigrette is becoming popular not only as a dressing for salads, but as an accompaniment to other dishes as well. Courses such as meat, fish, and other main courses make use of vinegar as a dip. It is also used as a marinade at times. Even desserts are starting to incorporate an accompanying vinaigrette. Creative and adventurous chefs create their own special mixtures that are sometimes sweetened with mint or raspberry and are poured over fruit salad. This dressing has proven to be a truly versatile addition to any meal, which is why it is so popular nowadays.

The main ingredients of vinaigrette are oil and an acidic substance, and the secret to great tasting vinaigrettes is the balance between the two. It is often thought that when we speak of vinaigrette, we are talking about vinegar. On the contrary, this dressing may not contain any vinegar, but rather use another substance that is high in acidic content – like citrus juice – though vinegar is what is usually used. There are a number of options when it comes to vinegar, and one should go ahead and experiment on the flavors that they desire. There are quite a number of herb vinegars out in the market today: balsamic vinegars, sherry vinegar, garlic vinegar, and even raspberry vinegar. Oils also present a number of options, but what is usually used is extra virgin olive oil. You are free to go ahead and explore any of the oils out in the market, though, such as herb oil, sesame oil, hazelnut oil, red pepper oil, walnut oil, ginger oil, or spiced oils.

Creating your own vinaigrette is simple and very easy, and there is so much room for innovation. It is flexible and easy to adjust according to your preferences. A quick recipe for pesto vinaigrette only takes about five minutes, with hardly any preparation time needed. For this certain vinaigrette recipe, you will need:

2 peeled garlic cloves
1 ½ tablespoons walnuts or pine nuts
1 cup fresh basil leaves
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Begin by chopping up the garlic in a food processor until they have been finely chopped. With the processor running, add the basil leaves and chop finely as well. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and finally the vinegar until the mixture has been well incorporated. If you are looking to add more flavor to the mix, you can add other ingredients to your pesto vinaigrette such as other spices and herbs for a different taste.

One of the best things about vinaigrette is that it keeps fairly well. Oil and vinegar do not spoil easily and if you end up making more vinaigrette than you will actually need, then all you have to do is seal your dressing in an airtight container and store it for weeks or even up to several months. This way, you’ll have vinaigrette ready for any occasion!

There are so many ways of creating unique dishes with vinaigrette. If you are one for adventure, try this one interesting recipe that incorporates sautéing meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables in chicken or duck fat. The vinaigrette is then added to the sautéed meat as the heat is turned off and this resulting sauce can be poured over other sautéed food.
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The benefits of Spanish, Greek and Italian, collectively considered the Mediterranean diet, are widely-touted. Although even experts don’t know why, olive oil seems to help reduce both cholesterol and blood pressure. Extra virgin olive oil is much better for you than oils such as animal fats, although it is still quite high in calories. Because it doesn’t require chemical processing, it retains more of its natural minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.

When choosing an oil, choose light ones such as light olive oil or sunflower oil. You run the risk of overpowering lettuce leaves and other salad flavors with extra virgin olive oil. Other oils to try are corn, safflower, grape seed, groundnut and rapeseed oil. Or search your local gourmet food store or larger grocery store for such exotica as almond, pumpkin seed, walnut, hazelnut or even macadamia nut oil. Because these are strong and highly scented, they are best used in moderation for specific purposes.

Have you ever tried flavored oils or made them yourself? Gently heat olive oil and add chopped chives or basil for a delightful herb oil. After removing from the heat, let cool in the covered pan. Next use a regular or hand blender and strain through a fine mesh sieve. You may store the oil for three to four days in a corked bottle as the flavors deepen. Or try fresh chillies, finely chopped, a bay leaf and a garlic clove, unpeeled, add to olive oil and heat gently to produce a spicy chilli oil. Again, let cool, strain and store in a bottle.

A KEY INGREDIENT
Lemon juice or vinegar provides the acid necessary in a basic salad dressing. French dressing or vinaigrette is simply one part vinegar to three parts oil, salt and pepper. Just before serving, drizzle vinaigrette over sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, or toss it with lettuce leaves. For even more distinctive flavors, you may choose to experiment with different oils and vinegars including red or white wine, sherry, balsamic, tarragon or raspberry vinegars. It’s also quite easy to make your own specialty vinegars using tarragon, by simply adding sprigs to white wine and leaving them to infuse. Fruit vinegar is as simple: crushed fruit and wine vinegar are left to infuse for a few days, then strained and boiled. Just remember not to toss your salad too early, or the leaves may go limp.
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1 – ½ lbs Chicken breasts – boneless
6 to 8 crushed cloves of garlic
1 cup Chicken stock
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbs corn starch
2 tbs cold water
Flour (if required)
Garnish with parsley, basil, or thyme
Season with ground black pepper and salt.

