We can't get enough of this one. The fresh squeezed orange juice and zest are what make it so delicious:

baby spinach & ruby-edged lettuce for 4 servings*

For 1 1/2 cups dressing, enough for 4 salad servings:

3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
1 TBS red wine vinegar
3 TBS grated orange peel (zest only)
2 teasp brown sugar
1 teasp ground cumin
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

garnish:

2 TBS sultana raisins
2 TBS pinenuts
3 strips of bacon, diced

1. Fry bacon bits until crisp. Drain on paper and put aside.
2. Put into a blender the orange juice and zest, the two vinegars, brown sugar and cumin and blend for a few moments.
3. Slowly add the olive oil while blending, then salt & pepper to taste
4. Put half the dressing into your salad bowl and add all the greens, mixing and turning with two large spoons until greens are well coated
5. Mix in the pine nuts, raisins and bacon bits
6. Pile onto serving plates and drizzle a little more dressing on top.

* Also good is spinach with red onion rings and mandarin orange slices.

SharonCb

Got all these from the cooking forum and they are favorites!
Made the spinach salad from Ann for a luncheon, it was a very big hit!

Vittorio's Spinach Salad
from Ann T

Vittorio's was a restaurant in Toronto that we use to go to years ago. Salad isn't something that I would usually order but I loved his. This is my recreation of his recipe.

Salad:
Washed and dried baby spinach
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled
4 or 5 cleaned mushrooms, sliced
1 can of artichoke hearts halved or quartered
3 Roma tomatoes, quartered
2 chopped green onions
Kalamata olives

Dressing:
1/4 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 clove of garlic
2 or 3 tablespoons wine vinegar
1/2 cup homemade mayo or Hellmans
salt and pepper

Place spinach in a large salad bowl. Decorate with eggs, mushrooms,
artichoke hearts, tomatoes and green onions and olives.

Drizzle with dressing and toss.

Can be made on individual plates as well.

Dressing:
Soak tarragon and garlic in vinegar. Add salt to dissolve.
Mix vinegar mixture into mayonnaise and adjust seasoning to taste.

-------------------------------------------
Nancy's "55" Salad Dressing (wizardnm)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed (optional)
1 cup vegetable 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.
---------------------------------------------------------
Creamy Roquefort Dressing (mqmoi)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Sherry wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese
3 tablespoons whipping cream

Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Fold in Roquefort cheese and cream. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

My friend Dan used to make this dressing, and he'd just come back from living in CA, where he said he learned how to make the dressing, hence the name.

Dan's California Dressing

Mayo
Dijon mustard
Dried dill weed

I don't have any measurements, I just combine these three ingredients until it looks right. Maybe about 1/2 cup mayo, 2 heaping TBLSP mustard, depending on your taste (I love dijon mustard) and then about 1 1/2 tsp. dill, or more to your taste.

Can thin with water or milk. You could add some capers to this to make it fancier or more gourmet. Would probably go good with fish.

We also love a variation of the spinach/strawberry salad - recipe follows, along with my current favorite Caesar dressing.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 bunches spinach -- rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups sliced strawberries
chopped toasted nuts (walnuts or pecans)
crumbled bleu cheese
Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

In a large bowl, combine the spinach and strawberries. In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, and poppy seeds. Pour over salad, toss until well mixed and serve. Sprinkle chopped toasted nuts and bleu cheese over top.

NOTES : Variation: Substitute dried cranberries for strawberries.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Creamy Caesar Dressing

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
3 fresh garlic cloves (or to taste) -- pressed
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup half-and-half cream or milk
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice of a half lemon)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper -- to taste
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
half and half -- optional, to thin

Whisk ingredients together and thin with half and half if desired. Cover and chill for at least three hours to blend flavors.

Dressing can be prepared ahead - refrigerate until serving.

