Mom’s Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Salad dressing is a relatively expensive item in the market, but it’s amazingly easy to make your own. This is my basic vinaigrette recipe. You can vary it by substituting different vinegars (balsamic, raspberry, etc.) or lemon or lime juice, or adding blue cheese crumbles and/or fresh herbs. If I’m using the dressing right away, I use all olive oil. However, if it will be stored in the fridge, the olive oil will solidify. Using part Canola helps solve this problem. This recipe makes about 1½ cups, but if you keep the approximate proportions, you can make as much or as little as you want.

½ C red or white wine vinegar
½ C olive oil
½ C canola oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. sugar

Combine vinegar and seasonings in an empty jar that holds at least 2 cups. Shake until well blended. Add oil(s) and shake again to thoroughly blend. (You can also whisk it all together in a bowl, or use the blender.)

You’ll need to shake well before pouring on a salad.