Thursday, September 24, 2009

My Salad Dressing

I believe in yummy food. I believe in real food. I do not believe in diet food because in order to remove calories, you have to add chemicals and additives, not to mention lots of sodium in many cases, to make up for removing the tasty ("fattening") bits.

If you count calories (I don't), I urge you to eat real calories from real food. Your body will thank you.

This is my first recipe suggestion and I have chosen it because I love it, it's made up of only real, healthy ingredients, and a little bit can go a long way.

I love salads. All kinds of salads. And I am a snob. I have yet to find a bottled dressing that tastes as good as homemade (mine, my friend Robin's or my cousin's). So here's my recipe. It's old-fashioned in the sense that you have to play around and find the right proportions for yourself. Amounts are very approximate.

Take a small jam jar. Fill it about 1/4 of the way with lemon juice.
Add the following:
1 clove garlic, crushed
a generous dollop of mayonnaise (regular, not low-fat)
about 1/2 a teaspoonful of Dijon mustard (buy good quality)
a little bit of honey (1/2 teaspoonful?--you'll have to go by taste)
a couple of shakes of mixed herbs (try "bouquet garni" or salad dressing herbs)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Shake it all up well and then fill the rest of the jar with good quality olive oil. Shake well again and take your pinky finger (well washed), stick it in the jar and taste. Adjust seasonings, oil or lemon juice as needed.

Practice making it frequently.

As a variation, try balsamic vinegar instead of lemon juice. Balsamic vinegar is the only ingredient that I don't insist on being top of the line. The really expensive stuff can be upwards of $40 a bottle. No need to go so far!

If you think all this sounds horribly fattening, think of the alternative: a chemical feast.

You don't have to drown your salad in dressing. The dressing is just meant to "dress up" all the wonderful veggies.

Enjoy!

8 comments:

  1. your sooo right. That weird "heart smart" margerine doesn't even melt in the pan! What the heck kind of chemicles are in that! And I was so turned off by a new Hellmans that is "Low Fat" - and only 15 calories a Tsb. But - it's weird, the most unatural texture I have even seen, and it tastes just gross. I would rather have "bare" tuna than that stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am going to try this!

    Thanks :)

    Cindy in CO

    ReplyDelete
  3. I make all my dressings using the best quality olive oil I can find. None of the processed oils for me! For cooking I use virgin coconut oil. And I'm losing weight and getting healthier...

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think your the one who left me an attitude correcting comment on my blog...I just want to say thank you. I also believe in eating 'real' food. glad to have found your blog.
    Chris

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Chris,
    It probably was me. I'm a bit of a schoolmarm, but it's because I care!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi! Just wanted to say that I really like your blog. I read this first post and found your attitude very refreshing in comparison with other weight-related blogs. I'm not looking to lose weight but to repair my relationship with food - i.e. making it intuitive and not calorie-obsessed just as food should be and reading this post - as well as every other (Okay, admittedly I skim-read a few but I did read most of them completely!) has really re-affirmed this belief I hold so thank you!

    Too many people beat themselves up over food and it needs to stop. It's so great that you have lost the pounds you have with your approach. Congratulations and good luck with the future :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. sounds wonderful i will give it a try...love salads!!
    thank you for your prayers for my sissy, it means so much!!
    love
    Irene

    ReplyDelete
  8. Everyone: I'm glad I'm inspiring readers to try something new.

    Irene: I so hope things get better for your sister.

    Bronwyn: glad to have you on board! I am a bit "fringy" when it comes to the weight loss blogging world, but that's just where I am! I hope your relationship with food continues to improve!

    ReplyDelete