Asian Dressing and Maridane

I love homemade salad dressings and when they can pull double duty as a marinade then that is a total win! This dressing was first published in my cookbook. It is super easy to make and uses mostly pantry ingredients. Sesame oil is an ingredient I keep on hand, but may not be a pantry staple. You can omit it, but the dressing will loose some of it’s depth of flavor. It is rich and pungent and a little goes a long way. Buy a small bottle and keep it in your refrigerator because it oxidizes easily and can go rancid if you keep it at room temperature.

This dressing should be shaken just before serving. To marinate chicken or pork, pour the marinade over the meat and refrigerate it for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. I like to reserve a little of the marinade for dipping after the meat is cooked. It will keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Asian Dressing and Marinade

1/2 Cup Rice Vinegar (natural, not “seasoned”)

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 Cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon Honey

1/8 teaspoon Hot Pepper Flakes

Directions

Add all ingredients to a pint mason jar and close the lid tightly. Shake vigorously for one minute. Serve immediately over salad. To use as a marinade, pour over chicken or pork and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Cook as desired.

**Note** This will separate as it sits so be sure to shake well before serving. Sometimes the olive oil will solidify in the refrigerator. You can liquefy it by letting it come up to room temperature. If you are in a hurry, just run some hot tap water over the jar, and the oil will gently warm up so you can shake it up. The dressing is even better the second day.