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Salad Dressings and Vinaigrettes
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Article By: Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough
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Every month, enjoy the simple but elegant pleasures of a delicious, easy-to-prepare meal.
Busy or not, here we come. Every month "Everyday Gourmet" serves up new recipes, cooking tips and ideas for dishes that are elegant in taste and presentation, yet simple enough to prepare and enjoy in a snap.
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Hello, spring. You're made for salads: tender lettuces, crunchy asparagus, cherry tomatoes. Too often, though, we douse those delicate vegetables with heavy, cloying dressings. The flavors? Lost under a blanket of blue cheese.
If we go to the trouble of finding the best produce, we shouldn't soak it with bottled dressing, full of fat and corn syrup. Nor should we send it out naked, with just a squirt of lemon juice.
The solution? A batch of delicious, healthy dressings that highlight what's in the bowl
without masking flavors. And no, they're not all vinaigrettes. A healthy lifestyle can include creamy dressings, even favorites like Green Goddess.
One tip about technique: In the vinaigrette recipes that follow, we instruct you to whisk in the oil in a slow stream. This important step helps emulsify the dressing.
One warning: Although salads take to dressings, they're natural enemies. The dressings' acids immediately break down all those water-packed vegetable cells. So dress a salad just before you eat it. There's nothing worse than soggy lettuce.
About the Balsamic Tahini Vinaigrette
Tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment made from toasted sesame seeds. It's a good foil for this sweet/sour dressing. Also remember that the better the balsamic vinegar, the better the dressing. What makes a balsamic vinegar good? Hold the bottle up to the light: The vinegar should be thick, almost like syrup, not watery. Italian offerings, by and large, are the best. There are also aged balsamics, which, like wine, are increasingly expensive the longer they rest in oak, a five-year would be gorgeous in this dressing (no need for the cost of a twenty-year).
Balsamic Tahini Vinaigrette
Makes 4 servings
POINTS® value | 2 per serving
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp tahini
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black peppe
- 1/2 garlic clove, minced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic, mustard, tahini, salt, pepper and garlic. Whisk in the oil in a slow stream, then whisk in the water until creamy.
- Serving size 1 ½ tablespoons.
About the Chipotle Vinaigrette
Perk up any salad with this Southwestern dressing. It's great on hearty, main-course salads with grilled chicken, seared tuna or smoked tofu. Look for canned chipotles in adobo sauce in the Latin-American aisle of your market.
Chipotle Vinaigrette
Makes 4 servings
POINTS® value | 1 per serving
Ingredients
- 1/2 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded
- 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts
- 1 Tbsp walnut oil
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place the ingredients in a food processor or a mini food processor; process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the canister once or twice.
- Serving size: 1 1/2 tablespoons.
About the Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
The vinegary bite of mustard balances with the sweetness of honey and the fresh flavor of dill. Use only Dijon mustard. Great over salads with tomatoes, peaches or sugar snap peas.
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Makes 4 servings
POINTS® value | 2 per serving
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp minced fresh dill or 1/2 tsp dried dill
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, mustard, honey, dill and salt. Whisk in the oil in a slow stream, then whisk in the water until smooth.
- Serving size: 1 1/2 tablespoons.
About the Buttermilk Dressing
Powdered buttermilk is a cooking godsend: you don't have to buy a whole carton of fresh buttermilk for the few tablespoonfuls you need in a recipe. Look for it in the baking aisle of most supermarkets; store in your refrigerator for months after opening.
Buttermilk Dressing
Makes 4 servings
POINTS® value | 0 per serving
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp powdered low-fat buttermilk (dry buttermilk)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the powdered buttermilk, onion powder, sugar, salt and pepper.
- Whisk in the water until smooth; whisk in the vinegar and mustard until creamy.
- Serving size: 1 1/2 tablespoons.
About the Green Goddess Dressing
This retro-favorite dressing is packed with fresh herbs and best on simple salads with lettuce, celery, and perhaps sliced radishes. Or try it mixed into canned tuna for a new take on tuna salad.
Green Goddess Dressing
Makes 4 servings
POINTS® value | 0 per serving
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp fat-free mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp fat-free sour cream
- 2 Tbsp finely minced chives or the green part of a scallion
- 2 Tbsp finely minced parsley leaves
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 canned anchovy fillet (oil packed), minced
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until creamy.
- Serving size: 1 1/2 tablespoons.
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