DRESSINGS

The secret of a salad lies in its dressing, when freshly made,provides a memorable flavor. The following are a few 
of my favorites. Fresh squeezed juices are the best!


CHIPOTLE-LIME VINAIGRETTE

1/3 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice(2-limes)
1-2 cloves garlic, grated
2 tsp pureed chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
look for canned chiles(smoked dried jalapenos)
packed in adobo sauce in the mexican food section
2TBL honey(you can use splenda or omit if you want)
1/2tsp kosher salt
3/4 c canola oil
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro stems and leaves

mix together stream oil in add cilantro and pulse 
to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning 

We like to use this as dressing for salads, lettuce or
tortilla wraps with chicken and veggies

adapted from Cook's Illustrated


SPICY PEANUT DRESSING

1/2 cup canola oil
3TBL smooth peanut butter(I use whatever I have)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice 3-4 limes
2TBL water
3 cloves garlic grated
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
2TBL brown sugar(you can use splenda brown sugar)
1 1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
(I've left out the pepper flakes and added a jalapeno with
seeds and membrane removed depending on the heat you like.

combine in a blender till smooth. put in a container can be 
made ahead of time, whisk to recombine before using.

We use to put this on pasta and add chicken, broccoli, 
green onions and have it as salad.  I'm thinking about 
trying it with spaghetti squash. You could add cucumbers, carrots, green onions and cilantro, tossed with chicken 
and cilantro. Serve over salad greens
adapted from America's Test Kitchen


CAFE RIO DRESSINGS

Vinaigrette 
3 TBLS veg oil 
3 TBLS olive oil
1/4 c cilantro
2TBLS lime juice
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sugar
2 TBL vinegar
1 small jalapeno(seeded and deveined depending on 
heat preference)

Mix in blender to combine.

CREAMY CILANTRO

1 PKG. ranch dressing 
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayo
2 tomatillos
2 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 small jalapeno

Mix in blender till creamy.  If you don't have tomatillos
you can just leave them out.


A LIGHT POPPY SEED VINEGAR DRESSING

1/4 cup sugar (give or take on amount can substitute splenda)
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/3 c. cider vinegar
3/4 c. oil
1TBL. finely chopped or grated onion
1TBL poppy seeds

Put in bowl and whisk or shake in a jar.
Good with greens apples, pears, mandarin oranges, almonds 
or walnuts

Citrus-Pomegranate Quinoa Salad

Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 medium red onion, minced
1/4 cup fresh minced cilantro or parsley
1 cup pomegranate arils
1 can garbanzo beans or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or chicken (or vegetable) broth
1-2 avocados, cut into small cubes (depending on how much you love avocado and how big the avocados are)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 medium orange)
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 medium juicy lemon)
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1/2 medium juicy lime)
2-3 teaspoons sugar, honey, agave, or Splenda (just add it to taste)
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
1/2 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
A few cracks of freshly ground black pepper
1 clove minced garlic

Instructions:

Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.

Combine diced cucumber, minced onion, chopped cilantro, pomegranate seeds, and drained and rinsed beans in a large salad bowl. Toss with quinoa. Drizzle the dressing over the mixture and toss to combine, then chill until ready to serve. Before serving, add diced avocado and eat immediately. Makes 6-8 main dish servings and 10-12 side dish servings.

All credit given to Our Best Bites  food website. Very delicious dish, its a good one to try. 

Chicken Taco Salad with Lime dressing

6-8 cups of greens(spinach, iceberg, romaine)
add any veggies you and your family like
cucumbers, tomatoes, shredded carrots, peppers...etc
1 cup olives
1 cup cheese
1 can beans drained and rinsed like black, red, pinto
3 chicken breast grilled, sliced or use a rotisserie chicken
2-3 cups tortilla chips crushed


Dressing:
3TBL vinegar I used rice vinegar
2 TBL oil
1 TBL sugar
1/2 lime juiced I used the whole thing
1 clove garlic crushed
1/4 tsp. salt
mix dressing, drizzle over salad just before serving. 
I think I doubled it to make sure I had enough

Chicken Salad Pitas

From Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious Cookbook Chicken salad (pg. 84)

2 large eggs hard boiled

2-3 pieces cooked chicken (boiled, BBQ'd, or rotisserie)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1-2 tbs mayonnaise

2 stalks celery finely chopped

1/2 cup cauliflower puree

1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt

1/2 cup grapes, coarsley chopped

Chop hard boiled egg whites up, discarding the yolk. Chop up chicken into bite size pieces. Combine eggs and chicken into a bowl and add seasonings. Depending upon how much chicken you used add cauliflower, yogurt and mayo. (Add in small amounts, so its not too wet, its just supposed to moisten everything up) Mix in celery and grapes. Serve on pita bread with lettuce.

My friend and I made this one day for lunch, and thought it was very delicious!

McCALL SALAD

Serves 8-10

1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped (if its small use it all)

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

2 cups shredded mozzarella

2 lb. genoa salami, thinly sliced and stripped

 (we made this and used deli sliced ham thinly stripped

   you could use turkey or chicken as well)

2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained

1/2 c. diced tomatoes

1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

Dressing:

1 tsp. mustard(I used spicy brown)

1/2 c red wine vinegar

1- 1 1/2 cups olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Toss ingredients with dressing serve immediatly

By Rebekah