"Ummm." I hear as my son takes the first bite of this salad and dressing and a second louder "Uuuuuummmmm! This has a barbecue taste to it!"
SO. Honey Mustard is delicious and a popular dressing. A glance at the web will show that there are numerous recipes for honey mustard dressing with varied ingredients.
Many of the recipes use mayonnaise which makes it unaccessible for folks who have a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Using olive oil can sidestep that issue. Plus, if you like a hint of barbecue flavor without adding barbecue sauce and a touch of spice, then this recipe is for you!
It was an impromptu recipe that I put together from memory from all the other times I have made honey mustard dressing. There was a time in my mid twenties, when I made honey mustard dressing at least once a week inspired by my friend Erica. Erica was one of those people in my life with whom I was supposed to have a relation with just because the universe had decided so. The day we met, we were sitting at the Los Angeles Unified School District Building on "Beaudry" to submit paperwork to get hired, and we started chatting. When it was time to go our own ways, we wished each other luck. Two days later, we saw saw each other again at Vine St. Elementary and this time we were colleagues. That was the beginning of our friendship and my introduction to a honey mustard dressing that went over a salad with breaded baked feta cheese.
I was very much a novice in the kitchen then and this salad with a baked lemon chicken with vegetables was our go to meal for many a night of inviting friends over for dinner. In fact, our kitchen didn’t even have a microwave then. When Erica moved to Chicago, she insisted we keep her microwave because she couldn’t believe someone had to pull out a saucepan to heat water 😂.
Anyway, had someone told me then that this regular meal of chicken and salad would go on hiatus for 20 years, I would have scoffed but… here I am, trying to reconstruct that dressing.
As my husband noted, a honey mustard salad dressing is especially good with dishes that have cheese like bacon carbonara or pasta with Alfredo sauce. It's also a quick side for a summer barbecue that is fun but makes you feel accomplished.
INGREDIENTS:
Dressing
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoon Spicy Brown Mustard
1 clove crushed garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
juice of half a lime
couple of pinches of salt
couple of pinches of crushed black pepper
Salad
1/2 carrot; shaved
1 bag Mixed baby greens
Shaved parmesan cheese (to taste)
PROCEDURE
Gather all ingredients for the salad dressing in a bowl and whisk well. A fork works but if you like making your own salad dressing, then I would invest in a whisk. Taste it and see if seasonings need to be adjusted. Check the bullets below on notes for adjusting.
If it's possible, let the dressing sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or more for the flavors to REALLY let the flavors set in. Longer the better BUT if not, using it immediately will be fine as well.
To assemble the salad, place all the mixed greens in a bowl. Use a peeler to shave off the first layer of carrot. After that, continue to use the shaver to add carrot peels to the salad.
Sprinkle some shaved parmesan cheese on top.
Serve, either with dressing on side or tossed in. If tossing in the salad, start with a third of the dressing; blend in; taste and add more if needed!
Too sweet? Start with adding add about half a teaspoon more of lime juice and another pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk. Taste. If it still needs adjusting, add half a teaspoon of Spicy Brown mustard.
Too thick? Sometimes, depending on the honey, the dressing can feel much thicker than regular dressing. If so, add another tablespoon of olive oil and whisk.
Please email me at lovecookyoga@gmail.com if anything is unclear or if you have any questions. If you try this recipe and it works for you or made modifications, please leave a comment to let the community know.
Thanks!