Not only are homemade dressings better for you in general because they don't have chemicals, artificial preservatives, and mystery fillers, it is also the easiest way to accommodate for allergies. Since many dressings call for mayo, which most often contains soy oil, a good place to start is homemade mayo with whatever oil you prefer (olive is heavenly!).
Making-it-from-Scratch Monday
Homemade Mayonnaise (I got the recipe off the Internet somewhere, but they're relatively the same)
2 egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon sugar
Pinch cayenne pepper
4 to 5 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar
1-1/2 cups olive or other salad oil
4 teaspoons hot water
Beat yolks, salt, mustard, sugar, pepper, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a small bowl until very thick and pale yellow. It's great if you have a stand mixer because you don't have to try and hold the bowl while mixing and pouring. Add about 1/4 cup oil, drizzling in very slowly. If the oil is added too quickly it will separate. Beat in 1 teaspoon each lemon juice and hot water. Add another 1/4 cup oil, drizzling slowly. Beat in another teaspoon each lemon juice and water. Add 1/2 cup oil in a very fine steady stream, beating constantly, then mix in remaining lemon juice and water. Do this until all your ingredients are added.
From-Scratch Ranch
In a large zip-lok bag, combine the following:
1/2 cup dried chives
1/2 cup dried parsley
1/4 cup dried dill weed
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1/8 cup salt
1/8 cup ground black pepper
Shake really, really, really well (like while you watch the news or something) and then when you want dressing, add 1/4 cup dry mix to 1 1/2 cups wet ingredients (either half buttermilk, half mayo, or half sour cream half mayo for dip, or all buttermilk for a thinner dressing, or any combination you feel like. There is no law when it comes to dressing). Now, think about the best dressing you ever had- Parmesan Ranch? Throw in some parm cheese. Peppercorn Ranch? Add in some fresh cracked pepper. Bacon Ranch? Sorry, can't help you there. Just kidding! Bake turkey bacon on cookie sheet until very crispy. Chop into tiny bits either with a food processor or with a knife. The more you play with it, the better you'll know what exactly you like. If you make one you don't like, use it for potato salad or macaroni salad where it will get muddled by other flavors.
Homemade Italian Dressing
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 Tbs. water
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup oil
Mix together herbs, vinegar, and water until sugar is dissolved. Add oil and shake well. This can also be personalized. Use red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. If you like, add in peppers, tomatoes, and onion chopped very fine in the food processor.
I haven't made these, but here are recipes for French, Thousand Island, and Sweet-n-Sour dressing, in case they're your favorite!
Does this look familiar? Click on the comment link in any posting and leave us some feedback- we'd love to hear from you!
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7 comments:
This is great! We use so much Ranch here and buying those little packets add up quickly. I think I have all the ingredients needed in my spice cabinet :) I think I'll try the others too when we run low. I've really been working on making more things without chemicals/preservatives. I've gotten away from a lot of my easy to fix boxed items, but there is always room for improvement!
me again:) In the mayo recipe, are the egg yolks raw?
Yes, the eggs are raw. If you use eggs from a chicken you don't know personally, I would advise getting pasturized. I just wash mine really well, because any contaminates would be on the shell.
Thanks :) I currently don't know any chickens personally, lol
Although I'm hoping that might change in a few months. My husband has started teasing me on the phone asking me where his urban wife went and who is this want to be farmer wife instead :) I think he'll be happy that I'm not quite so high-maintenance(sp) now :)
showing my lack of intelligence in this area, but will raw egg yolk be safe, especially for the kids? I know those muscle builders make shakes with raw eggs, but that's about all I do know.
Okay, I've filled your comment box enough for one day, so I'll break for the day :)
Hey, there is no daily comment limit! ;)
Raw egg yolks are fine for kids, too, as long as you are cautious with their handling. In yesteryear, raw egg yolks were often made into eggnog or toddies for the ill. They were good medicine and also a very easily absorbed sourceof protein. Even better would be some Omega-3 eggs.
I think you'd make a great farmer's wife! The hard part is learning not to doubt yourself. After that, it comes naturally.
:)Thanks!
I did restrain myself from commenting overload today...
How are you? How are things?
Thanks for all the recipes. it is amazing to me how many people buy so many connivence products and they don't realize how easy they are to make like salad dressings. Also growing up we always had homemade mayo with uncooked eggs. I read somewhere the risk of salmonella is something like 1 in 30,000 and then it is only in like restaurants that use large quantities where a few eggs contaminate a whole batch because they let it sit too long. it is extremely rare in the home. We never had a problem back then. We also used uncooked egg whites in frostings and used uncooked eggs in some ice cream recipes. And you are absolutely right, I have several older cookbooks that have no qualms about using uncooked eggs in egg nog recipes and many other recipes. :-)Have a great day.
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