Salad Dressing(s)

[INTJohn]

Few months back I started making my own salad dressing , yep Bch Bum Jonny’s Own Homemade Olive Oil Vinaigrette.
Nothing fancy.
3 parts Extra Virgin Olive Oil (smooth)
1 part Balsamic Vinegar
Maybe half a teaspoon of garlic powder

Dump it all in a bottle and shake vigorously for minute or so and Voila…….

Sooo; what’s ur fav dressings - homemade recipes or store bought?

bch bum jon gittin it on
(the salad, that is)

 

[eDJ_]

I have a collection of Good Seasons salad dressing bottles I've learned to use and make my own seasoning for the dressing from scratch. (much cheaper) These bottles can be found at Goodwill stores or in yard sales for cheap too. (on ebay or etsy they can go for $25 as "vintage")
But you can use any jar. I have several like the one to the left.

If you purchased an envelope of Good Seasons (or a knock off at Walmart) you would add it to the bottle. The bottles have lines on them for adding oil (1/2 Cup), vinegar (1/4 Cup), and water (3 TBsp). Then the seasoning is added and the bottle capped and shaken vigorously and allowed to rest for a half hour to an hour before using. The choices of oil & vinegar are up to you.

If you want to make your own Good Seasons mix for Italian salad dressing here is a recipe:
2 TB Oregano, 2 TB Salt, 1 TB Onion powder, 1 TB Garlic powder, 1 TB sugar, 1 TB parsley, 1 tsp ground Black Pepper, 1 tsp Basil, 1/4 tsp Thyme, 1/4 Celery seed.

This can also be mixed with flour to coat meat before frying or if you want to make a meat marinade, use 2 TB of the mix, 2 TB vinegar, 1 TB water, and 1/3 Cup of oil.

Celery Seed Dressing

1/2 Cup sugar

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 of a grated onion

1/3 Cup vinegar

1 Cup Olive Oil

1 TB Celery seed

Mix the sugar, salt, mustard, and onion together, then add the vinegar & oil to the mixture to combine. Last add the Celery seed and mix well again.

I had a great aunt who used to use this all the time. Like many women (and she was a widow) she was always worried about her weight. So for the oil......she used mineral oil that she purchased at the pharmacy. (food grade mineral oil)

 

[vanbrat]

I have a collection of Good Seasons salad dressing bottles I've learned to use and make my own seasoning for the dressing from scratch. (much cheaper) These bottles can be found at Goodwill stores or in yard sales for cheap too. (on ebay or etsy they can go for $25 as "vintage")
But you can use any jar. I have several like the one to the left.

If you purchased an envelope of Good Seasons (or a knock off at Walmart) you would add it to the bottle. The bottles have lines on them for adding oil (1/2 Cup), vinegar (1/4 Cup), and water (3 TBsp). Then the seasoning is added and the bottle capped and shaken vigorously and allowed to rest for a half hour to an hour before using. The choices of oil & vinegar are up to you.

If you want to make your own Good Seasons mix for Italian salad dressing here is a recipe:
2 TB Oregano, 2 TB Salt, 1 TB Onion powder, 1 TB Garlic powder, 1 TB sugar, 1 TB parsley, 1 tsp ground Black Pepper, 1 tsp Basil, 1/4 tsp Thyme, 1/4 Celery seed.

This can also be mixed with flour to coat meat before frying or if you want to make a meat marinade, use 2 TB of the mix, 2 TB vinegar, 1 TB water, and 1/3 Cup of oil.

Celery Seed Dressing

1/2 Cup sugar

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 of a grated onion

1/3 Cup vinegar

1 Cup Olive Oil

1 TB Celery seed

Mix the sugar, salt, mustard, and onion together, then add the vinegar & oil to the mixture to combine. Last add the Celery seed and mix well again.

I had a great aunt who used to use this all the time. Like many women (and she was a widow) she was always worried about her weight. So for the oil......she used mineral oil that she purchased at the pharmacy. (food grade mineral oil)

I like the little bottles.
I like only 2 types of dressing raspberry vinaigrette and ranch. Hubby only like french or thousand island.... So to keep the peace we buy bottled stuff. Cause I'm not making 2 kinds for each salad. One of the few things I rather store bought....
If it was just me I probably would find my own recipe.

 

[vanbrat]

I like to make big full salads for dinner, and some folks think some of the 'stuff' I add to salads are weird. I like the usual bacon and a few cheeses and tomatoes. But also apple bites, pear bites and cranberries, the little baby orange sections, and salami chopped up, ham, chicken, beef slices, crab meat and shrimp, cooked white beans rinsed and plain, most any kind of nut is good. But still don't like the hard boiled eggs, or beats or raw onions. What are your things you like that may seem weird to some other folks. I'm looking for new ideas. (I'm always looking for new ideas)

 

[bullfrog !]

Don’t forget raisins!

