Balsamic Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 clove crushed garlic
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 pinch salt
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1.In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, and mustard powder. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in minced fresh herbs if desired.

Creamy Vinaigrette Recipe

2 teaspoons raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt and pepper, and sour cream.
Slowly whisk in the oil until combined.

Green Onion Vinaigrette

Vinagrette
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup canola oil
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1 teaspoon celery seeds

DRESSING: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend well. Just before serving pour dressing over the salad and toss.
You can also serve the dressing to the-side of the salad.

This is one of my favs.

Honey Garlic Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced


DIRECTIONS
In a container, combine oil, vinegar, honey, and garlic. Cover, and shake until blended. Set aside for 45 minutes, to allow flavors to combine. Shake
again before serving.

House Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 minced garlic clove
1 scallion, minced finely
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Stir salt into vinegars.
Add mustard and pepper.
Whisk swiftly while adding oil continue till everything is well incorporated.
Finally add garlic, scallions, and parsley till all are well blended.
Store in fridge till ready to serve.


Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil
Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil.

Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette
Tomato Vinaigrette with a unique roasted flavor. GREAT on any salad!

2-3 plum tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
1 large garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat broiler.
Place tomatoes, slice side up, on a baking sheet (lined with foil for easy cleanup) and broil 3-5 minutes until slightly charred.
Set aside and let tomatoes cool.
Once cooled, place tomatoes in food processor with garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt. Blend on low while slowly adding in olive oil until
dressing is fully incorporated.
Taste. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve with your favorite salad combinations.


Sherry Vinaigrette

1/3 cup sherry vinegar
1 large clove garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil



Blend the vinegar, garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a blender until the garlic is finely chopped. With the blender running, slowly blend in the oil.


Ultimate Vinaigrette

1 shallot, finely minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the shallot, mustard, vinegar, oil, sugar, honey and salt and pepper in a jar and shake to emulsify.

Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 to 6 cups mixed lettuce greens
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a blender, combine tomatoes, basil, garlic powder, vinegar, and oil. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve over greens.

Something I learned from Andreas Viestad (author of Where Flavor Was Born) is that a deconstructed (for lack of a better term) salad dressing often works better.

Example: Take the ubiquetous cucumber & tomato salad. Make a vinegairette from lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, and salt. Try it on the salad. Then, for comparison, sprinkle the same salad with cumin, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil. You wind up with two completely different taste sensations.

I don't know why that works, but it does.

Something else I learned through the years: Most of us use far too much salad dressing. We bathe the salad in it, when, in fact, the salad ingredients should barely glisten with the dressing.

To really explore how little things can make big changes, just change the thinning agent in mayonnaise based dressings. For instance, if the recipe calls for milk, substitutute buttermilk, or yogurt, or sour cream. And a little mustard---Dijon or creole preferred--kicks up any salad dressing.

You can really ring the changes, too, merely by changing the acid. Try different vinegars, for instance. Or substitute a citrus juice for the vinegar. If the recipe calls for lemon juice, try making it with lime juice. Or tangerine. Or blood orange.

Thousand Island Dressing

2 cups mayonnaise
2 tbls tomato paste
2 tbls Worchestershire
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1/4-1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
1 hard cooked egg, mashed
Black pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Let stand in fridge at least an hour for flavors to meld.

Cumin Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbls lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste

Whisk together the lime juice, cumin, and salt. Season with pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.

Molasses Dressing

In a shaker jar combine 1/3 cp sesame oil, 1/4 cup lime juice, 4 teaspoons molasses, 1/2 tsp each of white pepper, dry mustard, and salt, and a few drops hot pepper sauce. Cover the jar, sahke the dressing vigorously, and pour over salad.

Parmesan Cheese Dressing

2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp Worchestershire sauce

Mix ingredients.

Gorgonzola Dressing Zimmer

In a bowl mash 2 ounces Gorgonzola with a minched garlic clove. Crush together 1/2 teaspoon each of dried tarragon, oregano and basil and combine with the cheese. Work in 1/3 cup olive oil and 1 tablesoon red wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine well.

Avocado Dressing

2 very ripe avocados
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbls balsamic vinegar
1 egg
Dollop of Dijon mustard
3-4 cloves garlic, mashed
1 tbls brown sugar
Dash hot sauce

Mash avocados. Stir in mustard and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar and hot sauce. Add oil in a stream, shisking steadily, until mixture is emulsified and slightly thickened. Add to avocado mixture.

If thinner dressing is desired, add more oil and vinegar.

Was gonna post my recipe for Poppy Seed Dressing. But I can't find the recipe card. It'll turn up sooner or later.

Creamy Garlic Dressing

1/3 cup mayonnaise
8 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbls wine vinegar
Pinch each salt & pepper
2 tbls olive oil

Combine all ingredients well and store in fridge in a container with a tight fitting lid.

Mustard Cream Vinaigrette

3 tbls apple cider vinegar
2 tbls umebosi vinegar
2 tsp whole grain mustard
2 tbls honey
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbls tahini

Mix vinegars and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk in oil very slowly until dressing emulsifies. Whisk in tahini. Whisk in honey.

Creamy French Dressing

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbls cider vinegar
1 tbls salad oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp paprika
2 tbls sugar
1 tbls catsup
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/8 tsp saol
Dash garlic powder
Dash hot pepper sauce

Whisk all ingredients together until thoroughly mixed.

Polli's House Dressing

1/2cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup water
3 tbls honey
1 tbls fresh lemon juice
2 tsp white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dillweed
3/4 tsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Story in refrigerator.