How to make a phenomenal salad dressing for pennies -- blackberry vinegar

One of the ways that I save on my grocery bill, is to make salad dressing from scratch, instead if buying bottles of pre-made dressing. I favor vinaigrettes over creamy dressings, just a preference. But also, depending on the quality of oil used, vinaigrettes are often far less expensive to make than a mayo/sour cream dressing.

I can take a homemade, flavored vinegar and plain salad oil, and create a fantastic salad dressing for pennies, in a few seconds. Most of the time, I mix up the dressing in the bottom of the salad bowl, just before adding the greens. It's a simple process. A bit of flavored vinegar, pinch of salt (pinch of sugar, if making a fruity dressing), salad oil and black pepper. Stir briskly, with the salad spoon, to emulsify. Pennies, just pennies!

Every summer, I make several flavors of vinegar. Chive blossom, rosemary-thyme, and at least 1 berry vinegar (raspberry and blueberry having been my previous favorites). Once infused, I just keep my vinegars on the kitchen counter. They add beauty to my work space, and sit there reminding me to use them.

I decorate the bottles with ribbon, raffia and sometimes labels, in part because it's just prettier, but also it helps me differentiate between each flavor with just a glance.

This summer, both the blueberries and raspberries had a small crop in our gardens. But wild blackberries are everywhere in abundance. So blackberry vinegar -- here's your chance to dazzle me!

Blackberry and raspberry vinegars are made with the same method, simple infusion. The proportions are 1 part raspberries or blackberries, to 2 parts white vinegar.

So, for 1 pint of bramble berry vinegar:

1 cup rinsed berries

2 cups white vinegar

In a sterilized 1 quart jar, place raspberries/blackberries and vinegar. Use either a plastic lid (ones from mayo and peanut butter jars seem to fit regular mouth canning jars, here in the US), or lay a small piece of plastic wrap over the opening of the canning jar, then add the ring to hold it in place.

Blackberry vinegar just after adding berries to plain white vinegar

I keep the infusing vinegar in the fridge for about 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, I strain out the berries (which by now look quite bloated and unappetizing), and decant the flavored vinegar into a clean narrow-necked bottle.

I like the look of a cleaned out, repurposed bottle with a cork. Packages of corks can be purchased, inexpensively, at kitchenware shops or in the cooking/kitchen section of import stores, such as Cost Plus World Market.

Using berry vinegar

Berry vinaigrette

2 tablespoons berry vinegar

pinch salt

1 tsp sugar

4 tablespoons salad oil (can be a mixture of olive and any salad oil, or simply salad oil)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional, but adds a fresh zing)

You can, also, do as I often do, just mix a bit in the bottom of the salad bowl. Use 1 part vinegar to 2 parts oil. Add a pinch each of salt and sugar. Stir to emulsify.

A typical autumn salad for our family: red and green leaf lettuce, chopped fresh pears, and sliced almonds, dressed with a berry vinaigrette.

Creamy berry dressing for fruity salads

For fruit-salad dressing, I like something creamy, but with a bit of tang. Some mayo, whipped cream, and/or vanilla yogurt, and some berry vinegar. If just using mayo, I add a pinch of sugar to bring out the sweetness of the berry infused vinegar.

Marinades

Berry vinegars make delectable marinades for chicken breasts. Make a batch of the berry vinaigrette (omit orange zest), add a tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary, and a dash of black pepper. Pour over  chicken breasts, and allow to marinate in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. Then grill to doneness. Simply delicious! I understand that berry vinegar marinades are also delicious on salmon and pork. Google "salmon" or "pork" and "raspberry vinegar", and a bunch of recipes will pop up.


One last thought, it may be August, but the holidays are just around the corner. Bottles of infused vinegar make lovely gifts for the hostess, or holiday friendship gifts.

Saving electricity: microwave baking -- cornbread

I was asked to post our cornbread recipe. So here it is.

This is one of my daughter's favorite foods, so we have it often.

It's baked in the microwave in 3  1/2 minutes, using a fraction of the electricity of a standard oven. There is no pre-heating of an oven, no heating the kitchen up, and I can think to add it to a lunch or dinner menu at the last minute, and have it on the table in 10 minutes, start to finish.

This cornbread comes out moist, which is what I think my daughter really enjoys about it. And because it's a cornmeal product, it already has "color", and doesn't look pale and pasty, as other microwaved breads often do.

I have these small Corningware casseroles. (I see them frequently at thrift shops and garage sales, btw.) They are the perfect size to microwave cornbread in, about 5 inches in diameter. I use 2 at a time, to bake 8 small wedges, which is just right for our family.

To make 2 of these small casseroles, I bake a half recipe. Baking just half works for us, as that's all we need at a time, and it bakes up so quickly.

Just an FYI, to halve a large egg, simply beat it well, and pour or scoop 2 tablespoons into your batter. Cover and save the other half-egg, in the fridge for up to 3 days, to use in cooking, or freeze.  To freeze half of an egg, beat in 1/16 teaspoon salt, or 3/8 teaspoon sugar, pour into a small freezer container and label (to use in your next half-batch, requiring 1/2 an egg).

Here's the full recipe.

My recipe calls for microwaving in a microwaveable 2-qt. ring mold. As other quick breads/coffee cakes can be microwaved in an 8-inch round or square. I would think that should also work for cornbread. But if you have a few small casserole dishes, as I do, then the microwave bake will take less time. You could also bake individual cornbreads, in custard cups.

1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil

optional: cheese for topping

• In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
• Beat together egg, milk and oil. Combine liquids with dry ingredients. 
• Pour into well-greased 2-qt. microwaveable casserole (or a couple of smaller casseroles).
• Microwave on MED-HI (70 % power) for 8-10 minutes.  (I microwave a half-batch, in two 5-inch casseroles, on HI for 3 & 1/2 minutes.)
• Your timing on the baking will likely differ from mine, slightly, as wattage varies among the different microwave ovens. If your microwave does not have a turntable, you will want to turn this, a quarter turn, half way through baking.
• Microwave baking takes a watchful eye. Watch the center of the item as it bakes. The center finishes baking last. When it looks set and dry in the center, as the edges do, press a finger into it. When done, it should feel firm.

• Remove from microwave. If topping with grated cheese, sprinkle on top of baked cornbread. 

• Place a dish or tray over the top, to hold in the heat while the cheese melts, about 3 minutes.