I made some phone calls this morning and set up some service calls.  And just how badly do I want to take delivery on a new motherboard for my oven?  Well, pretty bad, seeing as I agreed to the four hour window-of-wait imposed by the appliance repair man…tick tock, here I sit.  Can’t really leave the house, but I want to get a jump on dinner.

I took a quick inventory and here’s what I had:  grape tomatoes, a box of basil, half a pound of pasta, a chunk of Parmesan, and a bit of shredded mozzarella.  Here’s what I came up with .  It’s mighty tasty!  I think it would be the perfect accompaniment to any burgers, brats, or steaks you might grill this weekend.

Come over and keep me company, I’ll share some with you.  

Just my opinion:  I think this is better served at room temperature.  If you make it ahead of time, just let it chillax on the counter for a bit before serving.
TOMATO BASIL PASTA SALAD
Serves: 4-6 as a side dish

8 oz. pasta (Creamette Pasta is on sale; I used rotini)
1/4 c. good quality olive oil
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. good quality Parmesan (Belgioioso Italian Cheeses are on sale)
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella (optional)
1 1/2 c. chopped tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes, but stem tomatoes are on sale)
generous handful of fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions.  Drain pasta and place it in a large mixing bowl.  While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat.  Add garlic and pepper flakes and saute until sizzling and golden brown (be careful not to burn the garlic).  Pour the olive oil mixture over the drained pasta and toss.  Season pasta with kosher salt to taste.  Allow pasta to cool slightly.  Add Parmesan and mozzarella and toss.  Add tomatoes and basil and toss again.  Adjust seasonings; serve at room temperature.

When I say it’s a versatile recipe, that means you should go to your pantry or fridge and add any old Italian-type ingredient you have hanging around:  a handful of canned chick peas, sliced olives, or chopped pepperoncini – maybe even some diced provolone or mozzarella if you have it on hand.  I tossed in some torn basil leaves left over from last night’s pasta dish, which was a nice touch, and also some shredded mozzarella that I needed to use up.  You really can’t go wrong.

(Unless you added chocolate chips, frozen okra, or Special K.  Those are not Italian salad ingredients and they would not work here.)

Enjoy! 

CHOPPED ITALIAN SALAD
SERVES: 4
SOURCE:  foodandwine.com

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped into 1″ squares (romaine lettuce is on sale)
1/4 lb. diced salami (Usinger’s Salami is on sale in the deli)
1/3 c. chopped red onion
1 1/2 c. drained, rinsed, and chopped artichoke hearts (Vigo Quartered Artichoke Hearts are on sale)

3 T. red or white wine vinegar
1/4 c. good quality olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. grated Parmesan (Sendiks Imported Parmesan is on sale)

Croutons for serving, optional (Fresh Gourmet Croutons are on sale)

In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the romaine, salami, onions, and artichoke hearts.  Toss to combine.

Add the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan to the bowl.  Toss thoroughly to combine the ingredients.  Top with croutons if desired.

I have very little more to say today.  I’m mentally preparing for a trip to Mayfair with the Pickle.  Plus, I’m going to keep it short after yesterday’s lipstick story.  I’ll be lucky if I have any readers left after that one.

TTFN!!

BLT for Two Salad
Serves: 2 for lunch
Adapted from epicurious.com

6 bacon slices (Nueske’s Bacon is on sale)
¼ loaf of Italian bread, diced
¼ t. minced garlic
1 T. fresh lemon juice
¼ c. mayonnaise
1 T. water
¼ small red onion, julienned
½ lb. cherry tomatoes, halved (Campari tomatoes are on sale and are a fine substitute; quarter them)
1 head Boston lettuce (Dole Classic Mix greens are on sale and would be fine as well)

In a skillet cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp.  Reserving 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet, drain bacon on paper towels and crumble.  Heat bacon fat over moderately high heat but not smoking and sauté bread cubes with salt to taste, stirring, until golden brown.  Transfer croutons to paper towels to drain and cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, lemon juice, mayonnaise, water, and salt and pepper to taste.  Tear lettuce in to bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl, toss onion, tomatoes, lettuce, half of bacon and croutons, salt and pepper to taste, and enough dressing to coat.

