"French" Dressing

Not a lot that's French about this - it's a traditional American recipe. Actually, it does start with a fairly classic vinaigrette, but adds ketchup. Yup, ketchup is where French dressing gets that mysterious glowing orange tint. It's a nice sharp dressing with a touch of richness that goes very well with a salad of mixed greens or cold snap beans; at least when you make it yourself. It's easy, and way better than any of the commercial versions.

About 1 cup dressing
45 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

1/2 cup sunflower or other vegetable oil
1/3 cup cider or white vinegar
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard seed (I often use a bit more)
1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced parsley or chives (optional)

Put all the ingredients in a 250 ml - 500 ml glass jar, cap tightly and shake well until emulsified.

Let the dressing sit for half an hour to allow the flavours to blend. Give it another shake before using.

This will keep, covered in the fridge, for at least a week although if you expect to keep it that long, leave out the parsley or chives.