Basic Vinaigrette recipe

It only took me four years before I finally found a blog post about "the Golden Ratio" for making a good salad dressing.  This gave me a great starting point, and after many tests, I discovered I like things a bit more on the tangy side, so I upped the vinegar content of my dressings.  The ratio I use is 1 part vinegar to 2 parts oil.  (The above link recommends 1 part vinegar to 3 pars oil)  Once you figure out which ratio you like, it's hard to screw up, but here is my specific recipe. 

I make a batch of it, so that I can use it for a week or two rather than make it every day.

1/2 cup olive oil or walnut oil
1/2 cup grapeseed oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil (in my order of preference)
1/2 cup vinegar (I use a vinegar which has infused herbs in it, but plain old apple cider or sherry vinegar will do fine)
1 heaping teaspoon of brown mustard
pinch of salt and pepper

Shake or whisk together.  Easy, and SO much better and healthier than bottled sauce.  This is a very basic recipe.  Feel free to add a diced shallot, and/or any spice/herb combo that suits your mood.  I almost always make a green salad with sunflower seeds, raisins, and red onions, and it's wonderful.

For an even more basic recipe, make a balsamic vinegrette:

2 parts olive oil
1 part balsamic vinegar

Balsamic vinegar is pretty sweet in addition to being acidic, so I usually don't put raisins in my salad with this- halved cherry tomatoes would be great to add though.

Try mine out, or those linked in the Simply Recipes blog, and you might never want to buy dressing again.