Ginger-Sesame Dressing

I don't like storebought vinaigrettes because they are too much on the oil side.  When I'm at Souplantation, I just put straight Balsamic vinegar on my salad, no oil.  The oil does have its uses, and the salad I was making needed a bit of fat in the dressing.

I started with this recipe, then cut down the proportion of oil a lot and added sesame seeds to the mix.  I tried grating the ginger first, but it was disappearing and leaving stringy fibers behind, so I minced the rest of it.  Fresh ginger looks expensive when you see the label per pound, but the piece you snap off for this is only about fifteen cents.  Don't forget to peel it (a potato peeler works fine), or there will be woody fiber in your food.

I cheated on the sesame seeds.  I still have some pasteli in the freezer and chucked the biggest one in the jar instead of buying such an eensy amount.  I added about a teaspoon of honey to bring it up to what I have in this recipe.

1/4 C rice vinegar
2 Tb soy sauce
1/4 C olive oil
1 Tb sesame seeds
1 Tb honey
1 Tb finely minced ginger
1 clove garlic, finely minced

1.  Get a 1 cup jar.  To see science in action, add the vinegar, followed by the soy, followed by the oil.  I love that effect.  Add sesame seeds, honey, ginger, and garlic.

2.  Secure lid and shake briefly to disperse ingredients.  Remove lid and microwave for 30 seconds, until warm but not hot, to melt the honey.  Cover and shake again.  Refrigerate until shortly before use. Olive oil will harden in the fridge, so give it 10 minutes to come up to room temperature before shaking again and serving.  Can be used either as a salad dressing or marinade.

Makes almost 1 cup, about 8 servings

Difficulty rating  π