At its most fun, cooking is real-life alchemy, transforming a bunch of mismatched stuff into one brilliant, beautiful creation. Case in point: this fool-proof approach to vinaigrette salad dressing, which fuses oil, mustard, lemon juice, and seasonings into your own form of liquid gold.
Part of our You Did It! video series, a collaboration with Tillamook, this video demonstrates two key truths about cooking with kids. One, imparting super-simple basic recipes can set them up for life. Two, you always, always need a Mason jar. Here’s the basic technique to teach kids:
You’ll need:
¼ cup lemon juice (fresh preferred)
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1. Assemble all of the ingredients in a Mason jar (or any jar with a lid).
2. After the ingredients are in the jar, screw the lid on tightly.
3. Now shake! Do this for about 15-20 seconds until the ingredients come together. This is called emulsion! (One clue that you’re done: the vinaigrette will turn a light yellow color.)
4. Pour your vinaigrette over salad, use it as a dip for vegetables, or as a marinade for roasted vegetables and meats. Ask the adults in your home to experiment with you.
You did it!
