"55" SALAD DRESSING

My favorite dressing on a salad of baby greens, red onion, toasted walnuts, sliced pears (fresh when available), dried cherries and crumbled blue cheese. Also good as a main dish salad dressing with chicken strips and mandarin oranges, sliced celery and rice noodles on a bed of lettuce.

1½ tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
¼ C vinegar
¼ C water
2 tsp salt
½ C sugar
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp celery seed (optional)
1 C veg. oil

Combine garlic, dry mustard, vinegar and water in a food processor or blender. Pulse to combine.
Add salt, sugar, peppers, and celery seed (if using)
With processor or blender running, SLOWLY add vegetable oil in a thin stream. After oil is added, continue to process another 3 minutes.

Nancy

For dressing I'd toss with balsamic, EVOO that's got a bit of honey or maple syrup in it...and very simple sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Blue Cheese Dressing

Approximately 1 1/3 cups

2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 minced garlic clove
1 tsp Worcestershire

In a bowl combine all ingredients. This is better when it sits for a little while for the flavors to blend - an hour or so is perfect.

1/4 cup maple syrup, warmed
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Warm maple syrup in a small saucepan. Pour vinegar into a small bowl. Whisk oil into vinegar in a slow stream. Whisk maple syrup into dressing in a slow stream. Add Salt and Pepper to taste.

1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs finely chopped fennel leaf (just grab a sprig from the fennel (anise) bulbs at the grocery store; or sub 1 tsp finely crushed fennel seed)
1/2-1 tsp fresh ground pepper
pinch salt
pinch sugar or a small drizzle of honey
1/4 cup light olive oil

Mix together everything well and then drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to emulsify.

Joe

Becky

I did not put nuts in (though I love walnuts in salad) as my DS is allergic to peanuts and we've been advised to stay away from other nuts as well. But the crunch from the red onion was enough, I thought. It was yummy!

Thanks again!
- mando

Gumbo Shop's Pecan Vinaigrette Dressing

Description I dug this one out of the restaurant's files in answer to a question on the message board. bit it's good enough to be a keeper. It's on the sweet side. so it's best with salads that have a certain bitterness (spinach salad. for example).

Ingredients

1/3 cup minced onion
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
4 tsp. dry mustard
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup roasted pecan halves. coarsely chopped

Methods/steps
1) Combine everything except the olive oil and the pecans in a non-metallic bowl and whisk to blend.
2) While continuing to whisk. pour in the olive oil in a thin stream. increasing the flow as you go. After half the olive oil is in there. add 2 Tbs. water. and continue to add the oil.
3) Stir in the pecans. and serve tossed with greens of your choice.

Makes about 2 cups.