Rosemary-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Its Sunday evening, and I have officially taken a slight break from cooking. This week, I will be taking a mini vacation and be heading over to my parent's home. Where hopefully my mom will whip out some fantastic meals that I can photograph. I am so excited to say the least! I must confess, that one of the major reasons I started blogging is so that I can have an accurate record of my mother's recipes. So, last Friday night's meal was the last time my kitchen saw any action. The result was an amazingly light and delicious salad dressing. In an effort to make a healthy meal without any pasta or rice, I made Chicken Marsala (this will be up later on)and served it with fresh greens and home-made vinaigrette. Because rosemary is my best friend, I added some of the spice to give it a more fragrant flavor. I am on a tight budget lately, well with the recession and all, why bother spending even $3 on a salad dressing when you can make one at home that is easy and delicious?

Rosemary-Balsamic Vinaigrette
adapted from Emeril Lagasse on Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 medium garlic clove, pressed
1 sprig of rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
3/4 cup olive oil

Mesclun salad mix or favorite greens, for accompaniment

Directions
Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the, garlic, dijon, rosemary, salt and pepper. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings. I used a food processor to mix everything
Toss a few tablespoons of the dressing with the salad mix and desired salad ingredients, and serve immediately.
If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, whisking or shaking again before use.
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