Homemade Salad Dressing — Skimp on Cost and Feast on Flavor

A friend of mine was over about a month ago, and we were having a salad for lunch. I got out my little Mason jar of  homemade dressing and screwed the top off.  She chuckled, “Just a little something you whipped up, huh?’ I’m sure she was thinking it was silly that I made my own dressing, but I don’t like store-bought dressing – -   it always has that fake garlic taste, or is too oily. Plus I think the flavor, when it has any, is flat.

A few posts ago I espoused the virtues of stocking up on pantry staples, such as red wine vinegar, dried herbs and the like. Now is the time to pull them out and put them to good use. Making homemade dressings is easy, cost-effective and most importantly tastes better. Because it has more flavor, you don’t need as much on your salad, and it is a good way to put to use what you have on hand. Get creative when you make a dressing. I feel like a mad scientist when I make homemade dressings – - my apron acting as my lab coat, and with my Mason jar a test tube.  I peer through my cabinets tasting in my mind how this-or-that would be in my creation. This is my idea of serious fun.

The first recipe is really handy because it’s like a mix-and-match game. I even add freshly grated cheese (like a dry hard cheese) to mine. Get creative and add what ever you want. The only important rule here is adding the right amounts of acid to oil.

The second dressing recipe is written by the incredibly talented, Chef Rick Bayless. Chef Bayless has traveled all over Mexico learning culinary secrets from the Mexican people first-hand. I have his book, “Mexican Everyday” which was written for those of us who want to cook authentically, but don’t have much time. My cousin Jenny actually got to eat at one of his restaurants, Frontera Grill. He even has crock pot recipes I will share in future postings. Chef Bayless’ Lime-Cilantro Dressing posted below is what my daughter Anna refers to as “my favorite dressing.” I often catch her open-mouthed, looking sneakily sideways with a spoon full of dressing ready to be spilled down her throat. So, I have to keep it away from her otherwise she will drink it. While it’s a great dressing, it’s gross to treat the dressing like shooters. Of course, it isn’t as gross as the fly she ate when she was two.

Basic Vinaigrette

“Stop and Smell the Rosemary,”  Junior League of Houston

• 1/3 cup vinegar, or fresh lemon or lime juice, or a combination of vinegar and citrus juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

(* Note, I often add oregano, basil, fresh garlic and hard cheese when I want Italian flair.  Sometimes I use half red-wine vinegar and half lemon juice. Also, I don’t always use a food processor – - I shake in a Mason jar. )

Blend vinegar or juice, sugar, salt and pepper in a food processor. With machine running, add oil in a thin steady stream. Use vinaigrette immediately or let sit at room temperature for up to 10 hours.

Lime-Cilantro Dressing

Rick Bayless, “Mexican Everyday”

* BEFORE YOU GO MAKING THIS, ZEST YOUR LIMES BEFORE JUICING.

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil, olive oil or a mixture of the two
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (tip from Laura here – - microwave limes for one minute and roll them on counter to make it juice better)
• 1/2 tsp grated lime zest (colored rind only)
• 1/2 cup packed roughly chopped cilantro
• Fresh hot green chilies to taste, stemmed and roughly chopped, optional
• Salt

Combine oil, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, chile, and scant tsp salt in a blender jar and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt if you think it needs it, keeping in mind that dressings should be highly seasoned. Pour into a jar, secure lid and refrigerate until ready to use.

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