Asian Cabbage Slaw

This recipe was born out of a desire to have an Asian type of salad with Pad Thai. All I had in the frig was some cabbage ... and here is a remarkably delicious result. While I haven't encountered too much cabbage in Thai cooking, it is frequently used in Vietnamese cooking, so I knew (or at least hoped) the flavors would meld well with Thai food. The dressing replicates dressings used for salads throughout Southeast Asia.

Ingredients: 

1/4 head cabbage, thinly sliced

2 carrots, peeled and grated on the large side of a box grater

1/2 shallot, thinly sliced

1/4 cup mint, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Dressing:

2 Tbs lime juice

1 Tbs water

4 tsp brown sugar

1 Tbs fish sauce

1 Tbs rice vinegar

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp red chili flakes

Directions: 

Mix the salad ingredients together in a medium bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, then pour the dressing over the salad. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: As an added bonus, the cabbage and lettuce stay nice and crunchy, even after the dressing is poured on, so feel free to make this salad ahead of time, then just refrigerate until ready to eat. I initially made much more than we could eat at one meal, and can attest that it even stays crunchy the next day!

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

I tried many versions of pomegranate salad dressings, and this one is my clear favorite. It's amazing with any holiday salad, especially those that use pomegranate arils. I particularly like it with the Caribbean Salad.  

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup pomegranate juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbs white balsamic vinegar

2 Tbs maple syrup or honey

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 pinch sea salt

Directions: Put all of the ingredients in a jar. Shake or whisk to combine. This dressing will keep for 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. 

Stealthy Cooking Tip: When you're trying something new (like pomegranate salad dressing), try lots of versions until you find your favorite. Everyone's taste buds have similarities, but we're all individuals. Keep trying until you find what works best for you. 

Summer Bowl with Green Goddess Dressing

I love the story of Green Goddess Dressing - how the dressing was first made at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco as a tribute to the play "Green Goddess". It typically is made from a base of mayonnaise and sour cream, then gets its green tint from the green herbs which are blended into the dressing: chervil, chives, and tarragon. There's just a hint of saltiness from anchovy and a bit of a bite from lemon juice. I've changed things up, just a bit, and use this as a sauce over a bowl full of summertime vegetables with some brown rice. Just the thing for a warm end of summer night. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup brown rice

1 cup water

pinch of salt

1 cup broccoli, cut into small florets

1 cup kale, thinly sliced

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced

10 grape tomatoes

1/2 avocado, sliced

for the dressing: 

1/4 cup ranch dressing (I used Follow Your Heart High Omega Vegan Dressing)

1 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley (1/2 tsp dried)

1 tsp finely chopped fresh chervil (1/2 tsp dried)

1 tsp finely chopped fresh tarragon (1/2 tsp dried)

1 tsp finely chopped chives (optional)

1 Tbs lemon juice

toppings:

2 Tbs pistachios

2 green onions, white parts thinly sliced, green parts cut into 1/2 inch lengths

Directions: 

Add the rice, water, and salt to a small saucepan, bring to a boil, cover and cook until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Or, cook the rice in a rice maker. Add several cups of water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli, and cook until al dente, about 3 or 4 minutes. Drain the broccoli and run under cool water to stop the cooking process, then set aside. Make the dressing by mixing the ranch dressing with the herbs. You may use a blender to get a pretty green color, or just mix them together for a more rustic looking, speckled dressing. Make two bowls by scooping some of the rice onto each bowl. Then divide the green beans, snap peas, cucumber, tomatoes, and avocado between the bowls. Drizzle some of the dressing on top of each bowl, topping with pistachios and green onions. 

Serves 2

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Imagine my surprise when I added the photo and found that I had used broccoli and kale when my own original recipe called for green beans and sugar snap peas! I always say to use whatever vegetables you have on hand!  

