Salad Dressings

By: Maria

One of my - many - irritations with salad dressing companies that try to sell their so-called "healthy" or "organic" products, is that the ingredients do not live up to their claims.  Some of these brands have ingredients like:

Soybean or Canola Oil (yikes!), Sugar (1st ingredient in some brands!!), Corn Syrup, Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum (don't even go there!), High Fructose Corn Syrup (puhleease!), Defatted Soy Flour (what on earth?!).

If I can't purchase those ingredients from the farmer's market or, at the very least, at a grocery store, I sure as heck do not want to be putting them into my body.

Ok, ok....so we know store-bought salad dressings are SO convenient and we can at least find a dressing that is the best of the worst - right?!

Sure!  You can put your health on the lower list of priority by giving it second or third best option. Really?  Would you do the same when choosing a surgeon or, on the vain side - a hairdresser? Is your health really that frivolous?  I hope the answer is not just "no", but "NO!!".

Fortunately, you have options!

Making your own salad dressing with REAL ingredients you can pronounce and understand is at your fingertips.  You can make one or a couple to have on hand.  Keep them stored in a container or - better yet - a salad dressing dispenser and you're set!  Here's the best part:  the ingredients - especially the oils - can actually make some of the nutrients in your salad, particularly the fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, more accessible to your body. Substitute olive oil with walnut, avocado, almond, or hazelnut oil for a change in flavor.

 Pour it on!

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 crushed clove of garlic

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp Dijon mustard, optional

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pour ingredients in a jar with a tightly fitted lid and shake vigorously until blended.

Lemon Vinaigrette

3 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, optional

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put ingredients in food processor and blend.

Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette

1 Lemon Vinaigrette recipe

4 oz fresh tomatoes (any type)

1 garlic clove - crushed

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Add remainder of ingredients to Lemon Vinaigrette in a food processor and blend.

Rosemary Orange Vinaigrette

1 Lemon Vinaigrette recipe

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

1 tsp chopped rosemary

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Add remainder of ingredients to Lemon Vinaigrette in a food processor and blend. Allowing this one to sit overnight will only enhance flavors.

Avocado Oil Vinaigrette

3/4 c avocado oil

1/4 c coconut vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp coconut amino's

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Put ingredients in food processor and blend.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.