This recipe makes four servings

1. Before sautéing the chicken pieces in a large skillet, lightly coat them with flour if required.
2. Sauté the chicken for a several minutes until it has a golden brown colour.
3. Whilst the chicken is cooking add the crushed garlic and turn the chicken pieces over. 4. Add salt and pepper.
5. Add chicken stock or broth and balsamic vinegar to the chicken and garlic.
6. Cover the pan and cook for a further five to ten minutes on a reduced heat.
7. When the chicken is cooked and is tender remove from the pan and keep to one side ensuring that it is kept warm and covered.
8. Blend together the water and the corn starch until you have a smooth mixture.
9. Transfer your corn starch and water mixture to the pan containing the balsamic, garlic and broth mixture gradually. Ensure that the mixture is constantly stirred.
10. When the mixture has reached the boil for a couple of minutes it should thicken and the final result should be a smooth sauce.
11. To serve, pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish each place with some of the fresh herbs.
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1 - 4 lb fryer cut into portion size pieces
one quarter cup butter
two tablespoons olive oil
one half cup Chablis wine
one half cup lemon juice
four eggs, beaten
one half teaspoon salt
one quarter teaspoon pepper
one half teaspoon Accent seasoning

Dry chicken pieces with paper toweling. Place the butter and the olive oil in a skillet with a tightfitting cover. Sauté the chicken over low heat until it is golden brown. Turn heat down to simmer, cover and continue to cook for an additional 35 minutes.
Add the wine, cover and simmer an additional 10 minutes, or until the thickest pieces of the chicken can be pierced with a fork. Stir in lemon juice. Add the salt, pepper and Accent to the beaten eggs. Stir 4 tablespoons of the wine gravy from the skillet into the eggs, then add the eggs to the chicken in the skillet. Stir constantly; continue to cook over very low heat until the gravy has thickened. Remove from heat immediately. Makes six servings.

Variations:
serve with hot fluffy boiled rice
serve with thin cooked spaghetti
serve with plain boiled broccoli
serve with boiled green asparagus spears
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Salad vegetables can seem rather bland and boring if not dressed with a vinaigrette or sauce to enhance their flavor. You can easily remedy this by creating a dressing that will complement each flavor and bring out the freshness and uniqueness of the produce you are using.

If made incorrectly, salad dressing can actually destroy the wonderful flavor of the fantastic fresh vegetables you are using, and, if the proportions of oil and vinegar are incorrect you may find that the whole dish is rather spoiled! It is not necessary to be a culinary expert to follow the few simple guidelines below to help you avoid the prospect of a disastrous salad.

To create the perfect salad dressing at home an emulsifier is needed, that is to say to create an emulsion. An emulsion is something that assists ingredients such as oil and vinegar to combine.

A good emulsifier can be found in the form of mustard. There are many different varieties of mustard, Pommery and American golden brown such as Gulden’s to name just two. French Dijon mustard is another variety that may be used but is sometimes eschewed because its flavor is too sharp. Other emulsifiers can be found in raw egg yolk, though the risk of salmonella may be a deterrent to some. If none of these appeal and fast and simple emulsion can be created by blending together oil, vinegar, herbs, olives or even soft cheeses, goat or feta cheese work very well. You may also consider including some citrus or soft fruit.

Oil and vinegar dressings are a healthy way to dress fresh green garden salads. A balsamic vinaigrette can always be used as a marinade as well.

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Grape Cruet, a gift of an oil and vinegar glass cruet is the ideal selection for any occasion. Select one of several innovative styles of cruets and decanters for gourmet olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The most exceptional of these styles are hand blown Bohemian glass cruets created with a glass within glass grape cluster design style. Imported from European glass manufacturers, and made from durable Simax glass.

Unique Hand Blown Glass Grape Cruet Gift Idea

Our grape cruet is an ideal gift choice for any gift giving occasion. Each grape cruet comes with closure corks individually boxed. All cruets featured on this site are made in accord with the Bohemian glass producing tradition. Witness the aesthetic value these unique cruets hold as well as the artistic skill required to make them. Cruets have originally been made from blown glass to hold condiments such as olive oil and vinegar for use in salads.

