Rice vinaigrette

Of course I have to start the new year with a salad. Like eating ddukguk on New Year's Day, it's tradition to attempt to start the new year with some healthy eating.


This is a vinaigrette that my cousin taught me years ago. It's a very simple formula - 2 crushed cloves of garlic (which I mash to a paste with a sprinkle of salt), 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, black pepper and about 1/4 cup or so of olive oil. In fact, this is a general formula I use for most salad dressings, substituting the rice vinegar with other types (balsamic, champagne) and adding other extras (shallots, dried basil, oregano, thyme, etc.), maybe a little more or less of the dijon depending on my mood. Sometimes I add a little sugar to balance out tang of the mustard and vinegar.




I love topping some crunchy romaine hearts with this vinaigrette.


Ordinarily, I would douse the greens with the dressing because I am a sauce/dressing person - I think foods are just a vehicle to shovel different types of sauces and condiments into my belly. But, as part of my effort to cut some calories, I put the salad dressing on the side. I've never had salad with dressing on the side. This is going to take some getting used to.