Dress That Salad

Here are a few homemade salad dressing recipes that we have found. You can't beat the convenience of store-bought bottled dressing, but you can't beat the taste of homemade salad dressing.

My apologies, but I can't find any of my pictures for these dressings. I will have to post them when I find them, or make these again and take pictures again!

Lighter Green Goddess Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (3 to 4 scallions)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 medium clove chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Put the mayonnaise, sour cream, scallions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper into a blender or food processor and whirl just until silky smooth.

Store in the fridge for up to four days.

Source: We found this at Mom's Kitchen Handbook. You can find it here. On that site, it says it was adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten. (Clarkson Potter, 2006).

Notes: This makes a thick, creamy dressing that can be used as a vegetable dip or a salad dressing. If you like thinner dressing, you can thin it down with a little olive oil and vinegar, or add a little milk.

Green Goddess Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic
1 scallion
1 handful (about 1/2 cup) fresh herbs (parsley, dill, basil, or cilantro are good options)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup water (omit if you prefer a thicker, dip-like consistency)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. If you don't have a food processor, mince the garlic and herbs with a knife and add in some finely chopped chives instead of the scallions.

Notes: Experiment with the combination of herbs to find what you like best. If needed, you can add a pinch of sugar, to taste. You can also substitute half of the mayonnaise with fat-free Greek yogurt to lighten this up.

Source: Busy in Brooklyn. You can find it here.

Miso Dressing

Ingredients:

1 rounded tablespoon white or yellow miso
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar, or 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 small garlic press, minced or put through a press
Pinch of cayenne
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil or grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons low-fat yogurt

Directions:

Combine the miso and vinegar (or the vinegar and lime juice) in a small bowl and whisk together. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until amalgamated. You can also mix this in a blender.

Toss with the salad of your choice.

Source: NY Times by Martha Rose Shulman. You can find it here.

Notes: The recipe suggests that this dressing is great for cooked vegetable salads, spinach salads, tofu and noodle salads, and that it is also delicious with a simple bowl of rice.

Salad Time!

 

Kale is the "it" lettuce these days, if you know what I mean. If you feel that you can't get enough of kale, then here is a fantastic recipe for you to try.

Kale Salad with Apples and Cheddar

Ingredients:

4 cups very finely chopped or slivered curly kale or Russian kale (about 6 ounces on the stem, or half of a 3/4 pound bunch, stemmed and washed in two rinses of water)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted almonds
1 apple, sweet, like a Fuji, or a sweet-tart, like a Gala, Braeburn, or Pink Lady, cored and cut in 1/4-inch dice
1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, cut in 1/4-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt, to taste
1 very small garlic clove, pureed
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

Combine the kale, almonds, apple, and Cheddar in a large bowl.

Whisk together the lemon juice, salt, garlic, and olive oil. Add to the salad, and toss well. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top, and serve.

Recipe note: This salad benefits from tossing with the dressing about 15 minutes before you serve it. The kale will soften in the dressing.

Source: NY Times. Martha Rose Shulman. You can find it here.

Notes: This was so good! My mom worried that it might be too tart, but my sister and I loved the tartness from the lemon juice. I could go for some of this right now!