Fruit Salad Vinaigarette

This post highlights the synergistic effect of combining 3 products that I discovered last summer while watching Chef Brad on BYUtv (here): agave nectar, white balsamic vinegar, and fruit infused olive oil.  Each one of these products taste great when used in other ways, but when combined for a salad dressing, they are simply lip-smacking-good!  I am sure that it is a healthy alternative to other dressings or whipped cream,  but I only use it because I love the taste.

Agave nectar is pretty common and can be found at any grocery store.  It is really sweet and seems to dissolve easily in whatever concoction I put it in.  Apparently, it is also good for people that can't handle a blood sugar spike because it is lower on the glycemic index than other sweeteners.  We have used a couple brands and they have seemed similar so far.

The while balsamic vinegar was very surprising to me.  I have always loved balsamic vinegar (the dark stuff), but I was intrigued when I found out that the white variety was sweeter and went well with fruits.  We have used Trader Joe's brand and Alessi (pictured above).  I didn't notice much of a difference between the two and would probably give a slight edge to Alessi based on price and the fact that it seems to be in every grocery store.  At some of the stores I have noticed fruit flavored white balsamic vinegar (peach comes to mind, but I can't remember where.  Trader Joe's maybe?)

The most mind-blowing product of the three had to be the Lucini "Delicate Lemon" olive oil.  I have only found this at Whole Foods so far and have not found a fruit infused olive oil anywhere else, but I am always looking.  This oil has essential oil form Amalfi lemons.  At first, it was a little anti-climactic to open the bottle and smell the oil as it didn't impress me much.  However, when I combined the oil with the agave nectar and the white balsamic vinegar, I was amazed by how much I tasted the lemon and how fresh and sweet the whole mixture tasted because of the light taste of lemon that was somehow highlighted when added to the mixture.

Now, I have never measured the proportions that I use when making the vinaigrette.  I pretty much just add stuff and keep adding until it tastes right.  So, you are on your own with figuring that out.  What I will tell you though, is that the vinaigrette goes great with berries (black, blue, strawberry, other local berries), grapes, bananas, apples, pears, peaches, and pretty much whatever fruit comes from a bush, tree, or vine (I don't know about melons though).  Also, I would recommend nuts in the salad.  What I try to get in my mixture is a little bit of zing from the balsamic vinegar and enough oil to bind the agave and the vinegar.  If it tastes like oil, you need to fix it.  If there is no zing from the vinegar, you need to fix it.

Other items that work as substitutes:  We have used plain olive oil and that works well, but doesn't give the lemon taste (sometimes we add lemon juice, sometimes we don't).  Also, we have used apple cider vinegar at a friend's house and it tasted good as well.

The Awesome Jowl

This is the first blog of many simple blogs that I will be posting about foods and things that people are missing out on, but they just don't know it.  I had to choose a blog name to do this, so naturally, I chose one of my favorite products: Falls Brand pork jowl bacon. This stuff is cheap, delicious and versatile.

It all started at Portland City Grill. I went there for a business lunch and had a fancy salad that had warm chunks (not from slices and almost cubes) of bacon. I was in love!  I made a mental note deep in the parts of my brain that, if left unchecked, would land me in OA (Over-eaters Anonymous).

I am a supermarket wanderer. When I am hungry or need a break mentally I wander supermarkets looking for things that I may like. One day, I was checking out meats at Fred Meyer and it was as if the pork jowl called to me. Ok, not really, but when I saw it, I knew I had to buy some and try it. Great call if I do say so myself.

I usually cut the jowl bacon into 1/2 x 1/2 x1 inch pieces and fry them up until crispy/chewy. The flavor and texture are top notch. I have used the jowl bacon in: Brazilian beans, nachos, salads, fruit salads (yes, it really does work), pasta salad, in breakfast tacos and/or omelets, with baked chicken, and just plain to snack on. (our oldest loves it when we give her the jowl bacon)

On the cost, look below, you can get well over a pound of great bacon for just over 3 bucks!  Wow!!!