Golden Poppyseed Dressing

Poppyseed dressing, blended. After searching the 'net for a good poppyseed dressing recipe, I made this one up. It's got honey instead of a bunch of sugar, and it avoids all the strange ingredients you see on the store-bought labels.

GOLDEN POPPYSEED DRESSING

1/8 cup honey or vegan sweetener
1/8 cup cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground mustard seed
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 tsp. poppy seeds

Place honey in a deep, straight-sided measuring cup or small bowl. Stir in the salt, mustard powder, onion powder, and vinegar until honey is dissolved.

With an immersible blender, blend in the olive oil in a thin, steady stream. (See note.)

Grind the poppy seeds briefly with a mortar and pestle or food processor, to break them up and release the flavor (optional). Stir into dressing.

Serves 4-6.

Note: Blending-in the oil is optional. It makes the dressing creamy by emulsifying the oil. If you don’t have a blender or plan to store the dressing (at room temperature) for multiple uses, just make it in a jar and shake it up well before using. On a salad, it works out about the same.

Poppyseed dressing, not blended.

The Best Vinaigrette

Everybody needs a good basic salad dressing. This is ours--balsamic vinegar tastes the best, but you can substitute cider vinegar for salads needing a lighter-colored dressing (see note). The dark brown of the balsamic can make fruit look yukky.

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. mustard
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

In a jar, stir the seasonings together with the mustard. Stir in the vinegar.

Add the olive oil, screw on the lid, and shake well.

Makes enough for one large salad (6 servings). Store at room temperature, or allow time to warm up the solidified chilled olive oil.

Note: for a lighter-colored dressing, substitute apple cider vinegar and add 1 Tbsp. honey.

(Balsamic vinaigrette, shaken up)
Variations
Italian - use red wine vinegar and add 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
French - make Italian version and add 1/4 cup tomato juice
Pear - use cider vinegar and add 1/2 lg. pear, mashed
Orange - use cider vinegar and add 1/4 cup chopped mandarin orange segments
Pineapple - use cider vinegar and add 1 Tbsp. crushed pineapple
Apple - use cider vinegar and add 1/2 cup apple sauce