Castellon's Kitchen: Confetti Salad with Honey Champagne Vinaigrette

After a bumpy start to the new year, Spring has come just in time to give me some much needed peace and time for renewal. Friday was my first day off and I was in the kitchen ready to make something delicious. I'd planned to make some Picadillo Stuffed Pobano Peppers with a Tomatillo Cream Sauce...which sounded like a great plan if it hadn't been 90 degrees. It was crazy 'summer hot' here in Southern California last Friday!
Instead, I opted for this delicious and decidedly cooler, Confetti Salad with the amazing Honey Champagne Vinaigrette. I know a salad is far cry from a satisfying main dish but you'll see the stuffed Poblanos in the near future. I promise. I made this salad dressing and salad a few weeks ago for a friend and I loved the dressing so much I decided to blog it. The recipe is actually an adaptation of the dressing I had at the Chef Tech Blogger/Cooking Workshop event back in February. I took their basic vinaigrette recipe and changed it up a bit. This salad is not only delicious but festive and beautiful. Use any vegetables you like, just cut them up real small so that the dressing coats every nook and cranny. I especially like this salad because it's perfect to use up those bags of mini bell peppers. Most of the time it's hard to find uses for all those mini peppers before they get mushy. There is a limit on how many bell peppers one can eat in a week.
Anyway, chop up your veggies and whip up a batch of this delicious Honey Champagne Vinaigrette. You'll end up putting it on everything! Enjoy!

Confetti Salad with Honey Champagne Vinaigrette

Mixed greens (I used romaine, spinach and kale)
Red, yellow and orange baby bell peppers, small dice
3 mini Persian cucumbers, quartered and sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup green onions, sliced

Chop, rinse and spin salad greens.
Cut mini bell peppers into thin match sticks and then dice.
Cut Persian cucumbers in half and then into quarters lengthwise. Then slice into small pieces. Finely slice green onions. I used pre-shredded carrots but if you have whole carrots, finely dice them or shred them with a box grater.

Add all vegetables to the salad greens and set aside. Prepare Vinaigrette.

Honey Champagne Vinaigrette

1/2 cup Champagne Vinegar (can substitute with white wine vinegar)
1/3 cup honey
3 T shallots, finely minced
2 T Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup Canola oil
3/4 cup Sunflower oil
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Finely mince a small shallot and add 3T to food processor. Add 1/2 cup champagne vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard to the shallots. Process on high until fully incorporated. In a measuring cup, combine the oils and set aside.
With your food processor on high, add the oil to the round insert in the lid of your processor. The round insert has a small hole at the bottom of it that will slowly add the oil so that it is emulsified. This will be good for about a week in the refrigerator.

I didn't toss the dressing with the salad in these pictures, so that the lettuce would keep for dinner later that night. Normally, toss with the vinaigrette before serving. :) Enjoy!