I love eating with the seasons. It seems to come so naturally and my body always lets me know exactly what it is hungry for. In the winter, we crave comfort foods to
warm us and keep us grounded. Now, that spring has slipped into summer we hunger towards a lighter fare just as the gardens are opening up in a delightful and brilliant rainbow of leafy greens.
Which can only mean one thing ….. SALADS!!
For many, this also comes with the challenge of deciding what to put on their salads while keeping things healthy. One of the questions I am most often asked by my clients is “what do you put on your salads?” Sharing that I make my own has been met with a variety of responses but most commonly are “Oh, that’s too hard or it’s too much work” but mostly, “I’d love to but I have no idea of what to use”. So I’m hoping to dispel some of the mystery here, take out the guess work and “whisk” all of you away!
I’ll admit to sometimes keeping a bottle in my refrigerator for salad emergencies, but we enjoy our salads so much more when we create our own dressings. Not only because they taste much fresher and are more delicious, but especially because we are able to avoid the harmful additives and preservatives that are used in store bought dressings. By keeping your pantry stocked with some staple ingredients, what you can make is only limited by your taste buds and your creativity. Also, by making your own dressings, you can spice up the variety several times during the week and you won’t get bored with the same old thing by having to use the whole bottle to use before the expiration date. Or worse yet, end up throwing it away (again) because you didn’t finish it in time.
Here is a sample pantry list to get you going and a few of my favorite homemade dressing recipes. Quick and simple, you can either just whisk the ingredients together in a bowl or shake them up in a jar. The general rule of thumb is 3:1 oil to vinegar (or acidic juice) ratio, especially on larger quantities. I like to start with less because I prefer a light, un-soggy salad. The easiest way to go about it is to drizzle the oil into the vinegar and whisk until it begins to thicken. At that point you can add in any other flavor enhancers. A quick dip of the finger will let you know if anything needs adjustment. Many recipes can be doubled or even tripled and kept in the refrigerator anywhere from 3 or 4 days to 2 weeks, depending on the ingredients (the creamier dressings generally don’t tend to keep as long).
Oils
- Olive Oil – (don’t skimp here, get the good stuff -(look for Organic, Cold Pressed, Extra Virgin)
- Avocado Oil
- Walnut Oil
- Almond Oil
- Grapeseed Oil
- Sesame Oil (Light)
Vinegars or Acidic Juices
- Vinegars – Red or White Wine, Balsamic, Champagne, Rice, Apple Cider Vinegar
- Lemon
- Lime
- Orange
Flavor Enhancers
- Mustard
- Honey
- Ginger
- Garlic or Shallots
- Fresh herbs – basil, parsley, cilantro
- Soy Sauce or Tamari
- Tahini
- Sriracha
- Coconut Amino Acids
- Avocado (adds creaminess)
- Spices – cumin, paprika, lemon pepper, sea salt, dried chili flakes
Dressings
Raspberry Vinaigrette: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/8 cup raspberry or balsamic vinegar, 1 shallot, minced, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon honey (you can add fresh raspberries mashed raspberries when using balsamic)
Tahini-Lemon Dressing: 2 Tbsp. tahini (sesame paste) well stirred, or use hummus if you can’t find tahini, the juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup) 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. minced garlic, (about 2 cloves), 2 Tbsp. water, 2 tsp. honey, 1/4 tsp. salt. Here is a great salad using this dressing: Israeli Salad with Tahini-Lemon Dressing
Apple-Dijon Dressing: 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp. honey, 1 Tbsp. grainy Dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, 1/8 tsp. black pepper
Orange + Herb Salad Dressing: 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp orange juice (freshly squeezed is best!), 1 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp herbs de Provence, Pinch garlic powder, 2 pinches kosher salt, 3 grinds pepper
Sweet Asian: 1/3 cup olive oil, 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons soy sauce (or Tamari), 2 teaspoons honey, 1/2 tsp fresh zested ginger root, Asian spices to taste ie:(Cardamom, Garam Masala, Turmeric, Thai Basil)
Honey-Lime Dressing: 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar, 1/2 lime, juice only, about 1 Tbsp., 1 Tbsp. honey, 1/2 tsp. curry powder, 1/2 tsp. ground ginger, 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. salt, to taste.
For more great ideas and recipes check out this great post and infograph by Cook Smarts.