Trio of Salad Dressings

Three recipes for easy homemade salad dressings. First up, Buttermilk Balsamic Dressing (pictured below) but there's also My Favorite Salad Dressing that's never the same twice except delicious, it's a classic vinaigrette, the one I make nearly every day. Finally, there's a Traditional Balsamic Dressing. For anyone who's set a goal to eat more salads, start with learning how how to make homemade salad dressing, it makes all the difference!

Ah, summer salads. What’s not to love about a plate piled high with fresh greens, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower? Throw chicken breasts on the grill and the meal is complete.

BUTTERMILK BALSAMIC DRESSING is a stock item to keep ready in the fridge nearly year-round. It’s terrific on salads but also works as a pick-me-up for steamed vegetables and grilled meats. You’ll want to use fresh buttermilk and a good balsamic vinegar. And look at the calories – it’s practically a “free” food!

TRADITIONAL BALSAMIC DRESSING is luscious too. But while its ingredients are similar to those of the first dressing, it’s a much different proposition for calorie counters.

MY FAVORITE DRESSING has no recipe, per se, but is a simple concept. For photos and detailed instructions how to make My Favorite Salad Dressing, see how to make salad dressing at A Veggie Venture, my food blog. It's mixed right in the salad bowl, one salad at a time. Do experiment: it’s fun and always worth eating.

For starters, use a garlic press or a fork to mash a garlic clove in a salad bowl – or for a bare hint of garlic, rub the clove along the bowl’s sides and then discard it. You can also substitute a dollop of a garlic-ginger mixture that’s often found in produce sections near the fresh garlic.
Add a sprinkle of salt, then a dollop of a favorite mustard. Pour in a splash of vinegar, any kind. Emulsify these with the fork.
Now add the olive oil. For a simple dressing, add a double splash of good olive oil and emulsify again. The traditional proportion is one part vinegar to three parts oil but I’ve come to prefer considerably less oil. You'll learn your own taste.
If you feel exotic, add chopped fresh herbs and/or grated parmesan and then season to taste with fresh pepper.

BUTTERMILK BALSAMIC DRESSING (pictured above)

Makes 1-1/2 cups
Hands-on time: 6 minutes

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey (warmed to pour more easily)
• 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon basil (crushed)
• 1/2 teaspoon tarragon (crushed)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Gently whisk all ingredients until smooth. Transfer to a sealable glass bottle. Refrigerate overnight to blend flavors before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per tablespoon: 10 Cal; 0g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 2g Carb; 0g Fiber; 43mg Sodium; 1mg Cholesterol; 0g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS Old Points 0 & PointsPlus 0

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TRADITIONAL BALSAMIC DRESSING

Makes 1 cup
Hands-on time: 6 minutes

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons honey (warmed)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1-1/2 - 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Blend all ingredients. That's all there is to it!

If you happen to have a Good Season’s decanter available in grocery stores, add the balsamic vinegar to the "V" (for vinegar) line. Then add the honey, mustard and garlic powder. Finally, add olive oil to the "O" (for olive oil) line.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per tablespoon: 98 Calories; 10g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 2g Carb; 0 g Fiber; 6mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol; 0g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS Old Points 3 & PointsPlus 3

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. Follow Kitchen Parade on Facebook!

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More Salad Dressing Recipes

(from A Veggie Venture, my food blog)

~ Buttermilk Garlic Salad Dressing ~
~ Homemade Creamy Vinaigrette ~
~ Easy Salsa Dressing ~

~ more salad dressing recipes ~

~ Never Buy Salad Dressing Again ~
a collection of recipes from my fellow food bloggers

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More Salad Inspiration

(hover for a description, click a photo for a recipe)

~ more Favorite Summer Salad Recipes ~

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Healthy Recipes To Memorize for Everyday

(hover for a description, click a photo for a recipe)

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Quick Links to This Page

(for easy bookmarking and searching)
~ My Favorite Dressing ~
~ Buttermilk Balsamic Dressing ~
~ Traditional Balsamic Dressing ~

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