Salad Anyone?

Spring makes me start to crave salads. And since I don't like to ingest high fructose corn syrup or high levels of sodium or things with names I can't pronounce, I make a lot of my own dressings.

What you need ...

A blender. Yup, you can just whisk the items in, but I'm lazy and it takes too long. I love my blender!
A glass storage container. Mostly I just use mason jars with screw top lids. But you can also use well-washed bottles from purchased dressings. Or I also like those bottles you can buy from Good Seasons to make their dressing. But make your own instead of theirs, and that way you know that the ingredients are fresh and without chemicals.

A friend was asking about reducing sodium in her diet. She was stunned by the amount of sodium in her favorite commercial dressing. Please note that although these do all have salt in them, in general you can minimize the amount you use. Remember it is dispersed through the entire bottle, and not just one serving. And use sea salt so that way you are getting extra minerals that Morton's iodized doesn't have. And a little goes a long way!

Also keep in mind that anything with EVOO in the base will solidify in the fridge. So it will need to be taken out of the fridge a bit before eating.

Basic Vinaigrette
1 small clove of garlic, peeled, and mashed together with
2-3 pinches of salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 minced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and ground pepper to taste
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
(*Makes about 1 1/2 cups)

Basic Reduced-Fat Vinaigrette
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt and ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup chicken stock
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
(*Makes about 1 1/2 cups)

To make "Italian" add ...
2 Tablespoons grated romano or parmesean cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh)
Pinch (1/8 teaspoon) dried oregano (or 1/4 teaspoon fresh)
Pinch (1/8 teaspoon) red pepper flakes
Pinch of sugar or substitute

Be creative when adding extras ... you really can't do it wrong!
*Add 1/3 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs.
*Add chopped sun dried tomatos, chopped pitted Kalamata olives, and capers.
*Add chopped walnuts and crumbled bleu cheese.
*Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest and 2 teaspoons cracked black peppercorns.
*Swap the vinegar. Try some balsamic or herb infused vinegar.

Ginger Soy Vinaigrette
(excellent on salad with spinach, mandarin oranges, walnuts, and grilled chicken or fish)
1 small clove of garlic, peeled, and mashed together with
2-3 pinches of salt
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 Tablespoons minched peeled fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspooon toasted sesame oil
salt and hot red pepper sauce to taste
1/2 cup canola or olive oil

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
(*this is one of my FAVORITES and reportedly the original Hidden Valley Ranch recipe!)
1 small clove of garlic, peeled, and mashed together with
2-3 pinches of salt
3/4 cup buttermilk (full-fat, reduced fat, or fat free -- your choice)
2-3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon snipped fresh chives
salt and ground black pepper to taste
*If it's too watery for your tastes, you can add mayo or sour cream to thicken it.

Enjoy!

*Please note that these recipes are not my own creation, but rather come from the book I turn to when I need nearly any recipe: Joy of Cooking. It has anything and everything you might ever want to make. Beignets? Passover Sponge Cake? Guacomole? It's all in there!