Homemade salad dressings

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
Homemade salad dressings
18
Tue, 06-21-2005 - 10:16am
In my quest to give up even more processed foods, I have decided to try to give up store-bought salad dressing and make my own. If you have any favorite recipes, please post them. Thanks!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
Tue, 06-21-2005 - 10:24am

a few easy ones:

Keep in mind that I never measure.

1. olive oil, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard
2. olive oil, Marukan vinegar (http://www.marukan-usa.com/Product_Detail.asp?usw=0&pgm=List&ProductCode=000000000000002)
3. sesame oil, Marukan, dash of soy sauce (more Asian flavour)
4. Ranch Dip Mix:
1 1/2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 Tbsp. dried chives
1/4 Tbsp. dried tarragon
1/2 Tbsp. lemon pepper
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 Tbsp. oregano
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder

Ranch Dip

1 Tbsp. Ranch Dressing & Dip Mix
1 cup sour cream or low-fat yogurt

Combine the Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix with sour cream. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.




Edited 6/21/2005 10:26 am ET ET by somerandomthoughts




Lilypie First Birthday tickers
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-23-2003
Tue, 06-21-2005 - 12:59pm

My favorite is a wasabi sesame dressing. I also don't measure, so these are rough estimates. I just kind of taste and add as needed.

4 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. oyster sauce (you can find it in the Asian section of most grocery stores)
1-2 tsp. white vinegar (I put 1-2 tsp. because sometimes I like it tangier)
1/4 tsp. sesame oil (but you can add more if you like)
1/4 tsp. wasabi (again, add more if you like it spicier)
1/2 tsp. sugar

I like to mix this with some cold soba noodles, spring mix, chicken breast pieces, and it's a meal.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Tue, 06-21-2005 - 2:59pm
Being lazy, I just drizzle olive oil (or grapeseed oil or whatever oil I have) on the salad, then pour vinegar (balsamic, red wine, white balsamic, whatever I grab) over it.

Jean,






Avatar for soleilune
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 06-22-2005 - 9:27am
Actually I like to sprinkle seasoning all over the salad, then drizzle a little balsamic vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon mixed w/ a splash of olive oil (ratio of about 3:1) over it. Sometimes I skip the oil.
Soleilune
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
Wed, 06-22-2005 - 9:41am
What kind of seasoning?




Lilypie First Birthday tickers
Avatar for soleilune
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 06-22-2005 - 10:24am

It depends on the salad. I have an entire cupboard of herbs & spices, but mostly I like to sprinkle on some variety of Mrs. Dash. I used to use Cavender's Greek seasoning on Greek salad, but now I use a blend of oregano (primarily), basil, thyme, garlic salt & pepper and just squeeze lemon over it.

In the summer when I've got fresh herbs growing or can pick them up cheap at a farmers market I just throw these in instead w/ minced fresh garlic, a dash of salt & pepper a splash of some sort of fresh squeezed citrus (grapefruit is good, as is orange & lime sometimes depending on the salad) or vinegar (cider vinegar is good in place of the balsamic, or raspberry vinegar on spinach salad w/ strawberries & almonds).

For asian salads I'll throw canned mandarin wedges in the salad & mix some of the juice w/ a little soy & sesame oil for dressing. If I'm feeling ambitious I'll add freshly grated ginger & garlic.

For fruit salad I mix together a little pineapple juice, honey and poppyseeds.

Soleilune
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Wed, 06-22-2005 - 11:15am
I used to go fat free but then I read the studies that said your body absorbs some vegetable nutrients better if you eat them with a sprinkling of fat so I've been adding olive oil to my veggies.

Jean,






iVillage Member
Registered: 06-17-2004
Wed, 06-22-2005 - 2:29pm

I have a salad most every day at lunch. Here's what I used to put on it: Sprinkle some natural seasonings (I think the one I get is by McCormick), a table spoon of vinegar and then squirt some flax seed oil over it. I love it that way, but since then my nutritionist suggested I cut vinegar out of my diet. So now I just put the seasoning and flax seed oil on it and it tastes just as good!

Laura

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-01-2003
Thu, 06-23-2005 - 11:44am

If DD would have been a boy, we were thinking about naming him "Qwest."

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Thu, 06-23-2005 - 1:13pm
I think Qwest would have been weird if your last name were Chen!

Jean,






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