Divide salad between 2 plates and top with remaining croutons and serve.

*NOTE* If you don’t feel like futzing with the dressing step, Hidden Valley Ranch is on sale and would give you nearly the same effect.   Also, after I took this picture I decided to add an avocado that I had on hand … avocados are on sale too!

I’ve never even ordered falafel in a restaurant, so don’t ask what inspired me to attempt it at home;  I just felt like making something different.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I did know that traditional falafel is formed into small balls and deep fried, for a crunchy exterior and soft inside.  While I believe that deep-frying has its time and place in the world, I’m not in to all that rigamarole and mess.  Luckily I was able to find a recipe for a more manageable (and less messy) sautéed patty.

The verdict from the FamDam (an honestly, it could have gone either way, with or without NTYB):  really, really good – four thumbs up, in fact!

On the side we had a simple salad of tomatoes and diced cucumber.  I embellished it a bit with half a can of sliced olives and a tablespoon or two of crumbled feta (had both hanging around in the fridge).  Simple, easy, and a cool compliment to the spicy yogurt sauce of the sandwich.

One final word:  this meal was cheap, cheap, cheap to prepare!  I always blog about sale ingredients (and the salad ingredients are on sale), but this falafel is ridiculously inexpensive to make, even without the main ingredients being in the current ad.

Give it a try if you’re in a vegetarian (or cheapskate!) frame of mind…I can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch!

FALAFEL WITH CILANTRO YOGURT IN PITA
Serves: 4 – 6
Source:  epicurious.com

1 c. plain yogurt (I love the plain Chobani)
1 c. chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 c. chopped onion, divided
5 large garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 T. lemon juice
½ t. cayenne pepper (less if you can’t HANDLE the heat), divided

2 15 oz. cans garbanzo beans, drained
3 T. plus ½ c. flour
2 t. ground cumin
1 large egg (Sparboe are on sale)

Olive oil
Warmed pita bread (I love the Kangaroo flatbread)
Sliced tomato and onion
Lettuce leaves
Sriracha sauce for a bigger kick

Whisk yogurt, ½ cup cilantro, ¼ c. onion, 1 clove garlic, lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne in a small bowl to blend; season with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Blend garbanzo beans, 3 tablespoons flour, cumin, remaining ½ cup cilantro, 4 garlic cloves, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne in processor until almost smooth.  Add egg and remaining ¾ cup chopped onion and blend, using on/off turns, until onion is finely chopped.  Transfer mixture to a bowl; season with salt and pepper.  Shape mixture into four ½ inch thick patties (I made 6).  Turn patties in remaining ½ cup flour to coat on both sides.

Pour enough oil into a heavy, large skillet to coat the bottom.  Heat over medium-high heat.  Add patties and cook until crisp and golden, about 8 minutes per side.  Cut the patties in half and place them on the flatbread.  Top with tomato, onion, and lettuce.  Pass yogurt sauce at the table.

TOMATO & CUCUMBER SALAD
Serves: 6
Source: epicurious.com

¾ pint grape tomatoes, halved (on sale)
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced (on sale)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Sliced olives (optional)
Crumbled feta (optional)
¼ c. chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 T. fresh lemon juice, or to taste
¼ c. good quality olive oil

Stir together tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.  Squeeze lemon juice over salad and stir.  Drizzle olive oil over and stir again.

I needed a salad for lunch today after a particularly naughty weekend in the feeding-your-face department.  A brief sampling of foods I enjoyed:   Cheeseburgers.  Frozen custard.  Fantastic cheeses.  Dill pickle potato chips.  Birthday cake (in honor of my turning 29 again).  Fried eggs and buttered (naturally) toast.  (Mmmmm, buttah’.)

