Maple and Raspberry Dressings

180210 Maple Vinaigrette-3977

Just two simple salads, but the dressings really make them stand out. Nothing exceptional about them though, quick and easy to make (you probably have made something similar before) but I still wanted to share them as a reminder how a hint of sweetness really can make a world of difference to a dish.

The first is a maple dressing. The hint of maple sweetness balances nicely against the fat from the avocado and the peppery taste of the rocket salad.

Maple dressing:
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Salad:
Young mixed salad leaves (rocket, spinach…)
Quartered cherry tomatoes
½ avocado per person, thinly sliced
Rolled up thin slice (cut lengthwise) of cucumber
(Pea) sprouts
Finely chopped red onion

1. Mix the dressing
2. Massage the dressing into the salad leaves
3. Place salad on the plate
4. Drizzle with the dressing

The second is a raspberry vinaigrette. Coupled with a few raspberries in the salad it is as tasty as it is pretty.

180210 Raspberry Vinaigrette-3957

Raspberry dressing:
100 ml frozen (thawed) raspberries
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper (and some chili flakes perhaps?)

Salad:
½ thinly sliced avocado (per person)
Thinly sliced radishes
Blueberries
Fresh raspberries
Salad leaves
Red onion, finely chopped
Radish, thinly sliced

1. Push the thawed raspberries through a strainer (to get rid of the seeds).
2. Mix with the other ingredients for the dressing.
3. Taste and adjust spices (raspberries varies in degree of sweetness).
4. Dress the leaves with the vinaigrette
5. Layer the salad on a plate
6. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top
7. Serve with some extra vinaigrette, salt and pepper on the side