August 31, 2011
My delicious homemade salad dressing is a godsend for the busy, thrifty, food-loving cook. If you like it, expect to splash it on more than just salads.
I am proud to say that my dressing can instantly jazz even the most boring, simple meal. :)
This dressing is also good for the allergy prone and those on special diets because it’s vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, sugar-free…fuss-free.
Only two ingredients are absolutely necessary: Bragg Liquid Aminos and olive oil. But toasted sesame oil and vinegar help customize the dressing in endless ways.
Betty’s Basic All-Purpose Salad Dressing:
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Bragg Amino Acids
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions: Combine all three ingredients. Shake, stir and serve.
Adding toasted sesame oil will instantly make any dish Asian-y. Even though I’ve omitted the vinegar in this recipe, you might experiment by adding a little rice vinegar. Note: Use toasted sesame oil — and not bland, cold-pressed sesame oil.
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Bragg Amino Acids
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Instructions: Combine all three ingredients. Shake, stir and serve.
Trader Joe’s has GREAT olive oil & vinegars at terrific prices. It carries a 5-oz. bottle of toasted sesame oil for $2.29. Whole Foods has it too (8-oz., $3.39). But my favorite brand is Kadoya, from Japan (11 oz., $4.29); sold at Asian markets.
********
Now about your salad…support local farmers!
I want to end this post with a personal plea. Irene really hurt our local farming community. And if you’re reading this outside of New York, please read on because your farmers need you too.
They are all on my mind, especially after reading these two stories in The New York Times:
The farmers work so hard and bring us such joy. Eating their just-picked vegetables and fruit in season is a healthy, sustainable practice. And if I’m sometimes paying more for some items, they deserve my money because they’re delivering quality.
The photo below was taken last Saturday at my favorite stand. It isn’t organic but I don’t care. A lot of small farmers just can’t afford the expense of getting organic certification and I am totally okay with that.
At this coming Saturday’s market, we’ll find out how our farmers survived Irene. No matter what, I’ll buy what they have.
If you’d like to find a farmers market in your area, here are some sources to get your started:
Before I go, I just have to mention my new passion for radishes, especially their tops, which I used to throw away. I first read about actually eating radish greens on Kian Lam Kho’s drool-worthy cooking blog. I’m too lazy to do his recipes but his post inspired me to improvise some simple options.
Discovery #1: Radishes taste good cooked. #2: Their green leaves are also delish cooked in a little olive oil + water. When done, add Bragg. This is a freehand version of my salad dressing!