Multicultural Salad With Carne Asada (W / Pics)

[tx smoker]

I like the sound of that olive oil! I’ve had some infused oils before at an Italian store a few hours from here.

Of course they let you sample it for the same reason a car salesman wants you to test drive a car: they want you to fall in love with the stuff and charge you $400 a quart for it :-)

Quick update. I just checked the EVOO and it's already starting to take on a good garlic flavor. No hint of the spice yet though. I'd recommend cutting the garlic cloves into smaller pieces. A big clove, cut into 3 pieces. A smaller one, 2 pieces. This will give a lot more surface area of the garlic in contact with the oil and open the garlic up so flavor comes out better.

This is gonna be good!!
Robert

 

[Smokin' in AZ]

Really nice cooks Robert!

LIKE LIKE!

Here is a link to a place that costs an arm and a leg for infused EVOO, and balsamics. But will give you some ideas on making some of your own.

Our favorites are the meyer lemon and the parmesean, garlic and rosemary (which makes a great add to turkey tenderloins before smoking them on the grill).

https://pinetopoliveoil.com/flavored-oils/

John

 

[tx smoker]

Well Joe, once again I've taken it to the next step. you and possibly Steve....and maybe a few other folks, might get a real kick out of this. Last time we were up the lake visiting our friends (when I got the big bag og cayenne peppers) I mentioned to her that I was doing the garlic infused olive oil and spicy vinegar. She thought that sounded fantastic, and she's one who loves to cook also. They are some of our very best friends so I thought about what I could do for her (and a few other friends that love to cook) and decided on gift bottles. Bought a case of 12 bottles with corks and decorative shrink-wrap caps. Here's what I came up with.

IMHO, I think these look pretty spiffy and worthy of a gift to a close friend. I believe I've mentioned that I've also started making your dressings and bottling those as our mainstay dressings for salads. I may look into a couple others to make just so we have a bit of variety but so far, we have not gotten tired of what we have.

Wondering what's next,
Robert

 

[xray]

They look really good!! Your friends will be in for a treat! The shrink wrap gives the bottles a nice clean and professional look, all you need is a label and you’re in business.

Just yesterday my wife and I finished a bottle of Kikomans soy sauce and I was like “Ooh! Don’t throw that bottle away! Because I could use it as a shaker bottle for the vinegar.” My wife just rolled her eyes, but I put the bottle in the dishwasher because I know she’ll throw it away, lol.

What is the spice level on the vinegar with only a few peppers in it? I guess you could even try different pepper combinations if it is something you end up enjoying. A habanero seems like it would work because of the fruitiness...how many is up to you.

As for a variety of dressings, I’m an oil and vinegar guy. Sometimes I’ll change it up with a balsamic vinaigrette or a lemon vinaigrette, or regular Italian dressing...as you probably know by now, most of the stuff I make is pretty simple. I try not to become obnoxiously complex with recipes.

Looking forward to what you make next!

 

[Smokin' in AZ]

What a nice looking gift!

Like

John

 

[tx smoker]

They look really good!! Your friends will be in for a treat! The shrink wrap gives the bottles a nice clean and professional look, all you need is a label and you’re in business.

Thank you Joe!! I appreciate the kind words but truth be told, the last thing I want is to "be in business". That would require work and I've developed a serious aversion to such a thing

Just yesterday my wife and I finished a bottle of Kikomans soy sauce and I was like “Ooh! Don’t throw that bottle away! Because I could use it as a shaker bottle for the vinegar.” My wife just rolled her eyes, but I put the bottle in the dishwasher because I know she’ll throw it away, lol.

I've thought about that but have not emptied any bottles....except for ones that I've filled. Great use for them though!!

What is the spice level on the vinegar with only a few peppers in it? I guess you could even try different pepper combinations if it is something you end up enjoying. A habanero seems like it would work because of the fruitiness...how many is up to you.

Not sure what the spice level is going to be yet. It needs some time to develop the flavors and this one is sealed so I couldn't tell you anyway There are 16 cayenne peppers in a 12 ounce bottle of vinegar. I'm thinking that may have a nice little tingle to it. I've thought about other peppers and vaious quantities but wanna see what happens with what I have going first and make adjustments from there.

As for a variety of dressings, I’m an oil and vinegar guy. Sometimes I’ll change it up with a balsamic vinaigrette or a lemon vinaigrette, or regular Italian dressing...as you probably know by now, most of the stuff I make is pretty simple. I try not to become obnoxiously complex with recipes.

I'm starting to lean in the direction of oil and vinegar, which is the basis for the two dressings of yours I've been making. I do also like a good ranch dressing but primarily as a dip for fresh veggies, and we eat a ton of those!! I'm probably going to go in search of a base ranch recipe and modify it to make it my own. If I put something together that's noteworthy I'll post it.

seeking out a ranch recipe,
Robert

 

[tx smoker]

What a nice looking gift!

Thank you John!! Send me your address and I'll ship a couple bottles your way. I have a bunch of empty bottles I need to fill up so I can justify buying more

Ya gotta love Amazon!!
Robert