Showing posts with label dressings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dressings. Show all posts

Monday, January 7, 2013

Creamy Pear Thyme Salad Dressing



Do you get tired of the same old salad dressing?  Or maybe you have your "go to" salad dressing.  Why not get creative and make your own.  At least, you'll know what goes into it.   For so many years we only ate ranch dressing or blue cheese.   When ordering a salad at a restaurant it was like hearing a skip in a record, reciting " ranch please" every time!  No longer!  

Now, I enjoy dressing my salads...no more boring oil and vinegar or bottled ranch for me.   The taste is incredible when the ingredients are fresh!  Salad at its best!

Creamy Pear Thyme Salad Dressing

In a blender or food processor mix the following:

1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil

1 small shallot, chopped

1/2 pear, peeled, cored  and sliced

1 tsp dijon style mustard

1 Tbsp sour cream

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

3 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves, removed from woody stem

1/2 tsp lemon zest (optional, but adds a zing)

salt and pepper to taste

Let your blender or food processor do all the work.  Refrigerate in your own nice bottle.  Makes about 8 oz. (8 servings)  I highly recommend making it an hour or longer before you use it.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Apricot Ginger Salad Dressing



As promised, here's the apricot ginger homemade salad dressing that was mentioned in the previous post.  How did I not know how easy and inexpensive making my own salad dressing could be?  ALL these years, and they are many, I've been searching for the tastiest, healthiest drizzle for my salads.  I had it all along.  "There is no place like home"!

Instead of bottled dressings and marinades, which can be quite costly and filled with names you can't pronounce, try this recipe.  You WILL like it!  Most of the ingredients are probably already in your frig and pantry.  If not, use your imagination and taste buds to improvise.  Instead of apricot, try strawberry.

Apricot Ginger Salad Dressing or Marinade

1/2 cup apricot spreadable fruit or jam

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (I used pomegranate flavor)

1 1/2 Tbsp honey

1/2 Tbsp spicy brown mustard

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3 Tbsp canola or olive oil

1/2 cup apricot nectar (Usually in the juice or Mexican section)

1 Tbsp zested fresh ginger

salt and pepper to taste (if needed)

Put all the ingredients into a large measuring cup and whisk.  Then put into a nice jar and refrigerate until time to use.  This makes 8 fl oz and is enough for many salads.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Tips for Fooling Your Tastebuds


As most of you know I've embarked on another "diet plan".  This has been the story of my life, unfortunately, because of the choices I've made and probably because of the "pudgy gene" I've acquired!  I take one look at my lineage (grandmother) and I see the pounds lining the areas where I constantly try to carve them away.

Over the years and with alot of knowledge in this area, I've come to realize that you need to fool your taste buds.  This will make the road to weight loss an easier and more flavorful path. 

Here are my tips:

Instead of peach pie cut up a  peach, sprinkle with cinnamon and truvia. mix it well and enjoy!

Roast, roast, roast your veggies with a sprinkle of olive oil, sea salt and pepper.  The roasting brings out the goodness and sweetness.  My favorites are roasted red peppers, eggplant, bok choy and believe it or not, cabbage!

Roasted cabbage with lemony mahi mahi

When you have a sweet tooth, make a fresh fruit smoothie.  Just ice, about a cup of fresh fruit, a dash of truvia and vanilla and water. blend and you have it!  My lifesaver has been an orange smoothie.

If you like applesauce, make your own.  Don't buy a big jar filled with chemicals!  Peel and chop apples, add a little water and cinnamon and cook on low.  If you don't want chunky applesauce. place in the blender for a swirl.

And finally, start an herb garden with perennials like oregano, thyme, lavender, chives, and some mint.  Come summertime add cilantro, parsley, basil and rosemary.   With these you can embellish your meats, fish, salads, desserts and dressings or marinades.  My latest creations have been numerous variations of marinades like chili lime, ginger lemon thyme, or rosemary lavender dressings.

Dried lavender from the garden.


Dried oregano ready for the sauce!

Dried Lemon verbena - great in anything!

