Mustard musing?

Training

This morning I crawled out of bed at 5.30am and headed to the pool for my before-work swim session. I increased the distance to 1.4km, and focused on breathing and technique, rather than speed (not that I am a very quick swimmer anyway!) The session actually passed quickly and soon it was time to shower and head to work.

Tuesday brought with it a bounty of productiveness, as hoped, and I managed to tick quite a few things of the 'to do' list. I even finished work on time and was eager to head out for a run, but unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans and decided it would be a good time to ?top up? the dams. Lots of rain = no run this evening with my favourite running buddy, Mr BBB :( Tomorrow night perhaps?

Mystery Box

Having an extra hour, however, did allow for a dinner creation inspired by the chosen Mystery Box ingredient:

Mustard!

To say I was excited about tonight's Mystery Box ingredient is an understatement.

Did you know? Mustard is a condiment made from the seeds of a mustard plant, that have been mixed with water, vinegar or other liquids. Mustard often has a sharp, pungent flavour, as mixing the ground seed with  liquid causes the release of an enzyme  responsible for mustard's characteristic heat. The temperature of the liquid used also plays a role in the "strength" of the mustard:  hotter liquids are more ?hostile? and will produce a milder mustard, while cold liquids are less ?hostile? and will produce a hotter mustard.

I believe I inherited my love of mustard from my dad, who would thickly spread mustard (the hotter the better) on his sandwiches, omelettes, pies and anything really! I too am now fascinated by all the varieties of mustard on offer, and have been known to walk away from local markets with several jars in hand.  Be it spread on a sandwich, served with roast meat, or shaken into a homemade salad dressing, mustard is one versatile ingredient!

Take this little jar of goodness, that I found sitting in the sale bin at our local grocer, for instance?.

When we drew ?mustard? out of the Mystery Box, I knew that this particular variety would be perfect for tonight's dinner -  warm vegetable salad with honey mustard dressing.

To make the dressing, I combined honey, apple cider vinegar and of course, the mustard.

Then poured it over warm sweet potato, potato, eggplant, red onion and chickpeas, that I had roasted in the oven for about an hour, together with a few handfuls of rocket leaves.

With a sprinkle of fetta on top.

Oh my ? this was comfort on a plate! Just perfect for a rainy day.

The chilli mustard added a sharp spicy flavour to the dressing, while the honey added a sweetness without being overpowering.

Combined with the warmed caramelised vegetables, and the creaminess of the feta, it was a delicious balance of flavours.

Definitely a dressing that I will be making again (and again?.). I suggest that you do too ;)

Honey Mustard Dressing

What about you? Do you like mustard? What is your favourite kind? Mine would have to be seeded or dijon.

Happy Baking :)