COOKING AT HOME: One of the best salad dressings around

I love it when I read headers for recipes that say, 'The best salad dressing ever!" or "The only salad dressing you'll ever need!" — And, when I say I love it, I actually mean I laugh at it, because, let's face it, no matter how great something is we eventually get tired of it. The funny things is, I've read so many recipes that started off with those words I almost wrote it, here, myself — I erased and began again. So here goes, the salad dressing recipe I'm about to give away is definitely one of the best salad dressings I've come across. I've literally become the salad-person for potlucks because of this dressing and have been asked countless times for the recipe.

Now, unto you I bestow one of the best salad dressing recipes in my arsenal. Give it a try, it's super simple, and you be the judge.

What you'll need...

Good olive oil, 1/2 cup

Apple-cider vinegar, 1/4 cup

Maple syrup (this is the secret ingredient), 1-2 tablespoons (the amount depends on the sweetness level you want in your dressing.

Dijon mustard, heaping 1/2 teaspoon

Red pepper flakes, a pinch, or none at all if you don't want the heat (but honestly, you can barely taste it).

Black pepper, couple turns of fresh ground pepper (if you don't have this, that's fine, it's not a must).

Salt, a nice big pinch

Garlic, 1 large clove pressed

Small jar with a lid (let's say 8 fluid oz jar, which is 1 cup).

What you do....

Put everything into the jar. Put the lid on and shake it like crazy (we will emulsify the ingredients together at this time). 

Taste it. Does it need anything else? If it's a little flat, add a bit more salt. If you want to taste more garlic, add a bit more of that. There should be a sweetness coming through - if you don't taste it, add a bit more maple syrup. When the flavor is perfect you'll know. Trust me, you just will, because it'll taste good. Trust yourself.

**I will add here, when I taste the dressing and feel like it's not quite there, like something is missing, it usually tends to be one of these two things: 1. It needs a pinch more salt. Or, 2. It needs a tad more maple syrup.