Creamy Chipotle Mason Jar Salad Dressing

These days, I have felt like a machine. Not in every respect. In some respects (here), there is nothing robotic about my actions. My interests scatter across many domains, admittedly, so please know that my love for cooking is not the only space through which my energy is currently channeling.

I know I have referenced this on several occasions, but I have not entirely emphasized just how much of a giant life change I made several months ago. I will do so now, because life is great, and sometimes all you need is to take a baby step and crack open a door so that everything can flood on in. I remember one of my last days in Minneapolis, a dear regular at my coffee shop approached me because he detected that something was up. Here’s the part where I should tell you that, in my world, simplicity means everything. And the changes I made months ago complicated things…for quite a while. That day, though, Bill grabbed my hands and told me that, if I made any decision for myself, he had no doubt that it was the right decision. As the ramifications continued to unfold for months afterward, I have held onto the moment when he hugged me and kissed my head and placed trust in the truths I was putting out into the world.

And so, at 26, I moved back to Florida to be with my mom for a while. Here, certain things pieced themselves together wholly. I am so grateful. Certain things blossomed. Certain things grew. Certain things healed. And certain things, things I love to do, have also became-due to a lack of time, space, and resources-less routine. I don’t get to practice Ashtanga, my favorite activity, a whole lot (though when I do, there is a new opening, so much so that I can now do every single posture in the Primary Series). Similarly, I hardly find the time and space to sing and play my uke. And recently, at work, I broke out my dance moves and did the robot, because lately, in some regards, I kind of feel like one.

That same day, a hipster came through the drive-thru and asked me to fill his 16-oz mason jar with hot coffee. The liquid burned my fingers as I handed it back to him. I smiled, because I don’t really care, and I appreciate the kind of person who can use and reuse affordable items ahead of creating more waste*. And then, that same week, I thought of that jar. I realized I could similarly minimize the dishes and utensils I had to clean while making dinner by using the same item as part of my preparation. I loaded olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice, chipotles, adobo sauce, scallions, salt, and pepper into one of my jars. I lidded the mixture. I shook it into oblivion.

In many ways, I feel like this is some metaphorical representation of my decision-making months ago: packing a relatively short list of items into a small space and shaking things up. Especially since there have been many delicious things that have unfolded thereafter.

As for the machine-like parts: there is a salad for every dressing, and I got a whole lot of produce ready for transformation at the electric touch of my fingers. Stay tuned. YES, that means that, very soon, exciting changes are in store for roast potatoes for. I can’t wait to share them with you. [INSERT NAME/SITE MAKEOVER MONTAGE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, LIKE THE NEXT TIME YOU HEAR FROM ME OR SOMETHING]

One Year: Black Bean Salsa
Two Years: Creamy Tomato Soup

Creamy Chipotle Mason Jar Salad Dressing
Makes About 6 oz
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp plain greek yogurt
Juice of one lemon
2 tsp adobo sauce from one can chipotles in adobo
1 chipotle pepper, finely chopped
2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Combine olive oil, yogurt, adobo sauce, chipotle, scallions, lemon juice, sea salt, and pepper in one 8-oz mason jar. Twist lid on mason jar to close. Shake until contents are combined. Refrigerate in mason jar until ready to use. Contents will last up to five days.

*Also, most importantly, the jar he brought with him was CLEAN, which is a courtesy that many people do not invest in when bringing reusable containers for their coffee.