Homemade Mayonnaise

If you love mayonnaise and you've never made your own homemade mayonnaise, you should. The flavor is really unequivocal to any store bought varieties. It is also beneficial if you are looking to reduce the amount of polyunsaturated fats in your diet. Commercial mayonnaise is usually made with soybean oil which is high in polyunsaturated fats.

Another option made widely available as an alternative to soybean is canola oil, a monounsaturated fat. Unfortunately, the act of consuming canola oil may carry health risks (for all its purported health benefits, the FDA has banned the use of canola oil in infant formulas because of the possibility of growth retardation!) in itself so I try to refrain from it as well.

This recipe can be made with olive oil or grapeseed oil, two monounsaturated oils. However, I prefer grapeseed oil (I got mine at Trader Joe's) as it lends a neutral taste. This is just your basic recipe for mayonnaise (I like this one because you don't have any left over egg whites):

1 large egg
1 T. dijon mustard
1 cup grapeseed oil (or any oil you choose)
1 T. white vinegar (or lemon juice)
salt and pepper to taste

In a blender, combine all ingredients except oil. Blend for a few moments. With blender running, SLOWLY add oil in a fine stream until incorporated. Mixture should be smooth, thick and creamy. Keep in fridge for up to 4 days.