Supper by Six: Shallot Vinaigrette

A Working Mom's Meal Plan

The hardest part of my day is when we get home and everyone is immediately hungry. I love to cook and prefer
home-cooked meals, but I don't like to cook much during the work week. And yet, dinner has to get on the table...
My solution: make-ahead meals, freeze-ahead meals and recipes so easy that I'll make them on a Monday. I cook
mostly on the weekends, always doubling recipes, and rely heavily on my extra freezer and a decently-stocked pantry.
This cooking style saves me time and money, and it makes my life simpler—so I can actually enjoy sitting down
to supper at 6 with my family. I hope these recipes will make the witching hour a little better at your house too.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Shallot Vinaigrette

We eat lots of salad in the summer, thanks to great lettuce from our farmer's market. Once in a while I even make my own salad dressing instead of relying on Newman's Own. This one is worth the effort, and it lasts all week long. (from Gourmet)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped shallot

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

Whisk together the vinegar, shallot, honey, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add oil slowly, whisking, until well combined. (Sometimes I skip this step and just shake all the ingredients together in a jar.) Keeps up to a week in the fridge; just bring it back to room temperature before using.

*Our favorite salad: mixed lettuce, dried cranberries, chopped carrots, grape tomatoes and lots of walnuts or sweet & spicy pecans from Trader Joes.