Mayo, Schmayo . . . How Different Can It Be?
By: L. A. O’Neil
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Article and recipe contributed by April Jones, publisher of
Kitchen-Blender-Reviews, a resource for
helping you find the best kitchen blenders for your kitchen. You
will also find a growing resource for a variety of
blendtec recipes
from breakfasts, dinners, desserts to smoothies. April loves to
share with others about the benefits of healthy eating
while making it fun and lasting. Healthy living begins in the kitchen.
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When I was
growing up, my mom got her first blender and she began blending everything in
sight! I remember it well – it was a Waring blender, and it was a real
workhorse. Once Mom made homemade mayonnaise, she was hooked. I, of course,
wouldn’t touch it with a 10-foot pole. My refined palate at age fifteen was
non-existent, and I refused to put ‘real mayonnaise’ in my mouth – I was a
Miracle Whip kind of gal! (Yum . . . Miracle Whip on a bologna sandwich is
still one of my faves!)
It wasn’t until
I was in my twenties that I decided I had to grow up, so I started blending my
own mayonnaise concoctions. I realized that by making my own, I could create an
egg salad or chicken salad sandwich with a flair and style that it didn’t have
before. When I owned my catering company, I made all of my own mayonnaise with
different flavors, and clients often wondered why my salads and salad dressings
tasted so fresh.
No big secret – it was the mayo!
The first thing
to know is that a good mayonnaise recipe has vinegar in it. You can use a
regular, white distilled vinegar, or you can amp up your mayonnaise with a
flavored vinegar, such as a champagne or pinot noir vinegar. If those are a
little too adventurous for you (you may have a 15-year-old in your house!), you
can use a plain white wine vinegar – either way you choose, you will dress up
the mundane in no time!
Homemade Champagne Mayonnaise Recipe
IMPORTANT: All the ingredients must be at
room temperature. If necessary, eggs may be immersed in warm
water for 10 minutes to bring them up to temperature before
breaking them into the blender jar.
Recipe Type:
Condiments,
Eggs
Yields:
approximately 2 to 2 1/4 cups
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients:
2 eggs, room temperature*
1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
2 tablespoons white champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh canola oil (approximate)**
* Since raw eggs are being use,
only use the freshest eggs you can buy (the fresher, the
better). As an egg ages, lecithin, a protein that acts as
the central emulsifying agent, breaks down and the power of
the egg yolk to stabilize the mayonnaise weakens. You may also use pasteurized eggs.
** For a basic mayonnaise, use
an oil with a mild flavor that won't overpower the other ingredients. If you
plan to refrigerate your mayonnaise, then choose a refined oil such as pure
olive oil or sunflower oil. An unrefined oil, such as extra virgin olive
oil, will solidify when chilled and cause separation later as it returns to
room temperature.
Preparation:
Place eggs, mustard, vinegar, and salt into your blender, and blend for about 10 seconds
until creamy.
With the blender running, add the oil very slowly in a thin stream to start
the emulsion process. The mayonnaise will begin to
emulsify (get thick). Keep slowly adding the oil until it is the
consistency you want. You may find that you will use a
little less oil, depending on your personal taste.
As the
mayonnaise begins to thicken, turn off the blender, and scrape down the
sides and bottom of the blender by the blades. Turn back on, and slowly add
additional oil, if needed.
Transfer the finished mayonnaise to a bowl. If
not using right away, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The sauce
will keep for a good week.
Makes approximately 2 to 2 1/4 cups.
Check out more interesting articles and recipes on using the blender by April Jones:
Chicken Salad with Champagne Mayonnaise
I usually make
chicken salad out of one of the breast pieces – it makes just enough and I love
to 'much' on it while I’m writing. So, just to prove to you that I’m not out of
my mind, I'm sharing my favorite Chicken Salad recipe. You’ll only need one appliance – your blender -and your skillet!
Cranberry-Orange-Banana-Spinach - Green Smoothie
From this recipe you can add different types of greens, different
vegetables, more fruit or less and so on. Blend up a big batch and take with you to work or keep in a container in
the fridge to drink on through out the day.
Juicing For Health - Can
green smoothies stop junk food cravings?
Drinking whole raw foods blended in to a nice smooth
drink can help overcome addictive cravings for coffee
and donuts. Drinking a green smoothie is taking the
first step to replacing a bad eating habit with a better one.
Juicing vs. Blending
Is it better to juice or blend? There is always a lot of discussion
among my friends about whether they should juice fresh produce or
blend whole foods.
Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
I'm always looking for ways to prepare something that is a regular, every day, old-fashioned ingredient,
and pork chops filled the bill. I figure the meal, I'm going to tell
you about, cost no more than $2.50 per plate. Where are you going
to beat a deal like that? This recipe takes no more than 30
minutes to prepare, and I guarantee that your family will be hanging around the
kitchen wondering when dinner will be ready.
Zesty Prime Rib Steak with Chimichurri
It takes less than a couple of minutes to blend a fantastic chimichurri
or roasted red pepper sauce for a tasty bit of beef (that you seared and
roasted in your cast iron skillet!)