Balsamic Orange Salad Dressing

 It's nearing the end of orange season in my backyard, so I'm enjoying oranges in everything while I still can. As usual, I love oranges in salads, and I've posted salads with oranges and beets or oranges with fennel and pistachios, or oranges with red pepper and avocado. This dressing pairs well with all of those salads, in part because it's got hints and tastes of orange in it. This one is sweeter than many of the dressings that I use, but I find that I like the sweetness with the tartness of the orange. 

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 Tbs orange marmalade

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 

Directions: Add all the ingredients to a jar. Shake or whisk to combine. Serve by drizzling about 1 tablespoon per serving of salad. 

Stealthy Cooking Tip: In my book, there's nothing wrong with oil in dressing. Yes, oil is where the majority of fat and calories come from. But, olive oil has unsaturated fats - the ones that help you absorb needed nutrients. What makes a dressing healthy is portion control. If you serve salad dressed, instead of having the dressing on the table, you can control the amount of dressing that is used. Use a tablespoon to drizzle dressing on top of each salad. The visibility of the dressing will compensate for the smaller portion.

Spinach Salad with Warm Mushrooms

This salad is delicious with Asian inspired meals. We had it one night with some pre-made sushi for a super quick midweek dinner.

Ingredients:

3 cups baby spinach
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms, crimini or a variety
1/2 cup sliced onions or leeks
1/4 cup white wine
2 Tbs pine nuts

1 tsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Divide the spinach between two salad plates. Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook for several minutes until the mushrooms begin to brown and the onions begin to color. Add the white wine to the skillet and continue to cook the mushrooms until they are soft and fully cooked and the wine evaporates, about another 5 minutes. Make the salad dressing while the mushrooms cook by combining the hoisin sauce through the olive oil in a small jar. Shake or whisk to combine. Pour the hot, cooked mushrooms over the spinach, then top each salad with the pine nuts. Drizzle each salad with about 1 Tbs of the dressing, and serve.

Serves 2, easily doubled

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Salads are an easy way to add more vegetables to your diet. This salad mixes warm and cold foods, giving salads a whole new meaning to both your taste buds and your thoughts about salads. A warm salad? This should shake things up and make your taste buds happy!

Roasted Red Pepper Salad Dressing

This dressing comes out so thick and creamy that you'd think it was bound together with cream. Don't be fooled - it's simply red pepper whirled together with oil and vinegar, along with a few other ingredients! In addition to creaminess, the pepper gives this dressing a depth of flavor that you'll be sure to appreciate.

Ingredients:

1 red pepper, roasted and peeled
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. agave or honey
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp (pinch) garlic salt

Directions:  Cut the pepper in half, then remove the seeds and membranes. Place the pepper skin side up on a cookie sheet. Place under a broiler and broil for about 5-7 minutes, until the skin is well blistered. Remove the cookie sheet, and place a lid or a piece of foil over the pepper and let sit for about 10 minutes. Remove the skin from the pepper, it should slide or peel off easily. It's okay if a few pieces of the skin remain. Cut the pepper halves into strips. Place the red pepper strips, along with the remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until well combined. Add additional olive oil if the mixture is too thick.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: I like this dressing best on salads that have some red peppers in them, the dressing echoes the taste of the salad. This dressing is also a good dip for veggies. 

Greek Salad Dressing

Use this dressing on any salad, but I find that it's especially delicious on Greek salads.

3 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 tsp minced fresh Greek oregano
1/4 tsp sea salt

Mix all ingredients together. Whisk to combine. Refrigerate and use within one week.

Serves 8

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Homemade salad dressings are easy to make, and more economical than the ones in your store. The best thing to me is that I know exactly what's in my dressing ... and if I don't prefer one ingredient, I can easily substitute another. For example, if you don't like oregano, use dill weed or parsley. 

