Avocado Pear and Gorgonzola Salad

I know I've said this before, and I'm sure I will say it again about a different recipe, but this salad is absolutely amazing and I don't think I'm overstating my point. My go-to bag lunch is a salad, because it's easy to pull the ingredients together in my lunch bag, quickly chop toppings just before serving, and it helps me get in my veggie servings early in the day. And I could eat this salad every single day.

We all know the best part of any salad is the dressing, and mastering the homemade vinaigrette is a basic technique that you can use to impress others with your mad cooking skills. Homemade dressings all begin as a basic vinaigrette, simply 2-3 parts oil to 1 part acid. Use any oil you want: olive, grapeseed, sesame, canola, soybean, safflower, peanut, or a blend of any of the aforementioned oils. Then pick your acid, any kind of vinegar or citrus juice will do nicely. Next, form an emulsion by slowly pouring the oil into the acid while whisking constantly until it becomes creamy and well combined. Or, if you're impatient like me, put everything into a jar with a very tight lid and shake the snot out of it, a perfect job for kids! How you get from a basic vinaigrette to an artful dressing depends on what seasonings you add; try garlic, shallots, herbs, honey, chili paste, cream, tomato paste, a pinch of sugar, cheese, or soy sauce. In total, this takes two minutes to make, costs pennies, you control everything that goes into it, and is always fresh and delicious. The ingredient list on the average bottle of salad dressing reads a lot like the supply list for an experiment in organic chemistry lab, plus it sits in your refrigerator door until you realize its a year past its expiration date. Actually, that's kind of gross when you think about it, just saying.

In this particular vinaigrette, Dijon mustard doubles as both flavoring and also as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers are simply ingredients that have chemical properties that prevent your emulsion from separating. Coincidentally, cream, tomato paste, and egg yolks are all handy emulsifiers. The best part of making your own salad dressing is you can make the exact amount you need. Salads are my go-to bag lunch, and I'll put all the ingredients for my vinaigrette in a small container and shake it just before serving - fresh dressing in under thirty seconds. That will certainly make your coworkers jealous.

Back to the salad at hand. I kept this simple by using mixed baby greens, but you could use any kind of lettuce you like. The sweetness of the pears and the rich creaminess of the avocado are magic together, and the tartness from the Gorgonzola with the bite of the dressing takes this over the top. One serving is just 245 calories, and 21 grams of delicious heart healthy fats from the avocado and olive oil. Not that you'll care about how many calories are in this salad because it is deliciously addictive. This salad will likely give pears and avocados a permanent position on your grocery list. Enjoy!

Avocado Pear and Gorgonzola Salad, Serves 6

1-5oz container mixed baby greens
3 scallions, cut into 1/4" sliced on the bias
2 ripe avocados, diced
2 red pears, diced
1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Pour vinegar into a large salad bowl. While whisking vinegar constantly, slowly pour in the olive oil (almost drop by drop) until it becomes creamy and you form an emulsion. Add sugar, garlic, mustard, sea salt, and pepper, mixing well. To the dressing add salad greens and scallions, toss well to combine with dressing. Top with avocados, pears, and Gorgonzola cheese.