All purpose pomegranate vinaigrette

Contributed by Preston Maring, MD


All purpose pomegranate vinaigrette

A colleague who specializes in geriatric medicine once gave me a simple way to look at being your own cause. Half of who you are is a result of your heredity. The other half is up to you. 

Those who move more throughout their life are still moving more in their 80's. She said it even helps to stand up from sitting throughout your life just using your big thigh muscles rather than pushing up with your arms off the arms on a chair. 

Motion combined with good food can make a big difference in your health. The advent of early daylight savings time may give you even more opportunities to get 10,000 steps per day. That's about 5 miles but it depends on how long your legs are. 

I wore a pedometer for several months and found I only got 3500 steps after a day at work in the medical office and elsewhere which necessitated making it up before and after work. 

This recipe makes enough for three meals — it works well for a basic salad, a fancier salad with pears, candied pecans, and blue cheese, and a pan-roasted chicken breast and mixed greens salad.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallots
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
  • 6 tablespoons canola oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients except the canola oil to a blender. 
  2. Blend then add the canola slowly with the blender running. 
  3. Season to taste.