Not just for rabbits anymore...

Now that Spring is in full swing and the Farmer's Markets are replete with the good stuff, it's time to start putting those veggies back into the rotation.

Some people tend to look at salads as the obligatory precursor to the main event.  Granted, if someone serves you a bowl of pre-cut lettuce and gloppy dressing, it is barely even that...  however, with a little creativity and a blender you can make something that is beautiful, delicious, good for you and even those that tend to resist eating "rabbit food" may even get on board.

Doing quick dressings in jam jars is a wonderful time saver, but this time we are breaking out the blender and making a proper emulsion.  It doesn't take much more time than shaking a jar, but the end result is something you can not get out of a bottle.

The best part of this whole endeavor is there is really only one rule: the oil to acid ratio (3:1). 
That's it.  Everything else is up for grabs.

Baby greens with dried Apricot, Cranberries, Pistachios & sliced Strawberries

Spring Mix Lettuce, Arugula, Grapes, Raspberries, Mango & Cashews

Spinach & Arugula with Grapes, Blueberries, Apples and sliced Almonds

Baby Spinach with Roasted Butternut Squash, Pine Nuts & Goat Cheese

Spring Mix, Dried Cherries, Pomegranate seeds, toasted Pine Nuts & Manchego cheese



Sherry Lime Vinaigrette

makes 1 quart

• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 - 3 tbsp honey
• 1 sprig thyme, chopped
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 3/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 cups olive oil

1. Put all ingredients except the oil in the blender.  Turn on low speed until mixture is homogeneous, then increase speed slightly and drizzle in the oil in a thin stream until it is fully incorporated.

Lemongrass Basil Mint Vinaigrette

makes 1 quart

• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 piece lemongrass, inner leaves only, minced
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, roughly torn
• 3 tbsp mint leaves, roughly torn
• 1/8 cup honey
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 cups olive oil

Follow directions from above.   Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Mason Jar Dressings

A very good childhood friend of mine sent me some salted caramels over the holidays and I have been rationing them out on a daily basis.   Needless to say, when I see commercials for all of the various weight-loss companies it makes me cringe a bit knowing I'm a few bites away from needing an intervention.
Therefore, I've taken it upon myself to get back into the swing of things.  Like everyone else, I get a bit out of control during the holidays and then, when all of the over-eating makes me feel like Jabba the Hutt, the pendulum swings back the other way and I get myself back in line.

As you well know from previous posts, I have no shortage of mason jars in various shapes & sizes cluttering my cabinets and there is a reason for this,  besides canning.   They are useful for many different things,  quick salad dressing being one of them.

It honestly couldn't be easier...  pour everything in & shake it up.   The best part of making your own salad dressing aside from it being much less expensive, is that you know exactly what's in it.   There are no dyes, no high-fructose corn syrup, no ingredients that require a Ph.D. in Chemistry to pronounce.

The basic ratio for a vinaigrette is 3:1 or 4:1 (oil:vinegar) depending on how acidic you like it.  I love vinegar so I tend to go a bit on the acidic side with my dressings, which consequently means less oil and that is usually a good thing.


Orange Ginger Dressing

• a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled & grated
• zest & juice of 3 oranges
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Add all ingredients to a jam jar & shake.
I use grapeseed oil because of its neutral flavor.   The orange and ginger should be the stars here, not the oil.   Olive oil, although it is delicious isn't what I want to taste in this particular dressing. 

 Lemon-Fennel Vinaigrette

• juice of 3 Meyer lemons
• 3 tbsp finely chopped fennel fronds
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup olive oil
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

I purchased fennel for the "roasted roots" and I only roast the bulb, so I had the frilly tops just sitting on my counter and didn't want them to go to waste.
I decided to use them in place of other herbs for a salad dressing.  This is generally my mind set about throwing things in the garbage... in a professional kitchen, very little goes to waste.
The first time I made this dressing I put it in the blender.  It came out a shocking flourescent yellow-green color, so if you chose to do this...  don't be disturbed. 
I often still put it in the blender, but if you are running short on time or energy the jam jar works just fine.

It's all Greek to me...

Most of us are trying to eat healthier these days & lose a few pounds before we have to put on the dreaded bathing suit.  I am among the masses doing the very same...   I've been eating so much lettuce I'm afraid my front teeth are about to elongate into Bugs Bunny teeth.

The problem with salads, although to be quite honest I do like them,  is the dressing.  You think you are making a good choice by eating a salad for dinner and then you pour on a claggy dressing that has a ton of fat in it so you opt for the (sometimes chemical-laden)  fat free variety,  which in my book isn't always the lesser of two evils.

Making salad dressing at home takes 5 minutes at most and is so much heathier and tastier that it really is worth the very minimal effort.

Tonight's dinner was a Greek salad and chicken, so I made a Yogurt Dill dressing to tie the flavors together.

(A helpful hint to catch the lemon pits is to put a small strainer on top of the blender)

Yogurt Dill Dressing
juice of 2 1/2 lemons
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 seedless English cucumber, diced
7 oz  2% greek yogurt
1 bunch dill, chopped
3 TB avocado oil or grapeseed oil
1/2 clove garlic, minced

-Put all ingredients into the blender & let it rip!

yields: 2 1/2 cups


Store the dressing in a glass jar, refrigerated,  for up 5 days.

*side note:  if you like thicker dressings:  grate the cucumber first and put the pulp in the strainer to let it drain before putting it in the blender.