After the French introduced this elegant dining accoutrement, it dispersed quickly all over Europe. In countries that already used large amounts of olive oil and vinegar, such as Italy, it did not take long before cruets became an everyday item found on dining tables and in kitchens. Cruet designs have developed with the times without diverting from the themes of decor and purpose. Innovative and unique cruet designs have evolved in recent years. The most popular of these designs are hand blown glass cruets made into a grape cluster design.

Bronze Age artisans, from what is now the Republic of Czech, were the first to develop glass making. They started by making glass beads for necklaces and bracelets. During the Middle Ages the first drinking glasses were manufactured as well as stained glass and wall mosaics. In the late nineteenth and up through the twentieth century, Bohemia was the world’s center for glass production. This artistry is a more than one thousand years old, steeped in European tradition. It has been passed along from generation to generation. Today’s hand blown glassmakers take pride in making skillful works of glass art employing the same traditional craftsmanship.

The unique style of the grape cruet keeps olive oil and balsamic vinegar in the same glass container, without mixture, making for an interesting conversation piece on the table. The grape cruet has two separate glass vessels. The outer compartment holds olive oil and the inner vessel holds vinegar in the design of a grape cluster. Each grape cruet is separately hand blown with High quality glass by Euro craftsmen. To purchase the world’s finest oil and vinegar cruets visit Cruets.com.

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With the advent of the season of spring, stores and markets will be displaying a vast array of fresh produce. This is a time to make best use of these seasonal fruits and vegetables and to address dietary needs. Fresh delicious salads and grilled fish, meat and poultry can be substituted for the type of cuisine normally enjoyed when the weather is cold. If your quest is to start and maintain a healthy diet there is no better way than to prepare salad dressings at home. By creating and preparing your own recipes as opposed to shop bought varieties you can ensure that there are no harmful ingredients invading your food and your fat and sodium intake can be easily controlled.

Creating a dressing from your own recipe has many benefits and allows you to enjoy the flavors that you enjoy most and is a healthy way to use the ingredients that you prefer. Making a dressing for salad is simple and to start you on your way to creating your favorites try mastering a classic vinaigrette.

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You may be considering entertaining you mom for her birthday or Mother’s day. Knowing all her favorites and serving them to her in the comfort of her home is one way of showing her how much she is appreciated. You have created everything to perfection but are considering a wonderful dessert that would really create the perfect ending to a magnificent home cooked roast dinner.

If your mom is following a low fat, low carbohydrate or even low calorie diet you really don’t want to spoil it for her or put temptation in her way by offering an over-the-top calorific confection. You might consider a selection of fruit which is always acceptable. Strawberries are a popular and ideal choice but you don’t really want to sweeten them with sugar. Balsamic vinegar, as strange as it may seem, is a fantastic way to enhance the flavor of the fruit without adding too many calories. Once tried, you will never look back!

The topping for strawberries is made by reducing balsamic vinegar so that it takes on a syrup-like consistency. Or you could simply use Villa Bellentani Gran Reserva Balsamic for its wonderful sweet and sharp flavor and its dense texture. This distinct balsamic vinegar is the ideal accompaniment to enhance the flavor of the strawberries.

Follow the steps below to prepare your own balsamic dessert topping at home

Make a balsamic vinegar reduction by bringing to the boil until the volume of liquid is reduced to a quarter or half, and the vinegar will become like syrup in texture. This method of boiling vinegar or any liquid is known as reduction or boiling down.

Unlike other vinegars, balsamic vinegar has a distinct robust flavor which is due not only to the fact that it is produced from grapes but it is infused with the flavor of the wooden barrels that it is aged in. Just like fine wine, balsamic vinegar takes many years to produce and this is the reason for it being more costly than any other vinegar. The best balsamic vinegar comes from Modena in Italy.

Recipe for a balsamic vinegar reduction for fresh strawberries:

One cup of dark or white balsamic vinegar
Two tablespoons of sugar
Two cups of fresh ripe strawberries

Ensure that you use a saucepan that does not react to the acid content of the vinegar. Bring to the boil a mixture of vinegar and sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat and simmer for about twenty minutes. Pay close attention to the liquid and stir occasionally to avoid the mixture burning. When the mixture is moderately thick like maple syrup remove from the heat and leave to cool. Prepare the strawberries by washing and cutting into thick slices with an ulu knife if available. Put the strawberries into a bowl and cover with the balsamic reduction ensuring that each strawberry is well coated. Place in a refrigerator to cool for an hour.

When ready to serve, garnish the strawberries and balsamic reduction with a few sprigs of fresh mint. You now have a wonderful, unique and festive dessert for a Mother’s Day celebration.

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