KilKenney Kitchen Basics – Balsamic Vinaigrette

It’s no secret that I love to experiment in the kitchen.  I enjoy every minute of creating recipes to share with you each week.  Of course, I’ve had my share of failures along the way too (A vision of 2 batches of caramel sauce dumped in the Wisconsin north woods comes to mind this week!).  These successes and failures in the kitchen have helped me become a better cook, and allowed me to serve some great dishes to my family and friends.

Having said that, there is something really comforting about having a set of time-tested basics in my kitchen as well.  These are the recipes I know by heart, often written on the back of an envelope covered in colorful, tasty stains.  I am excited to share my favorite KilKenney Kitchen  basics with you beginning with this Balsamic Vinaigrette.  It’s a quick, easy and incredibly delicious salad dressing. Plus – you’ve gotta love a recipe this good that uses 5 ingredients and takes 5 minutes to make!

Stay tuned for more KilKenney Kitchen basics including such stalwarts as roasted vegetables, great gravy and mashed potatoes.  I hope they’ll become favorite basics in your kitchen too.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

This quick, easy vinaigrette is one in a long line of KilKenney Kitchen basics. I believe strongly that homemade salad dressings are better than the bottled versions every time. And because I make it myself, I know it's both gluten free and delicious.

Servings 4 people

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 small lemon
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

• Press the garlic or chop it very fine and add it to the jar
  
• Add the 2 teaspoons of dijon Mustard to the jar. (Mustard Girl brand American Dijon is a KilKenney Kitchen favorite. It's gluten free, made in Wisconsin, and has lovely rich flavor) Of course, any dijon mustard you have works wonderfully!
  
• Add the juice of the lemon and the 3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar to the jar. This is a good place for a high quality balsamic. I like the18 year aged balsamic available locally at a great shop called Vinaigrette in Minneapolis. You can also find great options at your local grocery store, Costco and/or Trader Joes
  
• Add the 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp to the jar
  
• Shake the jar like crazy until all the ingredients have emulsified. It will take a couple of minutes of vigorous shaking to get it all combined - a good time to enlist your kids for help! Taste the vinaigrette and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
  
• Serve along side your favorite green salad and enjoy! I often double this recipe so I have a basic balsamic vinaigrette ready to go at all times.