salad dressing

[lorieMN]

Hi all,I love "dorothy lynch" dressing from wal-mart,tho I know it probably isnt very good for me,and last night I had a salad and for something different I used some fat-free hidden valley ranch,which I havnt used in a 3-4 months,,now I used to LOVE this stuff,couldnt get enough,but after eating clean and eating my good fats now for a month,,OMG!! the stuff was horrible! I cant believe I used to really like it..I actually gave the salad to the chickens,thats how bad it tasted,,anyway,,what are some simple recipes for dressings I can make at home?..prefer low to no sugar,I have discovered I REALLY like honey,but sweet isnt a big thing for me anymore,just sweet enough is good.

 

[smurfette79]

my favorite is a home made ranch using butter milk, sour cream and small amount of mayo grated garlic, and onion fresh dill, parsley, salt and pepper . (all amounts vary to taste play with those ingredients see what you like )

You could do a oil vinegar or red wine with some Italians seasonings salt and pepper. LOVE that when having red sauce over pasta.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I alwasy have a homemade italian type dressing in the fridge- sometime I add things like sundried tomatoes or dehydrated red peppers to it. and I always have homemade mayonnaise int he fridge. My son didn't wnat to eat salad for the longest time after I stopped buying store bought salad dressings. ranch in particular. Well, one day about three months ago, I mixed the italian and the may together and he loves salad again. For a meal sized salad, I usually use about 4-5 tbsp of italian to one or two tbsp of mayo. Mix and toss on the salad. Even company has raved about the dressing.

 

[dragonlaurel]

I love plain yogurt as a salad dressing base.
Toss some crumbled blue cheese in for a healthy version of blue cheese dressing.
Add minced up cucumber and thin sliced onion for something similar to the sauce for gyros.
Toss frozen blueberries in it for fruit salads.

 

[farmerlor]

I'm all about sweet dressings. I like some basalmic, olive oil and some raspberries all whirred up together in the food processor. Of course I also like just some basalmic and olive oil with whatever herbs strike my fancy that day but the raspberry is my fave.

 

[Dace]

I am basic.....good EVOO & good aged balsamic. Both sprinkled over the salad and then a few grinds of sea salt and pepper.

 

[lwheelr]

I make mustard dressing. Everything to taste/texture preference.

Lots of brown gourmet mustard
A bit of spicy brown mustard
A bit of yellow mustard
Some balsamic vinegar
Some oil
Some water
Honey or sugar, whichever I have, to taste

Shake shake shake to mix it.

I've made some others that were good also, can't remember what I put in them though!

 

[lorieMN]

thanks for the ideas everyone,,I will try them they sound delicious!!

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

All of the dressings in Nourishing Traditions are fantastic.
Here is one.


Basic Dressing
from Nourishing Traditions

1 teaspoon Dijon-type mustard, smooth or grainy
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon raw wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon expeller-expressed flax oil

Dip a fork into the jar of mustard and transfer about 1 teaspoon to a small bowl. Add vinegar and mix around. Add olive oil in a thin stream, stirring all the while with the fork, until oil is well mixed or emulsified. Add flax oil and use immediately.

Note: Salt and pepper in Fallon's dressing recipes is left to the discretion of the cook.

Yield: 3/4 cup

Variations:

* Herb Dressing - add 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, thyme, basil or oregano
* Garlic Dressing - add 1 clove garlic, mashed, and let dressing sit a few minutes before serving
* Balsamic Dressing - substitute balsamic vinegar for the wine vinegar
* Sun Dried Tomato Dressing - add 1 teaspoon sun-dried tomato flakes and 1 teaspoon chives or green onion, finely chopped, and allow dressing to sit a few minutes before serving
* Creamy Dressing - add 1/4 cup piima cream or creme fraiche (I've used 1/4 cup thickened plain yogurt)
* Blue Cheese Dressing - add 2-4 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese, pulse a few times in a food processor or mash cheese into dressing with a fork

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