Vinaigrette
V
inaigrette is one of the most useful
items you can have on hand. It is
an instant source of flavor, a best
friend of vegetables, easy to tweak
in any ethnic direction, and can be always
waiting on the other side of the refrigerator
door. You can create it at the last minute
directly in your mixing bowl and just add your
salad or vegetables, or you can make a couple
of cups at a time and use it for weeks. It’s a
simple process using basic ingredients, and is
particularly gratifying for a cook who values
maximum effect for minimum effort.
Vinaigrette on just about anything
Just about any collaboration of vegetables,
fruit, grains, beans, pasta, and meat will
benefit from an encounter with good
vinaigrette. With the help of some freshly
grated Parmesan, this vinaigrette will turn a
head of romaine lettuce into an unforgettable
tossed salad that can be a first course in its
own right. (See recipe on page 132.)
It will dress up leftover brown rice (some
minced celery and onion doesn’t hurt) and the
dowdiest canned beans, should they have to
make an unscheduled appearance at the table.
Toss whole mushrooms in some vinaigrette
and you will have a succulent and delicious
antipasto dish within a half-hour. (They turn
dark and pickled by the next day, but they still
taste good.) Vinaigrette will also pinch hit as a
marinade for meat.
Cooked vegetables with vinaigrette
One of vinaigrette’s most valuable
contributions is in the area of vegetable
consumption. Some children (and grownups)
who may have a hard time getting excited
about eating cooked vegetables will veritably
gobble steamed or roasted broccoli, cauliflower,
carrot, asparagus, and green beans if they are
served dressed in vinaigrette. Even Brussels
sprouts, beets, rutabagas, and turnips can be
appetizing (well, in small pieces) with some
help from vinaigrette. Some of the sturdier
vegetables are improved after a night in
vinaigrette, especially the less popular root
vegetables like beets, which tend to be more
enjoyable marinated or pickled, anyway.
Once vegetables have been tossed with
vinaigrette they can be served at any
temperature, which removes a lot of pressure
from mealtimes. If temperature isn’t an issue,
you can blanch, steam, or roast vegetables
whenever time allows; apply the vinaigrette;
then move on to any part of the menu that
may not be so flexible. They even taste good
the next day. (Note that broccoli and green
beans tend to turn a brownish-yellow by that
time, however.)
Make it ahead
Vinaigrette technically lasts indefinitely if kept
cold, but it does taste better when it is
younger. If you store the vinaigrette in a glass
jar in the refrigerator, in time the oil will
solidify on top, which means you have to
bring the whole bottle to room temperature to
recombine it. It will return to a liquid
relatively quickly once it begins to respond to
the warmer atmosphere, but the warmingand-chilling routine won’t be necessary if you
follow my suggestion in the first Note below
the recipe for Garlic and Mustard Vinaigrette on
the next page.
Last-minute vinaigrette
The simplest vinaigrette can be made by
combining vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a
bottle and shaking it, or directly in a mixing
bowl. (Taking the time to add a freshly
crushed clove of garlic is worth the trouble.)
Then all you do is add a few cups of hot
beans or cooked grains or vegetables. Instant
gratification. (See examples of this method
with Pico de Gallo on page 131 or Luscious
Limas on page 161 or Tabbouleh on page 178.)
1 by Miles Hassell, MD and Mea Hassell.
Excerpted from Good Food, Great Medicine
For more information see: www.goodfoodgreatmedicine.com
Garlic and Mustard
Vinaigrette
There is usually a diminishing bottle of this
all-purpose vinaigrette in our refrigerator. If
not, I can put it together quickly with
ingredients I always have on hand. There is
something about this combination that works,
and I think it is both the satisfying roundness
and intensity of the flavor. We splash it on
just about anything that will stand still long
enough to be tossed and eaten.
(Makes about 1 cup)
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly crushed garlic
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1.
Combine all ingredients except olive oil in
a 2-cup measuring jug and whisk
thoroughly. (The honey will dissolve
quickly.)
2.
Slowly add olive oil in a thin stream,
whisking steadily. If oil begins to collect on
top, stop pouring and whisk until oil has been
blended.
3.
Transfer to a glass jar and store in your
refrigerator. (See Note.) You can
refrigerate the vinaigrette for weeks to use
as needed. It will separate after a while, so
blend it well each time before you use it.
Note:
4 Hand-whisked vinaigrette may separate
fairly quickly depending upon how vigorously
you whisk. You will find it more user friendly
(especially for last-minute needs) to divide the
recipe into ¼-cup portions immediately after
blending it. Recycled glass spice jars work
well, or little Rubbermaid ½-cup containers.
4 If you use an immersion blender, which
I do, turn the speed to a low setting so the
vinaigrette won’t thicken too much before all
the oil is blended in, and place the container
on a damp cloth to keep it from dancing
around. You can add the oil faster than with
the hand-whisked method. You will create a
creamy and more stable emulsion that will
usually remain pourable even when chilled.
4 A mini-processor also works well for
vinaigrette: process everything but the oil for
10 seconds, and then add the oil and process
for another 10 – 15 seconds.
4 With my pepper grinder, about 60 grinds
gives me a teaspoon of ground pepper. I
never bother to measure.
4 Don’t forget that you will probably still
need to add salt and pepper to whatever it is
you are dressing with the vinaigrette.
Lemon and Cumin Vinaigrette
This simple little dressing can turn a can of
beans (rinsed and well drained) and ½ cup of
minced sweet onion into a respectable little
side dish. Some chopped fresh cilantro is a
magnificent addition. Even if you don’t have
any lemon and use apple cider vinegar instead,
the presence of cumin, chili, and Tabasco will
handle the situation.
(Makes about ⅓ cup)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon freshly crushed garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Combine all ingredients in a small mixing
bowl and whisk for about 15 seconds or until
honey is blended.
2 by Miles Hassell, MD and Mea Hassell.
Excerpted from Good Food, Great Medicine
For more information see: www.goodfoodgreatmedicine.com