Honey Mustard Vinaigrette and a Blood Orange, Avocado, Arugula Salad

Bees are important. To find out why, see this, read this, or search for colony collapse on the Internet. We rely on bees for so many things, and they are a marker for how well the environment is fairing.

Every time I use honey in a recipe, I think of bees. So much so that I’ve switched to using maple syrup in many of my recipes to take a load off their labor and harsh conditions. There are a few recipes that I won’t stray from though. I always use honey in honey mustard dressings. (Note: maple syrup is not SCD legal, so stay with honey)

My creamy honey mustard dressing works well as both a dressing and a dip, however I’ve been using this vinaigrette dressing for many of my salads. This recipe is egg-free, if that’s important to you, and is lighter than the creamy version because it doesn’t use homemade mayonnaise.

I use a fruity-flavored olive oil, which makes a bit of a difference in the overall flavor of the vinaigrette, but any vegetable or nut oil will work with this dressing. I also prefer a stone ground mustard, but again, any mustard will work. Do be careful with spicy mustard though, unless you like your dressing with some heat.

As for the salad, I’m just trying to use up some blood oranges and avocado that I’ve had sitting around on my counter way too long. The arugula is my leaf of choice these days. Slightly nutty and bitter, with an amazing bite to it for a small leaf. It’s also great mixed in with some romaine lettuce, which adds some crunch to your salad. Or go leafless and just slice up a bunch of avocados and oranges, and sprinkle with sliced, toasted almonds. Up to you. Enjoy!