So you can the need here for a cool and crunchy salad.  To prove just how serious I am about slashing calories, I used low fat mayo and low fat sour cream (I know, such drastic measures!), and the texture of the dressing didn’t suffer one bit.  The whole Dam’Fam loved it  – and what a way to get greens in to the punks!

Fresh and tangy with tons of homegrown basil and a splash of lemon juice, this is surely one of the most summer-y tasting salads this side of Lake Michigan.   The dressing would also be great as a sauce for grilled chicken or salmon, or even blanched asparagus or broccoli.

Bon appétit!

BIBB LETTUCE WITH BASIL GREEN GODDESS DRESSING
Serves: 6
Source: Barefoot Contessa at Home, by Ina Garten.  Copyright 2006. P. 70

1 c. good quality mayonnaise (Hellman’s is on sale)
1 c. chopped scallions, white and green parts (6-7, scallions are on sale)
1 c. chopped fresh basil leaves (Living Basil is on sale)
¼ c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) ** see note **
2 t. anchovy paste **see note **
2 t. kosher salt (less if you’re using table salt)
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 c. sour cream

3 heads bibb lettuce (on sale)
2 to 3 tomatoes (stem tomatoes are on sale)

Place the mayonnaise, scallions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.  Add the sour cream and process just until blended.  If not serving immediately, refrigerate the dressing until ready to serve.

Cut each head of lettuce in to quarters, remove some of the cores, and arrange on six salad plates.  Cut the tomatoes into wedges and add to the plates.  Pour on the dressing and serve.

**NOTES** I cut back on the lemon juice a little bit.  I would recommend adding it bit by bit and tasting along the way.  You can always add more, but you can’t take it away once it’s in there!  Same with salt!  And regarding anchovy paste; 1).  don’t leave it out, and 2).  you can find this by/near the canned tuna – usually on one of the top shelves. 

However, leave it to me to justify ribeye steaks on Father’s Day.  I can justify just about anything.  In fact, if our credit card company gave away points for justifying purchases, I’d have earned a round trip ticket to the moon and back for every member of this whole DamFam by now.  I’m not proud of it.  It’s an illness.

Anyhoo, I will be surprising The Hub’ with some juicy, grilled ribeye steaks on Father’s Day (it’s also our 16^th wedding anniversary – how’s that for justification?).  I don’t have them here to show you today, because they are quite a splurge, and I’m only making them once.  And that would be on Sunday.

Alongside our decadent steaks, we’ll probably have some kind of yummy potato dish – haven’t decided yet – and of course, a salad of some sort.  I’m thinking it will be this one…my husband is a fool for fresh tomato salad, and this one is a winner!  My husband is a winner too.  J  Awwwe!

Happy Father’s Day!

FRESH TOMATO SALAD WITH ONIONS, FETA, & OLIVES
Serves 6
Source: epicurious.com

5 large, ripe tomatoes (stem tomatoes are on sale)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
¼ c. good quality olive oil

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
¼ c. Kalamata olives or other brine cured black olives, pitted
1 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley

Arrange tomatoes on platter.  Top with onion slices.  Drizzle oil and vinegar over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Let stand at room temperature for at least one hour.  Sprinkle cheese, olives and parsley over salad and serve.

Had you seen me, you likely would have said (because you’re nice) something sweet like, “Oh you poor thing!  What could it be? A death in the family?  A wretched illness?  Gangrene?  Rickets?  Lyme disease?  What could possibly be bringing you to tears here in the produce department?!  And on Facebook!  And in the middle of the cul-de-sac?!

I’ll tell you, even as I tear up now, why I’m a wreck today.  I’ve made my peace with it, and if you think I’m crazy, that’s all right with me.  Call me what you will, you can’t make me feel any worse.

No Thank You Boy left this afternoon for a week in Washington, DC with his 8^th grade class.  No biggie, right?  Their trip is a culmination of a yearlong study of American History and U.S. government.  We parents have received emails and attended informational meetings throughout the year about this trip.  Each time it’s been discussed, the trip has been billed as ‘an amazing experience to cap off a fantastic year of learning’, and ‘the last time our group will be together like this before high school’, and (the kicker) ‘the grand finale of 8^th grade’.

