Please, for the love of God, don't buy dressing. It is so very easy to make. There are infinite combinations of vinegars, oils and herbs that you could use. This recipe is just a starting point. This dressing keeps for at least one week in the fridge. I always have a jar on the go.
1. Homemade dressing does not have any high fructose corn syrup or preservatives in it.
2. You have control over the salt and sugar content.
3. Homemade dressing is cheaper than store bought.
4. It's very easy, almost effortless.
5. It tastes way, way better.
The Dressing
I found this bottle at my supermarket. It holds about 1 1/2 cups of liquid. This bottle stays full of dressing all of the time. I fill it about once per week.
Start by adding all of the dry ingredients. Garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper and any herbs that you would like to add. I use onion and garlic powder because they flow better through my topper. Add the honey and dijon mustard too. You can use fresh herbs, if you wish. The dressing will stay fresher, longer if you use dried herbs.
Next, add the oil. I like extra virgin olive oil.
Then add the vinegar. Every thing will sink to the bottom. The ratio is 2/3 oil to 1/3 vinegar.
This is what happens to the dressing as it sits in the fridge. Extra virgin olive oil becomes solid at fridge temperature. The vinegar and other ingredients sink to the bottom. The solid bit of oil at the top acts as a barrier. No air or bacteria can get into the vinegar layer. This is why this dressing lasts so long, the oil actually preserves the freshness of the dressing. Take the dressing out of the fridge 10-15 minutes before you use it. The oil will liquefy again as it come to room temperature.
The Salad
If you are interested in eating more plants and maintaining a healthy diet this is a great way to start.
We eat this salad at least three times per week for supper. It is satisfying, delicious and super healthy.
This is the basic foundation of our favourite salad. I always include about one cup of chopped cabbage, grated raw carrot, and green onions. Not only is cabbage inexpensive and super healthy, it helps to keep you full for longer because it takes longer to digest than the other ingredients. It adds a lot of fibre to this salad.
Top the cabbage, carrots and onions off with a big handful of greens. What ever is the freshest in your grocery or garden. This is a mixture of spring greens from my grocery. Add any fresh herbs if you like. Dill, cilantro, parsley anything goes.
A common addition to our salad is cold, roasted beets. Another inexpensive and nutrition packed vegetable. I like to roast my beets whole. Wash the raw, unpeeled beets. Scrub them with a vegetable brush. Put them into a roasting pan with a bit of water, cover and bake them for one hour or until they are tender. Let them cool. When they are cool enough to handle, put on a pair of rubber gloves, peel and slice the beets. They will keep for a week in the fridge.
Other additions to our salad include raw, unsalted nuts, hard boiled egg, avocado, cheese (goat cheese is great with the beets), cooked chicken or turkey, ham, cottage cheese, left-over roasted veggies the list is endless. This salad is rarely the same twice.
I like to bake a bunch of beets and boil a bunch of eggs on the weekend so that during the week all I have to do is throw everything into the bowl. We use pasta bowls for our salad. It's a large portion.
Customize your salad. It's the best! Watch me make it on You Tube!
It is normal for extra virgin olive oil to become solid when cooled to fridge temperature. Just let it sit on the counter for a bit or let the jar sit in some warm water. It liquefies quickly when warmed to room temperature.
This salad dressing is similar to Italian type salad dressings. Use it exactly as you would purchased Italian dressing.
Adding eggs, nuts, cheese or cooked chicken or turkey makes it substantial enough for a main dish. Protein digests slower than veggies, so adding protein to your salad will keep you feeling full for a longer period of time.
Baker House Dressing
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (or use red wine vinegar, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar or a combination of any)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon onion powder or 1 green onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 teaspoons of a combination of dried herbs like oregano, basil and thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Main Dish Salad
Foundation
3/4-1 cup chopped green cabbage
1/4 cup grated, raw carrot
1 green onion
2 cups greens (lettuce, arugala, kale, etc.)
Start with the above three ingredients in each bowl.
Then add a combination of the following
Chopped tomato
Chopped bell pepper
Chopped cucumber
Broccoli florets
Cauliflower florets
Roasted beets
Unsalted nuts
Cooked chicken
Cooked turkey
Ham
Cooked beef
Cooked fish
Cooked shrimp
Croutons
Cheese (goats, cheddar, swiss, or cottage)
Fresh herbs
Hard boiled egg
Left-over cold veggies (potatoes, asparagus, green beans, corn, peas, etc)
Avocado
Seriously, add whatever you have in your fridge. There are endless possibilities. We never get tired of eating this salad because it is rarely the same twice.
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