If you're limited to lettuce, dress it up with handfuls of herbs.  It will wake up the taste buds and fool them into thinking you're eating something special.  But, actually you are!  You grew and nutured those herbs for that healthy meal...

Friday, May 13, 2011

An American Twist on French Nicoise Salad



I wish I could be nibbling on this salad while sitting at a cafe on the Left Bank near the Eiffel Tower.  Traveling to France is still on my bucket list but it doesn't look promising at the moment.  But never say never is my motto.


The truth be told I made this last week as the weather began to warm up in between our Spring snowstorms!  I can't wait to wander around my yard while picking some of these fresh ingredients from my veggie patch!   The lettuce and spinach are sprouting.  I need to plant the radish seeds soon, but I've never had much luck with green beans.  Last year they were gobbled up by the critters, such as rabbits and squirrels! 

Looking for more green beans!

I've been working on my husband in regards to a chicken coop, but that idea flew away along with the goats to make my own cheese!  He says I'd name each chicken and then I wouldn't be able to "part" with them when the time came for roasting.  He's probably right!  Yes, I should have been a farmer...

I made this nicoise type salad without the classic tuna it calls for.  I added a few of my favorites, aromatic fennel, crunchy radishes and cooked french lentils for more protein and called it a meal!  I didn't measure anything.  Just get a nice platter and start piling on your ingredients.  I chose:

bed of spinach

cut up radishes, slices of fennel and shallots

blanched, steamed or roasted green beans

halved hard boiled eggs

about 1 cup of cooked lentils

sprinkle of goat cheese

drizzle of classic vinaigrette (recipe follows)

1/2 cup pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp Emeril's kicked up mustard

pepper, pinch

Warm the vinegar and dissolve the sugar over low heat.  Pour into a jar and cool slightly before adding the rest of the ingredients.  Add the oil, mustard and pepper to the jar, cover and shake. Refrigerate to chill.  Drizzle a small amount on salad or individual serving.  Bon Appetite!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Seared Tuna Salad with Ginger Wasabi Vinaigrette




As a farewell to summer salads my ginger wasabi tuna salad was an overwhelming success. Quite the surprise! So much so that Ralph put aside his favorite dressing (blue cheese) for a drizzling of my homemade vinaigrette. I'll toot my own horn on this one. I even had visions of bottling my dressing it was that great! Any takers?


Growing up I always had an endless supply (so I thought) of tuna fish. There were several canneries in the port of LA town I was from. Most of them are now gone. Over the years I've found myself actually craving tuna for whatever reason, I'm not sure. Could it be the protein or the taste or both? Was I conditioned from living in "fish town, USA"? Was I experiencing homesick tuna syndrome? After doing a little research I suppose I could be lacking in omega fatty acids, protein, magnesium or potassium, all of which are found in abundance in tuna. Listen to those cravings, your body may be trying to tell you something!


Before I met my husband I would dine on tuna sandwiches and chocolate milk! My kitties loved me for that. Very affordable when you're living on your own. Another way I like to enjoy my tuna sandwiches is with a slice or two of jellied cranberry sauce! Pretty weird but it works for me!


As I strolled through the market the other day the tuna caught my eye. I must have had that craving again. Almost as powerful as a chocolate craving! I have to say thanks to my hubby for letting me experiment from time to time (quite often). This time the payoff was great. I only purchased a small amount but what I bought went a long way with the following recipe.

Ginger wasabi Vinaigrette:

Whisk together

1 tsp finely grated ginger root

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp wasabi powder

1 T minced cilantro, fresh

2 T oil, canola

1 T garlic infused rice wine vinegar

1 T honey


Season the tuna steak (1/3 -1/2 lb piece for 2) with salt and pepper. Using a grill or griddle pan on med-high heat, sear on both sides for a total of about 5 minutes. Slice thinly and add to your salad greens, tomatoes, onions, etc. Drizzle with ginger wasabi dressing. Yum! Another great addition would be orange or pineapple slices or toasted almonds! Serves 2.