GF Month of May - Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette

May is Gluten Free Awareness Month. I decided to try a gluten free diet again for the month as part of the Gluten Free Challenge. I learned about the challenge through the blog, Suddenly Gluten Free, where Oakland Press food editor Alissa Malerman shares recipes and news of new products. May 22 & 23 are the official "challenge" days, although some people are going GF for the whole month of May.

I've eaten a lot more salad in the 4+ days of May. I hope to lose some weight. I need to lose a lot. When I went GFCF with my daughter nine years ago, I lost weight without trying, without portion control, without counting points, without effort. I simply removed gluten and casein from my diet. I lasted four four months and never felt better, except I craved a bun on a burger, cheese on a burger, and pizza. This time, I'm removing gluten and reducing casein, but not eliminating casein.

A few weeks ago, when I spent a lot of time in the waiting room at the auto dealership, I had the opportunity to read quite a few magazines.

In one of them (I do not remember which one), I found a recipe for Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette. The recipe reminded me of a salad I enjoyed many times at a restaurant in Long Beach, California. It's one I'd never tried to make at home.

I copied the list of ingredients onto a sticky note supplied by the dealership w/ the dealership logo printed on each page. They happen to be gluten free, perfect for my GF Challenge month:

Orange Balsamic Viniagrette

1/3 cup orange juice

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup EVOO

1 tablespoon honey

1 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

Ground black pepper to taste

I drizzled it on a salad of romaine (spinach would have been better), orange segments, almonds. Yummy! Raspberries and maybe strawberries would be a nice addition, too.