The Green Home Cook Diva: Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Have you ever wondered why on earth anyone would just use the oil and vinegar bottle at the salad bar in the restaurant? Or why the restaurants even bother to offer those at all? Perhaps you just shrugged it off and thought to yourself, "Oh, must be for the pretentious types or for someone with allergies or something." I myself am guilty of those thoughts. Many times, I just passed over it, turning my nose up and reaching for the manufactured balsamic vinaigrette that I mistook for a healthier dressing. But I'd like to share with you why we should opt for the oil/vinegar both at the restaurant and at home.

First, it's much better for our health. The manufactured dressings are full of preservatives and synthetic substances that are extremely bad for our health. Our liver has to break down these substances and really doesn't know what to do with them. They get recycled back into our blood stream and get stored in our fat cells. They basically become toxic in our body. They're useless to us and over time, can cause health problems. And don't be afraid of healthy oils like olive oil. We need good fats in our body to keep our bodies functioning well and olive oil provides those. The "fats" we need to stay away from are fats like hydrogenated oils, also known as "trans fat." Those are the fats you will find in dressings even if they are "low fat/low calorie." So by choosing oil and vinegar to "wet your veggies" and add flavor, you are making the best possible choice for your health.

Second, it's much better for our environment. So much dressing and sauce gets wasted at the restaurant and that increases energy required to manufacture and ship more (only to get thrown away!). When we choose oil and vinegar, we are helping to lower the overall demand for these items. The same goes for at home too. By making oil and vinegar our dressing of choice, we decrease the amount of garbage thrown out and the amount of energy required to manufacture and ship those items to the grocery stores.

Third, it's much better for our pocket book. We can get creative with dressings. We can use the ingredients on hand and create "masterpieces" if you will with very little cost to us. Just keep a good bottle of olive oil on hand and just about any flavor of vinegar will do! Throw in some seasonings or fresh/dried herbs from your garden and you've got a major hit on your hands! Your loved ones will thank you and you will have a little extra cash on hand to go see that new movie together!

Okay, now that you're convinced on why you should make your own dressings, it's time to get to work! Just check out this video and you will see there really is nothing to it!!

Ingredient list:

1/4 c olive oil

Here is a good organic brand Biolea Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, 17.6 oz. (Google Affiliate Ad) and a good non-organic brand Marca Verde Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 33.8 oz. (Google Affiliate Ad)
What makes these good choices is that they are bottled properly. Olive oil should be bottled in dark bottles to keep it from going rancid quickly.