Roasted Garlic Aoli Salad Dressing - Tasty Tuesday

I'm not one to buy a lot of salad dressing at the store.  I love salad but don't eat enough of it.  And most dressing just don't taste as good to me as the homemade ones.  Plus, the homemade ones are just a teensy bit cheaper, and you can really make them your own.

My current summer favorite is a roasted garlic aoli.  This would actually make a perfect dressing for a potato salad, too, but I've been using it on a mixed green salad and sighing happily each time I take a bit.  I'll add whatever else is in my fridge at the time - tomatoes, cucumber, hard boiled egg, carrots, cheese, and more - and it's a perfect meal.

Did I mention this takes me ohhhh about 3 minutes to make (roasted garlic not included)?  Probably less, actually.

Roasted Garlic Aoli Salad Dressing


Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, roasted*
1 egg yolk
1 T dijon mustard (orrrr a little more - I never quite measure)
2 T sherry vinegar (balsamic will do in a pinch)
1/4 c grapeseed oil (or all olive)
3/4 c olive oil
1 T fresh dill
1 T fresh parsley
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
First, you need to roast your garlic.  You can do this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for a few days - if it lasts that long!  Preheat your oven to 325.  Cut the top of the head of garlic just a bit. You want it cut so that you can see most of the cloves exposed, but you don't want to be cutting off much garlic itself.  Put it on some foil (seriously people, buying a garlic roaster is a waste of money) and drizzle it with a little olive oil and salt.

Make a sealed pouch with the garlic bulb, and place it in the oven, open clove side up.  Roast it for 45 minutes to an hour and allow it to cool.  Try not to drool as you smell the yumminess coming from your oven.  To remove the garlic, simply squeeze the bottom of the head and watch the cloves pop out.

For the aoli, add the egg yolk to a bowl and whisk it lightly.  Add the 4 garlic cloves, mustard, and vinegar, then whisk well.  While whisking, slowly add the oils.  If you start to see any drops of oil, stop adding it and whisk until it's fully emulsified.  You may not use all the oil, and that's fine.  Personally, I like mine just a little bit lighter.

Add the chopped dill and parsley, and salt and pepper the aoli to taste.  Serve it over your salad.  This will keep in your fridge for several days.  I don't know how many because I've always used it up first!  See, totally easy.

*Note that you are not under any circumstances to waste any of this delicious roasted garlic.  You can add it to so many things to make them extra yummy or simply go with my personal favorite (Little Miss loves it, too) and smear the garlic on some good fresh bread.  That includes rubbing the bulb on the bread after you've removed the garlic to get every last yummy bit out.


Enjoy this and more with Blessed With Grace and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.