My mum is awesome. I'm sure most people can say that about their mum but mine really is. I am the oldest of 4 kids so I have had the advantage of childhood traditions carrying on for longer than most people to make sure my youngest sister (8 years younger) didn't miss out. Probably the longest standing tradition is our Santa stockings at Christmas.
A few years ago Mum laid down the law and we were told that Santa would not visit us anymore once we bought someone home for Christmas. Josh came to Christmas that year and what was waiting under the tree? My Santa sack. So Mum tried again...once you miss a Christmas, that's it. That year Josh & I were in London for Christmas and what turned up in the post? Not only my Santa sack, but also one for Josh! (I think Josh's mum was in on this one too!)
I promise there is a point to this...stick around, the recipe is coming!
Anyway, this year Mum was absolutely adamant that we were under no circumstances getting Santa sacks and I really thought that was it...until she found the note that I had put in my stocking when I returned it to her last year and had completely forgotten about...
She caved. And not only did she cave, we got what I think were the best Santa sacks EVER!!
One of the little gifts in my stocking (alongside Cinderella PJ's, magical elves and the cutest Little Golden Book) was this beauty.
I was so excited! I eat a lot of salad over summer and I'm always looking for new tasty dressings. Even better, this meant I could make my own.
See, I told you I would get there.
The recipe that immediately caught my attention was the dijon balsamic vinaigrette. My favourite. And so simple.
Measure the olive oil into whatever container you are using - an old jam jar would work perfectly. And please ignore the fact that I have the wrong recipe on the bottle facing the camera.
Add the garlic
The dijon mustard
And some freshly cracked salt & pepper
Finally add the balsamic vinegar. Yippee I love action shots!
It'll look like this...kinda remind you of a lava lamp?
So give it a good shake until it looks like this
And then if you're like me and you love creating more dishes for yourself you will pour it into another bottle to store it in.
The only thing I changed was the ratio of olive oil to balsamic vinegar. I found that a lot of recipes, including the one on my bottle, called for about a 3:1 ratio of oil to balsamic or even 4:1, but I much prefer my vinaigrette to be more...well, vinegary, for lack of a better word. I went for a ratio of 2:1 and it was perfect. Nice and tangy. But feel free to adjust this ratio based on your preferences.
This dressing is the perfect way to jazz up a simple summer salad and only takes 5 minutes to throw together...that's a win in my book!
Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a bottle or jar, screw lid on tightly and shake well until all ingredients are combined. Store dressing at room temperature for a couple of weeks.
Nutrition
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