 

[eDJ_]

This is a small portion dump recipe for Green Goddess Dressing that I use. You can make party dips with it too. It is like an herb version of Ranch Dressing.

1/2 C Mayo
2 TB 2 tsp sour cream
2 TB + 2 tsp each of chopped flat leaf parsley, tarragon, and chives
1 TB fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp anchovy paste (optional)
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 shot of your favorite hot sauce
salt & pepper to taste

This will make close to 2 Cups of Dressing

Put all of this in a small blender or food processor and mix until creamy smooth.
If you want it a thinner dressing add a little more lemon juice.
This is best made with fresh ingredients and used after it sits a few hours in the refrigerator.

To make a Dip

Use 4 oz (or half a package) of Cream Cheese heated to soften and blend in with it 1 Cup of Green Goddess Dressing. This works well with a plate of vegetable sticks. You can adjust the amount of dressing mixed with the Cream Cheese for the desired thickness.

 

[vanbrat]

Sounds yummy

 

[eDJ_]

A different kind of salad I enjoy from time to time is made with a bed of field greens topped with pear halves (canned in lite syrup), cranberry raisins, & walnut pieces. Sometimes I add some crumbled Feta or Goat cheese to it before pouring on some Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing.

I shop my local grocery stores like a Hawk and look for scratch & dented cans, reduced for quick sale items. This a salad I make when I find some pears in lightly dented cans. Occasionally I find "craisins" (dried cranberries) and from time to time raspberry based salad dressing. (around here that isn't a big seller as Ranch, French, and Italian dressings dominate the market)

In some cases it is cheaper to buy such products than making it from scratch.

When I can find a bottle of this:

for $1.50 I grab it. I find dented cans of pears for .69 cent and marked down salad greens for $1.30.

Cheap thrills but it's still good.

 

[eDJ_]

The Lazy Grandma's Holiday Cranberry Salad



This is a Jello concoction that if purchased at a Grocery Store Deli is quite expensive. A 16 oz container at Kroger is now $5.00 dollars. At these prices, people will just eat their money and save a trip to the store. It wasn't long ago when this stuff was around $2.00 a container.

1 15 oz can of Crushed Pineapple (you will reserve the juice)
1 can of Cranberry Sauce with berries
1/2 Cup Cranberry juice
2 TB Lemon juice
1 3oz box of Cherry Jello (or store brand)
1/3 Cup of Walnuts or Pecans chopped up to the size of a dry navy bean

In a sauce pan add the Pineapple, Cranberry, and Lemon juice and bring to a boil.
Add the Jello and mix well
Dump in the Cranberry Sauce and mix thoroughly

Place this mixture in the refrigerator until it begins to thicken. It may be a few hours
(keep an eye on it)

Once it thickens add the Pineapple and nuts and stir well and restore this to the refrigerator until set,,,but it won't be as solid as regular jello.

Before this is served it can be stirred again to make a thick gravy like side to complement the other items on the plate.

This will make about four cups of salad.

Again...........watch those post Holiday reductions on some of these items.

 

[eDJ_]

EZ Macaroni Salad (small batch)

The secret to this is to make the dressing a day or so ahead and set it in the refrigerator for a couple or three days to blend together. Remember some of the ingredients are optional to your own taste.

Get a medium size glass jar with lid that will seal for storing the dressing.

In a medium size mixing bowl add

1 cup of Mayo or Miracle Whip....whichever you like
1 TB dill pickle relish
1 TB prepared yellow mustard
2 TB sugar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp garlic powder
(juice from jar of Dill Pickles & green olives to thin the dressing some)
mix this well and pour it in the glass jar for a few days in the fridge

Once the dressing is ready:

Boil 8 ounces of elbow macaroni until softened al dente (drain and place in mixing bowl)
2 small hard cooked eggs (optional)
1/4 Cup white onion diced fine
1 large rib of TB
1/2 Red Bell Pepper diced
1 TB sliced green olives
1 TB sliced black olives
(use other veggies you like as options)

Mix to combine and pour dressing over this and mix well once again.
Cover and place in refrigerator for a few hours before eating.

My Father and Grand Dad made this list of recipes I have stored "somewhere" where they had a collection of small recipes to make on the road. Dad and Grand Dad traveled in their work and would often make these. Grand Dad worked for a Rail Road and some of his recipes came Cabooses where the crew could sleep and eat during layovers. Dad worked in the Aviation industry and carried an old "overnight" suitcase mom gave him and in it was a boy scout mess kit, a Sterno stove, some kitchen tools, and small containers of condiments. He used his 35mm empty film containers for seasonings etc. Although he was on expense account, he often arrived somewhere in the late hours of the morning when all the restaurants were closed.....so he cooked for himself when that happened. When he had to type his reports and didn't have time to go to restaurants he would cook in the room and work. He had a whole system he developed and part of that was shared with me when I first went on the road.