The end of 8^th grade.  There you have it; hence, the waterworks.

I’m not sad because NTYB has gone away for a week.  C’mon, the kid is 14; hanging out with him is not exactly a day at the beach.  And as far as the DC experience goes, I’m thrilled he’s having the opportunity.  What better way to gain an appreciation for our nation’s Capitol and all its historic value than with your uber-enthusiastic Social Studies teacher and your fellow Young Historians (as said teacher refers to them)?

What absolutely wrecks me is how much this trip represents a rite of passage for my oldest kid.  The end of a fantastic middle school experience, and high school looming large just over the horizon.  Time marching on.

“Living in the moment” is a term that’s bandied about a lot, and is a good motto to live by.  “Don’t wish your life away” is my husband’s personal favorite.  Synonymous phrases that each sound so simple.  But living in the moment was not easy or simple today.  * le sigh * Would someone please change the subject?!

Let’s talk about the salad, shall we?  Because you don’t come here to listen to me prattle on about my issues (although I appreciate that you do), and I’m ready to pull myself together – that is to say, compose myself.

A composed salad (nice segue, right?!) is usually served as a main course.  Think Cobb, Chef, Nicoise, or today’s Layered Taco Salad.  In a restaurant, a composed salad would be served with all of the ingredients artfully arranged, and all of the components on one plate.  Gorgeous fresh vegetables, a protein, cheese, and starch; and finished off with a lovely dressing.

This salad rocks.  In an ironic twist, it went over especially well this evening because of NTYB’s absence.  This would be lovely for dinner on a hot summer evening or for a ladies lunch – it’s cool, filling, delicious…

And composed.

LAYERED NACHO SALAD
Serves:  6 as a main course

Source:  modified from epicurious.com

• 2 large, ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
• 2 c. or more thick salsa, divided (Muir Glen Organic Salsa is on sale)
• 1 lime, halved
• 2 T. cilantro, chopped

• 1 head red leaf lettuce*, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 3 c. shredded cooked chicken** or turkey (Farmland Turkey cubes or strips are on sale)
• 3 c. broken tortilla chips
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 scallions, chopped (on sale)
• 1 small green pepper, small dice
• 1 c. packed shredded cheddar cheese (Sargento is on sale)

Red wine vinaigrette or buttermilk dressing for serving (Girard’s Dressings are on sale)

Place avocados in a medium bowl.  Add 1/3 c. salsa, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and the cilantro and mash to chunky guacamole consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Layer half of lettuce, chicken or turkey, chips, beans, green onions, bell pepper and cheese in a large glass bowl.  Top with half of guacamole mixture and half of remaining salsa.  Repeat layering with remaining ingredients.  Use additional salsa to cover top if desired.  Serve salad, passing a buttermilk dressing or red wine vinaigrette at the table.

A COUPLE OF NOTES:

(*) romaine lettuce is on sale and would make a fine substitute for the red leaf

(**) I had chicken breasts on hand that I needed to use up.  I marinated them in a mixture of ½ c. beer, ¼ c. soy sauce, 2 T. olive oil, several dashes of Tabasco, and a hefty pinch of chopped cilantro.  I grilled the chicken over medium high for about 5 minutes per side, cooled it off, and diced it for the salad.  If you go this route, Just Bare Boneless Chicken Breasts are on sale!

Tonight it’s blackened coho for the Husband and me – in my opinion every bit as delicious as fillet, but won’t break the bank or sit in our stomachs like a brick after dinner.  With some simple roasted redskins on the side, dinner is served.  Sorry to admit here that my kids won’t touch blackened fish with a ten foot pole (just keepin’ it real), so they’ll be dining on grilled hotdogs (nitrate-free Sendik’s dogs – on sale!) with salad on the side.

In case you’d like to try this salad with fillet, just go to epicurious.com and search for ‘blackened steak salad’.  It’s awesome. But this one is good too.  Enjoy!

