November 14, 2011: Creamy White Balsamic Dressing Recipe

This dressing is the perfect accompaniment to a salad of light colors and flavors that aren’t overbearing. I recommend you try it with the Holiday Greens With Almond and Cranberries Salad I shared yesterday. Yes, the white balsamic vinegar may be a bit pricey, but the unique flavor is definitely worth the splurge.

Creamy White Balsamic Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

3 T. white balsamic vinegar

2 T. fresh lemon juice

1 t. honey

2 T. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ t. white pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar. Shake vigorously. Chill several hours before serving.

Tip: Make this dressing the night before Thanksgiving so all the flavors are melded before serving.

September 26, 2011: Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

When you make my favorite Mixed Green Salads recipe, try your hand at making a homemade dressing to go with it. If you have a fairly well stocked pantry, you should have all of these ingredients on hand and it only takes a few minutes to whip up this dressing that is the perfect complement to the mixed baby greens, tomatoes, nuts and Gorgonzola cheese in the salad.

Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 cup mayonnaise (or substitute Greek yogurt if you want to cut down on calories a bit)

3 T. balsamic vinegar

2 T. lemon juice

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

2 T. olive oil (best quality)

1 t. finely minced garlic

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour into a jar. Chill several hours before serving to allow flavors to meld.

Note: This dressing will last a couple weeks in the refrigerator.

September 8, 2011: Garlic and Shallot Vinaigrette Recipe

This is a wonderfully light but very flavor-packed vinaigrette that is great on any salad. I used it as a marinade for thinly sliced raw mushrooms and yellow squash, adding a bit of finely chopped jalapenos (as pictured) and it was delicious!

Garlic and Shallot Vinaigrette

2 T. finely minced shallot (about 1 small bulb section)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 T. fresh parsley, minced (or 1 T. dried/dehydrated parsley)

5 T. olive oil

1 ½ T. Dijon mustard

2 T. apple cider vinegar

2 T. balsamic vinegar

½ t. kosher salt

½ t. coarsely ground black peppercorns

Combine all ingredients in a small jar. Shake before using.

June 6, 2011: Super Food Yogurt Recipe

Yogurt is one of nature’s super foods. It is lower in fat than its alternative, sour cream, and many of the yogurts you find on the grocery store shelves contain live bacteria cultures, or probiotics, which are very healthful. A recent study from Washington University suggests that people who eat yogurt on a regular basis actually lose more weight due to the presence of Bacteroidetes. For some reason, an increase in Bacteroidetes causes you to consumer fewer calories. Pretty nifty, eh?

You can substitute yogurt for sour cream in nearly any recipe (Greek yogurt, although more expensive, is creamier and has a better texture for cooking). Labneh, a cheese made from yogurt, can be used in the place of higher fat cream cheese, although it’s hard to find (try your local natural foods store). Try either of these as a replacement in your favorite dip recipe.

You may also have heard that yogurt helps reduce the incidence of yeast infections. Some studies have also shown that it could reduce cholesterol. There’s no doubt about it – yogurt does a body good.

Here’s a simple yogurt salad dressing recipe I got from the book, A Year of Health and Beauty by Vidal and Beverly Sassoon (it’s an oldie - published in 1976 - but a goodie I’ve had for over 30 years!).

Yogurt Salad Dressing

Yolk of one hard-cooked egg
1 raw egg yolk (make sure it’s very fresh and from a pasteurized egg)
1 t. dry mustard
2 cups yogurt
2 t. lemon juice
Sea salt, to taste

Blend all ingredients in a blender and use immediately (don’t store any mixture with raw eggs for more than a day).

Tip: Add fresh herbs, such as dill, rosemary, parsley, chives, oregano, or thyme for flavor variations.

May 24, 2011: Chipotle Garlic Ranch Dressing Recipe

Just about everyone loves ranch dressing… but if you’re looking for a semi-homemade with a bit more zing, try this recipe.

Chipotle Garlic Ranch Dressing

1 package dry ranch dressing mix
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 cup 2% milk
1 t. freeze-dried garlic
1 red chile pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 t. adobo sauce

Mix all ingredients together in a jar and shake well. Refrigerate and let sit for an hour or so before using, so the flavors meld and the dressing thickens.

Tip: Freeze-dried garlic is a new product I’ve recently found at Safeway. The brand they carry is Litehouse. This stuff is fantastic – it’s got a great, very strong garlic flavor. If you wish to substitute, use one large, fresh crushed garlic clove or two teaspoons of bottled, minced garlic.