Quick Balsamic Vinaigrette

By the time you are reading this, I will be living it up in New York City!  Yes, you heard me correctly… I will be at the Euro-Pro launch of the Ninja Master Prep!  I will be rubbing elbows with Robin Miller and learning all sorts of new things to share with you when I return.

Until then, I thought I’d share with you a quick recipe for balsamic vinaigrette.  I had a few shallots on hand this week, so I decided to use them for a quick salad dressing since we were having a nice fresh salad with dinner (the salad was to make me feel less guilty about the fact that I made caramelized onion burgers… you’ll see those soon).  I used my favorite Rubio aged balsamic that I picked up on my tour of the Italian North End in Boston. I could probably drink the stuff right out of the bottle, but since it’s not real cheap, I usually just use a little bit at a time. It has amazing flavor, though, and tasted delicious in this dressing!  If you don’t have good quality balsamic vinegar, you may want to add just a bit of sugar to the dressing (taste it first, and add accordingly).  Mine is sweet enough on its own.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• Kosher salt, to taste

Combine the minced shallot, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and dijon mustard in a small bowl.  Whisk until all of the ingredients are combined and the dressing is smooth.  Season to taste with salt (and sugar, if necessary).