BLACKENED SALMON SALAD

Serves: 2

Source:  epicurious.com

For spice mixture:

• 1 T. paprika
• 2 t. ground black pepper
• 1 ½ t. salt
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. cayenne pepper
• ½ t. dried oregano
• ½ t. dried thyme

For salad:

• ¼ c. olive oil
• 2 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 t. Dijon mustard
• 6 c. packed greens (I used the Dole Classic Romaine that’s on sale)
• ½ green pepper, thinly sliced
• ½ c. thinly sliced red onion
• 2 5-6 oz. salmon fillets, with skin (I used the Wild Alaskan Coho, on sale)
• 1 T. olive oil
• 6 T. crumbled blue cheese
• 1 tomato, quartered

Mix all spice ingredients together in a small bowl.

For salad, whisk oil, vinegar, and mustard in a large bowl to blend.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add greens, bell pepper, and onion and toss to coat.  Divide salad between two plates.

Spread spice mixture onto a plate.  Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels.  Brush each fillet with some of the olive oil, then place flesh side down in the spice mixture to coat.  Turn your exhaust fan to high (this is important!). Heat a heavy large skillet over high heat until very hot (a drop of water evaporates immediately upon contact).  Swirl in a bit of olive oil to coat pan.  Immediately add the salmon fillets and cook two minutes per side (a little longer if they are on the thicker side; I did mine for 2 ½ per side).  Transfer to a cutting board; let stand 2 minutes.  Arrange salmon atop salads.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Garnish with tomato and serve.

“Better than Honey Crisp?” I asked.  Honey Crisp are my official favorite.

“Yep,” Lisa said.  “I like them better than Honey Crisp.”

Well, shut my mouth;  I guess I’ll have to try them.

I’ll tell you the truth:  an apple challenge is not my favorite thing.  First of all, it doesn’t seem early enough in the season for us to all be jumping on the apple cart – I mean, I love cinnamon and cloves just as much as the next gal, but I’m just not mentally prepared for crisps, cobblers, and apple brown bettys.

Secondly (and this is a confession, prepare yourself), I cannot stand fruit in a main course.  Or in a savory salad for that matter, and it’s an odd quirk, I know.  I think I get it from my dad.   Mandarin oranges, strawberries, kiwi, apples … please, don’t put them in my dinner.  Or lunch.  I’ll take fruit with my breakfast and let’s call it a day, thank you very much.

But, since I am a team player, I decided to make this salad which contains – yes, apples.  And you know what?!  I liked it.  I mean, I REALLY, REALLY liked it!  The dressing is terrific – a perfect blend of sweet and tart.  It does have a slight “autumn thing” going on with the nutmeg and ginger, but those flavors are subtle – you’ll hardly know they’re there.  Slivered red onion, crisp romaine, and toasty pecans are a nice compliment to the sweetness of the apples.  We had this salad alongside carry-in pizza on Friday night, but I could see it going well with an autumn dinner party menu as well.  I’m sold!

ROMAINE SALAD WITH APPLE, RED ONION, and CIDER VINAIGRETTE

Serves:  5

Source: adapted from epicurious.com

• ¾ c. vegetable oil
• 2 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ T. frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 T. minced red onion
• 1 t. salt
• ¼ t. ground nutmeg
• ¼ t. ground ginger
• Hefty pinch of ground black pepper

• ½ c. julienned red onion
• 1 Jazz apple (on sale) peeled, cored, and diced
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped into bite sized pieces
• ½ c. chopped pecans, toasted

Whisk first 8 ingredients together in a small bowl for dressing (or, whip it up with a stick blender, which is what I did).  Set aside.

Place chopped romaine in a large salad bowl. Top with apple, onion, and pecans.  Drizzle with dressing, tossing to coat.  Serve on individual plates.

I woke up a while ago and the house just didn’t feel right.  Uncomfortable, steamy, hot and sticky… I like to think I’m too young for hot flashes, but obviously, something was not right.