Green Goddess Dressing

3/4 cup mayonnaise 2 anchovy fillets, minced very finely 1 tbsp. chopped parsley 1 tbsp chopped chives 1 tbsp chopped green onions 1 tbsp tarragon wine vinegar 3/4 tsp. dried tarragon or 1 1/4 tsp. fresh chopped In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, anchovies, parsley, chives, green onion, vinegar and tarragon until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate. Let flavors blend at least 2 hours.

Another favorite I got from here that I've been using for years:

Pa. Dutch Bacon Dressing (per request)

Posted by Sharon/Fl. on Mon, Aug 16, 99 at 19:38

Sharon's Homemade Sweet & Sour Bacon Dressing
**********************************
Fry 1lb. bacon in heavy pot till crisp. Drain & break into tiny pieces-not crumbled! Pour out half the grease-leave rest in pot.
ADD:
****
5 eggs (beaten with a spoon)
5 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
MIX WELL.
ADD:
***
1 cup flour
5 tsps dry mustard
MIX WELL-use slotted spoon or whisk
ADD:
****
2 1/2 cups CIDER vinegar
5 cups water-Mix till well blended.

* Heat on medium-stirring often, but not constantly, as this lowers the cooking temperature.
In about 15-20 minutes, mixture will begin to thicken. Make sure you scrape sides of pot & the bottom-often-don't let burn!
* Once it is as thick as a medium gravy-remove from heat, and add bacon and 2 TBS margarine or butter.
DRESSING WILL THICKEN AS IT COOLS.

Sharon says: You may think this makes an awful lot-but it keeps in the fridge for 4 weeks--share with a neighbor!
Excellent on Spinach Salads, Baked Potatoes, or just lettuce. Really good if you microwave a serving for 30 seconds or till just warm.

ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY.
Makes great Xmas gifts- just buy jelly jars, and add a bow around the neck of the jar. When my mom had her brain surgery-I took jars to the ICU for the Drs & nurses. At noon-I'd go to the cafeteria to eat & here I'd see all of them walking in with their 'dressing jars" LOL!

Note from Ang - this is great for dipping egg rolls and fried won tons in too!

These two are really good:

Basil Buttermilk Dressing

2 c fresh basil lightly packed
3/4 c buttermilk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 green onions thinly sliced
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 c mayo
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper

Mix basil, buttermilk, vinegar, green onions and salt in blender, blend till smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in mayo and pepper. Refridgerate at least 30 min. Makes 2 cups. (I made this alot over the summer, very fresh tasting! I usually halved the recipe)

Peppercream Dressing

1 c mayo
4 tbsp milk
1 tbsp parmesan
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 green onion minced
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 drops hot pepper sauce
2 drops worcestershire sauce

Mix all in blender or food processor. Store in jar in fridge for up to 1 month. Good on potato salad! (I usually omit the salt and add in 1 tsp anchovy paste). Makes 1 1/3 cups.

Here's another I haven't tried but looks good.

Orange dressing

1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 c orange juice
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp grated orange peel

Blend well and chill at least two hours before serving. Makes 3/4 c.

Enjoy!

Shelley

My favourite salad dressing (especially on mixed greens) is a simple "throw together" vinagrette.

Place washed and torn greens in a bowl large enough so you can toss them around. Add a healthy pinch of salt, and several grinds of pepper. Sprinkle on your favourite vinegar - not too much! This is a "barely dressed" salad because the dressing is intense and you don't want it swimming. Swirl on some of whatever oil you like. Again, not too much. Toss together, taste for seasoning, and serve. As far as amounts, imagine the total volume of dressing to be a couple of tablespoons for a bowl of greens.

This is really good with your choice of chopped fresh herbs added as a "green". Parsley, chives, that sort of thing.

If I mix it on the side, I generally go one part acid to three parts oil, a LOT of salt and pepper, and a dab of mustard or wasabi or use less vinegar and add some lemon juice just to help it hang together. Sometimes I add a pinch of mixed dried herbs, a touch of garlic and a bit of minced onion.

But mixed right on the greens is how I have my salad most nights.

Dances.