Mustard Vinaigrette

I’m reposting a recipe that I originally posted almost 5 years ago to reflect how I make it now, which is much easier and more scalable. The original recipe called for thinly slicing and pasting 3 garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle, which certainly isn’t insurmountable, but it’s one of those semi-laborious steps that often stops us from making something despite our best intentions. In my current version, I make a double batch of the original recipe, throw everything into a high-speed blender, let the machine blend it into creamy oblivion, and then pour it into a 32oz mason jar that will keep in the fridge for a good while.

The main benefit of having a tasty vinaigrette ready to go in your fridge is self-evident: you’ll likely eat more salads. And, like all recipes, when you make something at home, you get to control the quality of the ingredients. Even the healthy store-bought vinaigrettes use gums and stabilizers, as well as other oils besides olive oil.

I also use raw apple cider vinegar in this recipe to amp up the health benefits. There is evidence that apple cider vinegar may help regulate blood sugar and support weight loss. And it’s incredibly tasty here.

The olive oil will solidify a bit in the fridge, so I usually spoon out the vinaigrette that I want into a small bowl and microwave it for 10 seconds. If I have more time and I’m still cooking, I’ll set the bowl near the stove to warm naturally.

I hope you enjoy!

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Mustard Vinaigrette
Adapted from the mustard vinaigrette recipe (pg 41) in Cook This Now by Melissa Clark

Special equipment:
High-speed blender

6 medium garlic cloves
Rounded tablespoon sea salt
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Put all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend it up! This stores well in a 32oz mason jar in the refrigerator.

Hot Chocolate Mix

Some time ago I started to make my own hot chocolate mix and this December, probably because a new wave of the pandemic and the holidays have descended on us at the same time, my hot chocolate making is in full force. I’ve been making it for the kids in the evenings when we read stories before bed and for just a few moments it makes me feel like everything is simple and perfect in the world. That, in my opinion, makes the effort completely worth it.

I’ve adapted this recipe from Smitten Kitchen and it couldn’t be easier. It lasts for quite a while in a repurposed 16oz nut butter jar. Coconut sugar works beautifully here; it’s just the right amount of sweetness without the blood sugar spike. I also use arrowroot powder rather than corn starch because it’s an easier starch to digest. If corn starch is what you have around, use that instead!

I love that this mix is dairy-free so you can choose what milk works for you and your family and go from there.

I hope you’re getting a little time to practice some self care during this holiday season in this most unusual year. xx

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Hot Chocolate Mix
Adapted from the Decadent Hot Chocolate Mix on smittenkitchen.com.

Special equipment:
Food processor

1/2 cup (80 grams) coconut sugar
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
3 ounces (85 grams) 70% dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup (35 grams) unsweetened cocoa/cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until you have a fine powder. As mentioned above, I store the mix in a repurposed 16oz nut butter jar.

To make hot chocolate, warm up however much milk you’d like on the stove and whisk in 3 tablespoons of hot chocolate mix for every 1 cup of milk. Pour into mugs and enjoy and/or serve to some very excited kids :)

Zucchini Noodles

I recently realized that I don’t have a single noodle recipe on this website; a situation that needs to be corrected. Because I try to cook meat no more than once a week, noodles are a go-to in my kitchen. One of my favorite brands is Tolerant - noodles made from legumes. Here, I used Tolerant Green Lentil Rotini. Yes, alternative noodles taste different but the pay-off in grams of fiber is very high and thus, in my opinion, totally worth it :)

This recipe is meant to be a quick weeknight staple. The zucchini mixture comes together in no more time than it takes to cook the noodles. You can use more or less zucchini, and more or less garlic. There is no need to measure. If you don’t have fresh thyme, throw in a pinch of dried thyme. Letting the zucchini soften and cook in a good amount of olive oil really makes this dish. I find it immensely satisfying to make a nourishing meal in very little time and with very few ingredients, and I trust that you do as well.

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Zucchini Noodles

Note: When I cook noodles, I cook them with a good amount of sea salt and then the finished dish requires very little, if any, additional salt. Obviously, if you cook your noodles unsalted, you will need to add quite a bit more salt at the end.

8 oz package of your choice of noodles
Good glug of olive oil (you’ll probably use more than one glug)
2 medium zucchini, grated
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Several sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped
Juice of half a lemon, to taste
Sea salt to taste (see note above)

To serve:
Chopped parsley or mint
Toasted slivered almonds

Cook your noodles according to the directions on the package (see my note on salt above).

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat, pour in a good glug of olive oil and add the grated zucchini (because this is is meant to be a super-quick recipe, I often grate my zucchini straight into the skillet). Stir well, then add the chopped garlic and thyme leaves (which I also strip straight into the skillet). Let this mixture saute for about 5-7 minutes, stirring every minute or two. I turn off the heat when I start to scrape the zucchini off the bottom with my spatula. If it’s looking dry over the course of this time, feel free to glug in some more olive oil.

When your noodles are finished cooking, quickly drain them, then add them to the zucchini mixture and gently toss to incorporate. Season with the lemon juice and sea salt, as needed.

Serves 4-6