Lemon, Garlic, & Basil Vinaigrette

I love basil.  To me, basil is the king of all herbs.  I planted a few basil plants in our garden this summer and they have been well worth the $2.00 I spent to get them at the Farmer's Market!  I have been putting fresh basil in my salads, on my sandwiches, and everything else that it would even moderately go with.  This morning as I made breakfast I was even wondering whether I could make pancakes with basil.  What do you think?

Well, much more conventional than basil pancakes is a basil vinaigrette.  (And yes, I spelled vinaigrette incorrectly on that little label in the picture.  Alas, this is why I teach science rather than English.)  You can find tons of basil dressing recipes online.  I used the traditional 3:1 oil to vinegar ratio for my version.  I've been careful to look at nutrition labels on vinegars when choosing one to make a dressing; some of them pack quite a few carbs and sugars into a tablespoon.

Ingredients:
3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. champagne vinegar
1 Tb. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 c. heaping and packed cup of fresh basil
1 packet stevia
pinch of sea salt

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high.  Store in an airtight container.  Ta-da!

I will be having this for lunch soon over another salad of fresh spinach and arugula with salami tidbits, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, red pepper, and hemp seeds.

I am so excited to be picking greens to eat for lunch in my back yard! 

 I think the key to a good salad for me is at least 5 ingredients.

And at least two of them have to be good sources of protein and/or fats,

otherwise I'm hungry again in an hour!