Ginger Vinaigrette

Today’s Ginger Vinaigrette dressing comes to you from a very favorite recipe of mine by Didi Emmons, author of ‘Vegetarian Planet’. Formerly my favorite cookbook for the few short years I was a vegetarian of sorts. I have tweaked this dressing slightly to include a few more nourishing ingredients without changing the delectable flavor of it. A good Ginger Vinaigrette should be a staple in every kitchen in my opinion, and this particular recipe is sure to be a hit!

Ginger Vinaigrette:

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger, or more to taste

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar, or kombucha

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of raw honey

3/4 cup of Mary’s Oil blend (1 cup olive oil, 1 cup sesame oil, 1 cup coconut oil to make a this blend to have on hand.)

Directions:

In a bowl whisk together the ginger, garlic, mustard, vinegar (or kombucha), salt, pepper and honey. Then slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Store the dressing in a glass jar in the fridge. It should keep for 2 weeks, but probably won’t last that long since it’s simply delish! Remove from fridge 10-15 minutes before you want to serve this so the oil can come to room temp. In the winter you may want to set the jar in a bowl of warm water so the oil will liquify.  Try this vinaigretter with some mixed greens and ginger carrots (from Nourishing Traditions), or any other sliced veggies you prefer.  This dressing makes an awesome marinade for salmon as well. Here’s a recipe for Roasted Salmon and Julienned Veggies with Ginger Vinaigrette Marinade.

Roasted Salmon and Julienned Veggies with Ginger Vinaigrette

1 lb wild salmon

1 medium zucchini, cut into long thin strips, essentially julienned

1 medium squash, cut into long thin strips, essentially julienned

2 bell peppers (red and orange would make it most colorful), cut into thin strips

1 cup of ginger dressing (recipe above)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a dish or ziploc bag, marinade the salmon with about a half cup of the dressing for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 425. In a baking dish, layer the bottom with the veggie sticks. Toss with a half cup of the dressing. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Check after 1o to see how they are coming along, the cooking time will depend on how thin your veggies are cut. Remove pan from oven and place the marinated salmon along with the marinade in the bag or bowl on top of the veggies and cook for 10-15 minutes longer. Check for doneness, you want the middle to be a bit opaque still. Remove from oven and serve.

Make sure you check out yesterday’s post discussing polyunsaturated fats and why you should steer clear of them and a basic overview of why making homemade dressings is ideal.

I am also contributing this post to ‘Two for Tuesdays‘ blog carnival.