A Vinaigrette Vignette

Is vinaigrette intimidating? Mais non! I think it’s just the French name, for nothing is easier than whisking together a few ingredients with great gusto. Taste. Adjust - if needed. Done. The whole process takes a few minutes at best and the result can be perfectly tailored to what you like in a salad dressing. Plus, you bypass the gaggle of age-old salad dressing bottles, clanking unnecessarily as you open the door of the fridge. 

In our house we prefer a sweeter vinaigrette, but as I mentioned, you can tailor this to your own preference. You can re-adjust the ratio of 1:1:3 as you see fit. Or, add a bit of mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice. Experiment freely!

Only one hard and fast rule: if you use maple syrup, use REAL maple syrup -  no Log Cabin or Aunt Jemina. However, you can substitute other real sweetners, such as sugar, honey or brown sugar.

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon real maple syrup 

3 tablespoons olive oil

ground pepper

pinch salt

Whisk together vigorously. Pour over salad & toss. Also good over roasted veggies - pour over while still warm. Serve hot or at room temp.

Veggie Stir Fry

At  our house, the quest for a good peanut sauce to throw on a veggie stir fry is legendary. We've tested many and liked none - until now. 

Who knew that the daughter of a former Beatle would hold the answer? Life is funny. A few weeks ago, I read an interview with Mary McCartney regarding her new vegetarian cookbook. This was one of her recipes. We tweaked it a bit, but not too much. We also use chicken stock (not at all vegetarian), but that's what we usually have around. 

Peanut Sauce:

(note: I cut  fats & sodium with “reduced” versions of peanut butter, chicken broth, soy sauce, and coconut milk)

4 tablespoons chunky peanut butter

2 tablespoons sweet red chili sauce (found in Asian food section)

1 1/4 chicken broth (or vegetable)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

3 tablespoons soy sauce

6 tablespoons coconut milk

1 teaspoon sriracha (if a bit of heat is desired)

ground pepper

Place ingredients in small sauce pan and heat until combined & smooth. You can also put all your ingredients in a microwave safe dish and give a good burst of heat until you can incorporate the peanut butter. This sauce is very forgiving and if you want to play up/down any flavor, go right ahead!

Other Ingredients:

Vegetables: Assorted chopped veggies (about 4 cups) : broccoli florets, green beans, onion, peppers, carrots. 

Rice Noodles:  16 oz. package (found in Asian food section)

Fresh Cilantro

Pepper

Saute veggies in a good, large saucepan with 2 tablespoons sesame or canola oil for 5-6 minutes, then pour peanut sauce over veggies and simmer for 7-8 minutes until veggies are softer, but still a bit crisp.

Bring large pan of salted water to boil. Add noodles and cook 1 minutes less than time required. Drain noodles then return to pot and add the sauce with veggies. Toss carefully to cover. Let sit for a few minutes to let some of the excess sauce absorb into noodles. 

Top with a few tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro and lots of ground pepper. Serves 6