Well apparently, the air conditioner hadn’t been working all night long.  I went down to the basement thinking (hoping?!) that I probably just needed to change out the furnace filter (we’re not very good at keeping up with that sort of thing around here, if you want the truth) and all would be well.  But no such luck.

The filter is fine.  Much worse I fear, is that the furnace is covered in a thin layer of ice and frost, which can’t possibly be good.  I find its frozen state slightly ironic, since the rest of the house feels like the rainforest, and my hair (a very reliable humidity indicator) is curling wildly even as we speak.  Nice visual, right?  Yeah, it ain’t good.

I hate problems with the house.  They always give me a bad feeling in the pit of my checkbook.

While I’m sitting around waiting for the repairman to show his face and give me the bad news, I’ve turned my attention to dinner. You’re probably wondering how and/or WHY I would possibly be thinking about dinner at a time like this?  When I’m so hot and crabby?!  Well, that’s how I roll.  Planning dinner is a great diversion from the problem at hand.  Also, I’m a little obsessed.  It’s an illness.

Any hoo, I’m an absolute fool for a good Cobb Salad, which is what I decided to make tonight.  Light and fresh, they’re the perfect warm weather dinner.  I adore them so much in fact, that I ate a Cobb Salad from the North Shore Bistro every single week for the full nine months that I was pregnant with my third kiddo.  Do the math, that’s like, 40 salads.  Don’t believe me?  Ask my husband.  He was my Cobb Salad courier every time I had a craving.  A Cobb Salad mule, that’s what he was.  I’m sure he’d be thrilled with the title.  Let’s just see if he really reads my blog like he says he does.

This version is dressed up a bit with the addition of fresh herbs, toasted pine nuts,  and a lovely, light vinaigrette.  I used the sale marinated chicken breasts from the meat counter (Italian, they were terrific), sale romaine lettuce, stem tomatoes, and Patrick Cudahy bacon.  Economical AND delicious, does it get any better?

Impress your diners by chilling off your plates in the freezer before you plate the salads; it adds a nice touch and will make you look like a pro!

At least something around here will be nice and cold.  Humph.

COBB SALAD WITH HERBS AND SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

Serves:  6

Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, August/September 2008 p. 55

• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (again, I used the marinated ones from the meat counter)
• 1 large head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
• ¾ c. fresh herbs (I used Italian parsley, basil, mint, and chives), chopped (not minced)
• 2 large avocados, pitted and diced
• 2 larged stem tomatoes, seeded and diced
• ¾ c. crumbled blue cheese of your choice
• 1/3 c. pine nuts, toasted (you could easily swap in pecans or walnuts for much less $$ than the pine nuts)
• 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp, cooled, and crumbled
• Sherry Vinaigrette, recipe follows
• Additional fresh chives, chopped for garnish

Place 6 large salad plates in the freezer to chill.

Preheat your grill to medium high.  Grill the chicken breasts until well marked and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.  Cool; cut in to small dice.

Combine romaine and herbs in a large mixing bowl.  Toss with just enough dressing to coat lightly, 4 – 5 tablespoons.  Season with salt and pepper and toss again.

In a medium mixing bowl, toss the avocado, tomatoes, blue cheese, pinenuts, and chicken together with 3 – 4 tablespoons of the dressing.  Remove the plates from the freezer.  Divide the greens among the plates, arranging the lettuce in a circle with a small hole in the center. Mound the chicken mixture in the center of the lettuce on each plate, dividing evenly.  Sprinkle with the crumbled bacon and chopped chives and serve.

SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

• ¾ c. extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ c. good quality sherry vinegar
• 2 t. finely grated lemon zest (from about one lemon)
• 1 t. sugar
• 1 clove garlic minced finely or pressed
• ½ t. Dijon mustard
• ½ t. salt
• ¼ t. ground black pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a glass measuring cup or jar with a tight fitting lid and whisk or vigorously shake to combine.  You can refrigerate this for up to five days, but allow it to come to room temperature and stir well (or shake again) before serving.