Homemade Salad Dressings

Hi readers, it's Kris here!  If you're a regular visitor to our blog, you're probably aware that Judd is the main contributor here and I'm his helpful little editor.  I'm also the lucky lady who gets to benefit from his knowledge and research of all things related to living a clean-eating, holistic lifestyle and am I ever grateful for that!  This week, however, I'm taking over the blog to share a few of my favorite homemade salad dressings with you.  Before I get to the recipes, I have to share a few funny anecdotes that come to mind when it comes to the topic of salads:

When I met Judd 26 years ago, he did not use salad dressing.  Not even a drop!  I remember the first time I witnessed this, I thought it most peculiar.  I'd never seen anyone eat a salad that wasn't drizzled in some sort of fabulous dressing.  To this day, when he orders a salad in a restaurant and replies to the server that he doesn't want dressing, he is met with a puzzled look and some form of the question "none at all?" or "would you like it on the side?"  Now that we make our own dressing at home, he really does enjoy it!  And honestly, on the rare occasion that we eat out these days, it is usually at some fabulous vegan restaurant that we've discovered and the last thing we want to order is a salad! Which leads me to my next thought...

Nourish Bowl from Nourish Cafe in San Francisco

If you eat solely a plant-based, vegan or vegetarian diet, you've probably encountered this scenario as well:  You're invited to lunch or dinner with a group of your friends, co-workers, family etc.  The restaurant they choose has little to no vegan friendly options.  It never fails that someone in the group says "they have salad" or "oh, you can't eat that can you?"  My first thought is "Yippee, they have salad.  Because that's all I eat."  I try not to get too offended by these comments, but sometimes it does get to me.  If you have a polite, non-snarky response that works for you, please share it with us!  And if you are one of our meat eating readers, please try to remember that even though you may find our diet unusual, we truly aren't aliens and we're really not that different than you, with the exception that we don't consume animal products.  We love stuffing our faces with delicious meals, snacks and desserts and while we adore cute little bunny rabbits, we don't necessarily eat like them.  Our appetites are just as adventurous as yours, and we sure don't want our meals to be bland and boring. With that being said, when we do eat salad we do it up right!  From a wide choice of greens and toppings, to our flavorful, homemade salad dressings made with all natural ingredients, our salads tend to be the main course and not just a puny little side dish.

And now, without further ado, please enjoy some of our favorite dressings. They can be whipped up quickly and will keep in your fridge for about 1 week, but once you taste them I have a feeling they won't last that long!

GREEN GODDESS DRESSING

1/2 cup Vegan Mayo 

(We use Vegenaise, Hampton Creek Just Mayo or Hellman's Vegan Dressing)*

2 tablespoons raw honey

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon (approximately 1/4 cup)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup water

10 large basil leaves (we have a basil plant growing on our porch at all times)

2 scallions or green onions, lightly chopped

1/2 ripe avocado

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

You can also toss in a few sprigs of cilantro, Italian parsley, tarragon, and chives if you have them on hand.  I'm not a a fan of cilantro, so I leave it out, and I usually just sprinkle in a tablespoon of Italian Seasoning if I don't have fresh herbs on hand.

*If you aren't strictly vegan, you can use a plain Greek Yogurt.  I suggest Fage.

Combine all the ingredients in a powerful blender until completely pureed.

This dressing also makes a fabulous veggie dip!

Watermelon Arugula Salad w/ Apple Cider Vinaigrette

APPLE CIDER VINAIGRETTE

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

3 tablespoons raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons good quality maple syrup

1/2 cup olive oil

Course sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper.

Whisk together the mustard, vinegar & maple syrup in a mixing bowl; slowly add the olive oil and continue to whisk. 

OLD BAY RANCH DRESSING

1/2 cup Vegan Mayo

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

HONEY VINAIGRETTE

This simple yet delicious recipe is the perfect portion for a couple of salads.

  Double or triple the recipe to make enough to store in your fridge for a week:

3 teaspoons honey

3 teaspoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

Pack up your salad and a comfy blanket, and find a lovely spot to have a picnic like we did here at Pebble Beach in beautiful Monterey, California last month.

I hope these quick and easy recipes encourage you to ditch highly processed store dressings in exchange for a much healthier, delicious salad experience!

xoxo,

Kristen

Forgotten Fiber...

Did you know that only 3% of Americans are meeting the RDA intake of fiber?   That means 97% aren't eating enough!  Fiber is something our body needs, but never digests or absorbs it.  We need two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble.  Soluble dissolves in water and helps to slow down digestion and lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels.  Citrus, whole fruit, carrots, peas, oats and barley are some examples of foods that are rich in this type of fiber.  Insoluble is NOT digested and is responsible for moving food through our systems, which in turn helps prevent constipation and more importantly, colon cancer.  Whole grains, as well as nuts, seeds, potatoes, beans and cauliflower, are rich in insoluble fiber.  Whole plant foods are the only natural source of fiber.  Eating plenty of  rich high fiber foods is the number one way to lose weight, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.  Simply put, processing food strips out the fiber!  Refining grains like rice removes the outer coat of the grain (the fiber rich part of whole foods).  Even pulp free fruit juices lose most of their fiber in processing, so just eat an orange instead! 

 Remember, you can't put the original healthy fiber back in stripped foods.  Fiber supplements are lacking in vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals.  The only way to make sure you're getting the fiber you need is to eat whole plant foods.  For men under 50 the recommended daily allowance is 38 grams; over fifty, 30 grams.  Women over fifty need 25 grams; under fifty, 21 grams.  To make sure you are getting enough is simple: avoid processed foods, and stick to plant-based whole foods.

*Eat more beans.

*Choose whole grains.

*Don't peel your fruit (apples, peaches etc).

*Eat more veggies (they all contain fiber).

*Snack smart (whole fruit, raw veggies, nuts and seeds)/

Drink a lot of good quality water.

For more on fiber, read this article by Dr. Michael Greger.

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We have now been blogging for six years!  In the past two years, we have tried to post something new every week. Thank you to those of you who have just started reading and those who have been with us since the beginning.  We hope that our content has been useful.

In closing, I strongly urge you to get a copy of  Superlife by Darin Olien.  I have read this book numerous times and consider it to be my "Health Bible".   Darin explains in an easy to understand way how our bodies work and what we need to do to live a "super life".

Have a great week.

Be kind.

Judd