Saturday, September 1, 2012

Stop Buying Bottled Salad Dressing

     The first cooking lesson I gave my sons was never to buy bottled salad dressing.  The cost is far out of proportion to the quantity, the ingredients are not fresh, the taste is inferior, and most bottled dressings contain preservatives and colorants with unknown and probably deleterious health effects.
     Yesterday I saw a great buy on Italian first cold-pressed olive oil at Hitchcock's, a small grocery chain with a store in Hawthorne, FL.  If you live anywhere near there, you should rush out and buy it.  It's called Bella Famiglia Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and it cost $7.99 for a 34 ounce bottle (compared with the Kosmakos Greek olive oil I got at the downtown farmers' market--$25 for 32 ounces).  The Bella olive oil has a green-gold hue and a silky, spicy effect on the palate.  
     Here's the dressing I make most often, because it's quick (2 minutes), and below it is one I make when I want to use miso for its copious probiotics and immune-enhancing properties.

Terrific 2-Minute Salad Dressing

1 Tbsp mustard (Dijon or other)
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup vinegar (balsamic or other)
3/4 cup olive oil

Stir the first five ingredients until smooth.  Drizzle olive oil into the mixture slowly, while stirring vigorously, and the mixture won't separate.
If you triple the recipe it lasts two weeks or more in the refrigerator, and is great on steamed vegetables, fruit salad, shredded cabbage, or standard green lettuce mixtures.


Miso Dressing

2 Tbsp minced ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 Tbsp scallions, chopped
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp honey 
2 Tbsp miso 
1 cup oil (peanut, olive, or sunflower)

Mix first all ingredients except oil.  Drizzle oil into mixture while stirring rapidly to emulsify.  For a creamy dressing add 4 Tbsp Greek yogurt or sour cream.  Delicious on green salad, or stir-fried vegetables.  

1 comment:

  1. Olive you, Dr. Colasante.

    - Secret Admirer

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