Have you ever noticed how expensive fruit is at this time of year? Organic strawberries at the grocery store today were $7.99. Needless to say, I did not get strawberries.
On another note, I’ve been wanting to make a winter salad dressing. You know, one that is sweet, tart, creamy and kind of addicting. I love addictive salad dressings. They make me want to eat my veggies when all I really want during these cold months is meats and potatoes.
This recipe came together really quickly with my immersion blender. A few minutes to measure out ingredients, twenty seconds of blending and I had the beautifully creamy (sweet & tart) dressing that my friend and I enjoyed when she stopped over. And, she agreed. It’s delicious.
The best part about it is … it doesn’t use fresh fruit! You know, the stuff that kills your winter budget. It uses blueberry jam that was sent to us from our friends in France. The blueberry sweetness combined with the rich, tart vinegar, mustard and some salt makes this exactly what I was craving …an addictive salad dressing.
Eat your veggies, friends!
- 25 ml balsamic vinegar (white or dark, I used dark)
- 100 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 T. blueberry jam
- 2 tsp. dijon mustard
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ tsp. thyme, dried
- ½ T. poppy seeds
- water to thin, optional
- Combine all ingredients except poppy seeds in a tall container. Blend with immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Add poppy seeds and stir with a spoon to combine.
- In a blender, combine all ingredients except poppy seeds. Blend until smooth and creamy. You may have to scrape down the sides because it will be thick or you may add a little water to loosen it up. Pour into container, add poppy seeds and stir with a spoon to combine.
- Delicious served on top of spinach with tomatoes, red onion and chopped walnuts (preferably soaked.)
***If you’d like to know how and why to soak your walnuts, go here.