This is a simple but flavorful vinaigrette you can make in minutes, use right away and store for a few days. It clings well to salad greens, and spreads its taste all about the nooks and crannies of your tossed salad. Best of all, its "recipeless", and you can adapt it to your heart's delight. Feeling a little French? Add a touch of Dijon mustard to the recipe. Miss the classic vinaigrette? Add olive oil and your favorite vinegar. Or forego the herbs in the basic recipe and just add lemon juice. Now you've got a great dip for artichokes. Although there's sodium in the mayo, you can add some salt if you think your salad needs it.
Tip: This vinaigrette gives you the opportunity to eat garlic raw. Eating raw garlic is one of the best things you can eat, nutritionally (especially organic garlic). How you prepare the garlic can make a lot of difference to the taste of the dressing. We want the juice of the garlic to come out and flavor the dressing. You won't get the same results if you use one of those gadgety garlic presses, or just chop the garlic without any hard crushing. If you want to get the best out of your garlic for this recipe, follow the tried and true method I use to create a garlic paste:
Place the unpeeled clove of garlic on a cutting board. Using a large chef's knife, cut a thin slice off of either end. Place the broad side of the knife over the clove, press down on the side of the blade with the palm of your hand to crush the clove, enough to loosen the paper. Now the protective paper will release from the garlic clove once you shake it off. Now shake or grind some salt over the clove, fairly generously (this will help to soften the garlic and release its juice. Also, no need to add additional salt to the dressing in this case).
Again, cover the clove with the side of the knife blade and press down using the palm of your hand. This time very hard, while jiggling the knife side to side a bit, in order to grind the clove against the cutting board. Smash the side of the knife to further mash the garlic With the palm of your hand, drag the knife blade toward you as you smear the garlic pulp against the board, then flip the blade over to the other side, and repeat dragging and crushing the garlic pulp under the blade. (The juices will prevent the garlic from sticking to the blade). Once the garlic is starting to soften, chop it up with the knife in a rocking motion, horizontally and vertically, until it is finely chopped. Then continue crushing, dragging, mashing and smearing the knife blade against the garlic pulp, until the pulp is totally soft and mushy, and moist from its juice, and finely minced. Now scoop the pulp up with the knife and scrape it into the dressing.
Ingredients
2 T Yogurt
2 T Mayonnaise
1 cl (clove) garlic, crushed, chopped
dried herbs
ground pepper (opt)
Instructions
Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic, herbs, etc. in a bowl, or in a jar or bottle, and shake. Add green salad, toss.
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