Strawberry Vinaigrette

It's again that time of year when it's too hot to eat and you end up with salad for dinner. I make all sorts of variations on salad with whatever I happen to have hanging around. I decided to make a nice strawberry vinaigrette this time around. Since I finally got around to buying a new stick blender, I thought it was time to give it a test drive. Here's what I put in the salad this time around:

Mixed Greens
Carrots
Red Onion, minced
Chicken (leftover, grilled)
1 c bulgar wheat, cooked *

Strawberry Vinaigrette

5-6 strawberries, sliced
2T white balsamic vinegar
a bunch of chives
salt/pepper
olive oil

Place strawberries in a 2 cup glass measuring cup (or other tall container). Add vinegar and buzz with a stick blender. Add chives, salt, and pepper. Buzz again. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while stick blender is whizzing. Add about 1/4 - 1/3 c olive oil. Taste adjust seasoning and serve over salad.

I think you could also use fresh raspberries. Although I think you might need to add a pinch or two of sugar. You can also use quinoa, couscous, or any other small cooked grains. You might also want to add some cheese to the mix. Dried fruit, nuts, or whole strawberries would not be out of order here either. There are so many different things coming into season right now that, you can use just about anything.

So what do I think of the new stick blender? It's OK. It did a good job but was a little difficult to clean. There is a little "well" where the blade is and it's hard to get in there to clean. I'm really not too keen on sticking my fingers where the blade is to clean it. For the price, I don't think I can complain. My last one lasted about 10 years and it was only about $10. This one was a little over $15 and if it lasts me just as long, I'll be happy.

*I took 1/2 c bulgar and added 1 c of boiling water into a bowl. Covered it with plastic wrap, I let it sit for about 20 minutes until all the water was absorbed. Then stuck in the refrigerator. This gave me enough for 2 salads worth. I did this early on in the day.

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