Leafy greens are some of the most important foods you can eat. Depending on which ones you choose, they are by far the most nutrition-packed foods you can ingest – especially considering their calorie-to-nutrition ratio. Unfortunately, to many people, greens are the epitome of “nasty green healty stuff” made palatable only through the use of chemical and fat-laden dressings. Looking at the ingredient list on the majority of commercial dressings reveals a who’s-who of chemical additives. Colorings, preservatives and flavorings are all there. The most offensive chemicals happen to be in the majority of commercial dressings – monosodium glutamate, yeast extract, and high fructose corn syrup. Gross.
Greens are often used as “condiment delivery vehicles”. So, how can we minimize the nastiness of commercial dressings while keeping greens palatable? By making our own dressings, of course!
I’ve been thinking about offering my dressing recipes here ever since I started this blog. But the problem I’ve had is that I never make the same dressing twice! I do have a basic formula that I work from, and I experiment A LOT. So, I offer you my creamy dressing formula:
START WITH
The base is mayonnaise – either make your own (there are plenty of how-to instructions out on the internet) or buy a brand with as few chemical additives as you can find. For a small batch use 1 cup mayo.
THEN
After the mayo, I’ve experimented with adding other creamy stuff – ¼ to ½ cup of either buttermilk or sour cream. This is definitely not absolutely necessary, but it does add a tang. If you use one of these creamy ingredients, you’ll need to add either milk or water to make your dressing pour-able.
OR
For a lower-fat and even more tangy dressing, in place of the buttermilk or sour cream, use vinegar. Experiment with different types of vinegar – balsamic, wine vinegars, cider, etc.
THEN
It’s time to add spices. You’ll definitely want a semi-salty start – I always use garlic salt. Then, my favorite simple concoction uses chives, dill, and black pepper. I’ve tried curry powder, cumin, rosemary, thyme, and pretty much everything in the spice rack (not all at once, of course). Generally keep the number of spices after the salt to four or five. Any more than that ends up being overwhelming.
THE SECRET
The trick is to be constantly mixing it all together and tasting your concoction as you are adding spices.
I use a shaker bottle made for sports shakes. You can get one at any nutrition store or gym that sells supplements.
The most important thing to remember when making your own creamy dressings is to have fun with it! Occasionally, you’ll accidentally make something not-too-tasty, but, if you follow my guidelines, and TASTE AS YOU ADD SPICES, the chance of making nasty stuff is minimized.
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