Tag: Tablespoon Sugar

Make Your Salads Come Alive with These Salad Dressing Recipes

Make Your Salads Come Alive with These Salad Dressing Recipes

What makes or brakes a salad is the dressing. Although it does not easily grab our attention, these so-called silent ingredients play a very crucial role in determining the outcome of a salad.

Tossed with the wrong dressing and the freshest ingredients lose their taste. Salad dressings are like icings on a cake so to speak. They give that final touch, the magic that makes salads come alive. Listed below are some salad dressing recipes that one can choose from to come up with that special salad one might have in mind.

APPLE VINAIGRETTE

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup apple juice
3 whole fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1.Combine parsley, vinegar, olive oil, apple juice, basil, honey, salt, dry mustard and pepper in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.

BASIC ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Pinch of dried oregano

1.Combine all ingredients in small bowl and whisk to blend. Salt and pepper.

CITRUS POPPY SEED SALAD DRESSING

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons half & half
1 teaspoon poppy seed
1 teaspoon grated lime

1.Whisk together all dressing ingredients in small bowl. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour.

RANCH SALAD DRESSING

1/2 cup dry buttermilk powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley, crushed
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1.Combine all ingredients in the blender and process on high speed until well blended and powdery smooth.

To use: Combine 1 tablespoon dry mix with 1 cup milk and 1 cup mayonnaise. Mix well.

LOW-FAT BACON MUSTARD SALAD DRESSING

1/4 slice bacon, finely chopped
6 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 green onion, chopped white, part only
1 large garlic clove, finely minced
1 teaspoon firmly packed brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

1.In a small skillet cook bacon over medium heat, stirring, until crisp; remove skillet from heat.

2.Add orange juice to skillet and scrape up brown bits

3.In a blender, puree bacon mixture with the remaining ingredients until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.

Cool Down With These Refreshing Cucumber Salad Recipes

Cucumber salad is particularly ideal for those long, hot afternoons. Very ideal for the dry summer seasons. While summer is still far away for most countries, it would be wise to stock up on these great cucumber recipes that are guaranteed to cool you down.

BALINESE CUCUMBER SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons peanuts, dry roasted, coarsely chopped
1 cucumber, European
OR
1 large regular cucumber
1/4 sweet onion, large, such as Vidalia
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

Directions:

Set a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the peanuts and heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Peel and seed the cucumber. Cut the cucumber crosswise into 3-inch sections, then lengthwise into spaghetti-thin strips. Cut the onion into as thin crosswise slices as possible.

Combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a serving bowl and whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Taste for seasoning, adding sugar or salt as necessary; the dressing should be both tart and sweet. Stir in the cucumber and onion. Sprinkle the salad with the peanuts and serve.

FRESH CUCUMBER SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients:

6 cups fresh cucumbers
1 cup sweet pepper, sliced thin
2 onions sliced into rings
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar

Directions:

Mix well. Put in refrigerator, let stand overnight.

CUCUMBER SALAD WITH SPICY WASABI DRESSING

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoon dry wasabi powder (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon warm water
2 cucumbers
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 green onion – thinly sliced
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds or toasted white sesame seeds

Directions:

Mix the wasabi with warm water in the bottom of a mixing bowl and let it stand for 5 minutes.

Peel the cucumbers, cut each one in half lengthwise, and use a melon baller or spoon to scoop out the seeds.

Cut the cucumbers widthwise into 1/4-inch crescents.

Add the vinegar and sugar to the wasabi and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the sesame oil, salt, and pepper.

Just before serving, add the cucumbers, green onion, and sesame seeds to the dressing and mix well.

CUCUMBER AND GREEN SEAWEED SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients:
2 cucumbers
2 radishes
Salt as needed
1 3/8 ounce green seaweed

Dressing:

3 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kelp-flavoured fish stock

Directions:

Slice cucumbers and radishes into thin rounds; salt and leave until dewatered. Wash with water and squeeze out brine.

Pour boiling water over green seaweed and cut into bite-size pieces.

Thoroughly mix dressing ingredients and add to cucumbers and seaweed just before serving.