Homemade Pecan-Balsamic Dressing

My daughter, Samantha, has been busy in the kitchen, making some delicious summer food.... Here is her guest post for today:

On a hot summer day like the ones we've been having, the last thing I want to do it turn on my oven or stove.  Actually, most of the scorching days, I don't even want to eat dinner.  Conversations with my husband go like this.

Hubby: What's for dinner?
Me: Uuuuhhhh... hadn't thought about it yet.
Hubby: Well, what are you in the mood for?
Me: .........Watermelon.
Hubby: That's all you want for dinner?
Me: Yes.

So you see, when I thought of making a blackened chicken, apple, and pecan salad, I thought I was hot stuff.  Because I didn't even have to do much to make this meal.  Hooray!

I did, however, decided to do a little something extra.  Something that's been on my "Kitchen Bucket List" is to make my own salad dressing.  So I threw together this little recipe that I am happy to call my own.

Pecan Balsamic Salad Dressing:

3/4 c sour cream or yogurt (I did a mixture of both)
1/3 c mayo
3 Tablespoons honey mustard
1 1/2 tb lemon juice
4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon crushed pecans, toasted
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 tsp sugar
salt
pepper

1. Mix ingredients together, tasting and adding salt and pepper to taste.

Boom! Done!  Throw that dressing in with some greens, chopped green apple, chopped pecans, and blackened chicken and you are in business for dinner.  It was really great to serve this salad along with a loaf of Italian bread dipped in seasoned olive oil.

And that, my friends, is how I made one of my favorite summer meals of all time.  Enjoy!

Happy weekend!

Samantha