Simple Salad Dressings

Larry and I enjoyed the first lettuce from our garden on Sunday, tossed with Stilton and walnuts, dressed with red wine vinegar and olive oil.

It was simple. It was great.

I encourage you to discard the commercial salad dressings in your fridge (read the ingredients - not food) and instead make your own with pantry staples.

Commercial salad dressings are made to travel and store well, so they contain emulsifiers, preservatives and unhealthy oils. If you are using non-fat or low-fat salad dressing, check out the sugar content. Sugar almost always replaces fat in prepared foods.

Many nutrients are better absorbed with fat, so instead of avoiding oils, choose healthy ones. Any shelf-stable vegetable oil is bad for you. It is hydrogenated, meaning the fat molecule is hooked to a hydrogen molecule to keep it from going rancid. Unfortunately, this means the fat molecule cannot attach to a protein molecule in your body to create new cells. It just sits inertly on your hips. (These oils can also contain those dreaded trans-fats.) Don’t put hydrogenated vegetable oils in your mouth.

Buy cold-pressed organic oils at the health food store. Refrigerate them after opening. You can use nut oils and seed oils in your salad dressing. You can also use olive oil, which is naturally shelf-stable and has no trans-fats. Just remember it solidifies in the fridge, so your salad dressing will too. Give it ten minutes or so to warm up at room temperature before using.

I use organic canola oil, formerly known as rapeseed (you can see why they changed the name - a lot is grown in Canada, hence can-ola). Only get canola that is organically grown, otherwise it’s probably genetically modified.

The basic formula for salad dressing is one part vinegar to three parts oil. Vary the oils and vinegar depending on your mood, alter the proportion depending on your taste (and the seasonings you use).

The recipes below will last for weeks in a jar in the fridge. Delegate a family member to be the dressing chef. Anyone who can pour, measure and shake can do it.

Vinaigrette
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil or canola oil

Combine the spices and vinegar in a jar and shake well. Add oil and shake until well combined. Makes about 1 cup.

Honey Balsamic Dressing
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp whole grain mustard
2 tsp honey
10 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Stir mustard and honey into vinegar until dissolved. Whisk in oil. Season to taste. Makes about 3/4 cup. This is a mild dressing that almost everyone enjoys. Add more vinegar if you want more bite.


Lemon Rosemary Dressing
1 sprig rosemary
1 small clove garlic
lemon rind 1” x 1/2”
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice

Shake together. Store in fridge for up to a week. Makes about 1 cup. This is also good over steamed vegetables or in a bean salad.