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Lemon Dressing

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My goal for this year is to lose 70 pounds!  I’ve lost 10 already and I’m slowly reaching my goals.  It is hard . . . it is much easier to be fat.  In this process of being honest about my weight issues, I’ve found myself eating more and more salads.  I enjoyed salad–UNTIL I had to eat them.

The idea that  I had was to make eating salad fun . . . by creating some new and interesting salad dressings.  This one is so simple and delicious.

ingredients

 

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before emulsion

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[recipe]

Lemon Dressing

  • fresh lemon juice from one lemon (or two if they are small)
  • 1 or 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Celtic salt
  • a couple shakes or spins of the pepper mill
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

I mix all of the ingredients together until it is emulsified.  Then I toss with my greens about 15 minutes before we eat dinner.

[/recipe]

I am currently not eating sugar–but if I was, I would 86 (restaurant speak for “no longer available”) the tarragon replacing it with honey!

This simple dressing is great on chicken, tossed with rice or quinoa.  I love lemon with tarragon, but the clean flavors lend itself to almost any fresh herb that you really enjoy.

Be Blessed as you create food love in your kitchen!

One again I’m linking up with Iron Chef Mom! and Your Thriving Family

 

 

Vanilla Infused Basalmic Brown Butter Sauce

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I’m competing again for Iron Chef Mom 2013.  Last week I entered and won with my Tomato Caprese Salad.  It is one of my favorite summer foods!

I love the flavor of really good vanilla.  Vanilla is a wonderful spice that is warming, soothing and calming–the essence of vanilla adds a complexity that almost goes unnoticed–until it’s gone and then the food seems dull and just a bit lacking.

To make vanilla sugar you need vanilla bean and sugar.  I happened to have organic sugar and organic vanilla bean (both were on sale when I went shopping for this post).

IMG_1989The vanilla bean is NOT dry.  It smells wonderful.  Cutting the bean lengthwise can be tricky–I hold it at one end and cut down the middle.

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I scrape the sticky seeds out of the bean and add them to the sugar–I then add the bean into the bag and mash it up so that it will infuse with the sugar.

This vanilla sugar, by the way, can be used in any recipe!  My favorites are coffee, rice pudding, the topping of French Toast Bake and poundcake.

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butter with vanilla sugar melting

butter with vanilla sugar melting

 

IMG_20031/2 cup balsamic vinegar (Modena or white – both are good) –beware–it splatters like crazy when you add it.

 

IMG_2010I baked my carrots in the oven for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  I like them still a little crunchy.

I added the brown butter sauce to the carrots and added some craisins.

I would also use this Vanilla sauce as a salad dressing, on rice, on root veggies, steamed asparagus and broccoli.  It is a very versatile sauce that can add a little something special to boring roasted carrots.

The recipe:

1/2 stick of butter

2 Tbs. of vanilla sugar

1/2 cup of vinegar

1.  Melt the butter gently, add sugar and heat gently.  Once the sugar is melted turn up the heat until the butter starts to brown.

2.  When the butter is a medium brown, CAREFULLY, add the vinegar.  It will bubble and boil and begin to thicken in just a few minutes.

3.  Use right away or let it cool, label and store it in a jar in the fridge.

Other (traditional) options are to add sage and garlic to the final cooking stage.

Be Blessed as you blend sweet, savory, buttery goodness for you family.

Iron Chef Mom 2013

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I’m so excited to be voted the First Iron Chef Mom of 2013!

Thanks to everyone who voted for me!   You are awesome.  You can find the “recipe” here.


iron chef mom