Sesame Seed Salad Dressing

This salad dressing pairs well with any salad that has an Asian flair. It's featured with Ahi tuna salad, but I also love it with salad topped with blackened chicken. My inspiration for this one comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, Santa Fe Light & Spicy Recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. black or white sesame seeds
1 Tbs. honey or agave
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions: Measure all of the ingredients into a jar. Cover the jar and shake well, or use a whisk to combine. Makes a little more than 1/4 cup dressing, or enough for 4 servings.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Make extra dressing, then keep the remainder in the refrigerator. Homemade salad dressings will keep in the frig for several days, up to one week.

Lime Jalapeno Salad Dressing

This dressing is refreshingly zesty. Use it on a salad that accompanies a similaryly spicy meal. I served this one evening with pulled pork tacos.

Ingredients:

zest of one lime
2 Tbs lime juice (juice of one lime)
1 Tbs jalapeno jelly
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
a grind of sea salt
several grinds of pepper

Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a jar. Shake just before serving.

Creamy Poppyseed Dressing

I've had several requests lately, and that's so nice. Sure, it's flattering, but it's more than that. Requests indicate a trust in my process, the finished taste, and the healthy quotient that I want to uphold. I rarely talk about the process, but today is one time when I'll go through the process. My oldest daughter recently moved, and hasn't found her favorite salad dressing in any of her local stores. I went out and purchased a bottle, and gave it a taste. Then, I started experimenting. This is my third version. The first one was good, but too sweet. The second was too tangy. This one tastes best to me. I cut back on the sugar from the original ingredient list, substituting agave syrup instead. Agave is a natural sweetened that's somewhat sweeter than sugar, but it's lower on the glycemic index. I added some mayo to simulate the creaminess, and for consistency. I use extra virgin olive oil, not the extra fancy and expensive one, but one that I use for general cooking. Extra virgin olive oil has healthy fats that, in small amounts, are part of a healthy diet. I omitted the salt, as I didn't think it added any taste, but did add sodium. By request, here it is.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs mayonnaise
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs agave syrup (or sugar)
1 Tbs white vinegar (or use 2 Tbs of one vinegar)
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp dry mustard

Directions: Measure all ingredients into a small jar. Whisk to combine. Serve by spooning between 1and 2 teaspoons per serving. This will keep for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Don't be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. It's possible to make small amounts and toss them if you don't like them. Taste as you go, and you'll soon discover your own and your families tastes. Taste things before you add salt, and you'll frequently find it isn't needed. Cut salt when you can.

Mayhaw jelly vinaigrette

The mayhaw is a southern speciality, and is celebrated in Louisiana, Georgia, and several other southern states. The mayhaw is a fruit that grows on trees which like swamps and warm temperatures. It has it's own individual taste, which many compare to a crab apple. Mayhaws are used to make jelly, and the jelly in turn is used to make a marvelously southern salad dressing. If you don't have mayhaw jelly, use any kind of jelly you like. The dressing will taste delicious!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup jelly
1 tsp Dijon mustard
pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Mix the jelly, mustard, red pepper flakes and garlic together in a bowl or jar. Add the olive oil and whisk until combined.

Makes about 1-1/4 cup dressing

Stealthy Cooking Tip: This dressing is about color. It will take on a jewel tone color of whichever jelly you use and can be quite beautiful to look at.  A little goes a long way!

Cherry Poppyseed Salad Dressing

My Michigan roots are showing! I remember picking cherries as a "young-un" - getting up high in the trees and picking until my fingers were stained bright red. Those cherries were sour Montmorency cherries, so most of them made it into the bucket. Sour cherries make a perfectly tasty dressing. However, free to use sweet cherries, too, like I did with this dressing. I used Bing cherries, but any kind of cherry will work.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pitted cherries
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs agave or honey
1 Tbs red jelly
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp poppy seeds

Directions: Place all ingredients in a cup and use an immersion blender to blend. This may also be made in a blender by blending all the ingredients.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Adjust the sweetness of this dressing according to the sweetness of your cherries. Taste the dressing before adding the agave/honey or the red jelly. Add the sweeteners according to your taste. To accurately taste salad dressings, simply dip a piece of lettuce in the dressing and taste. This dressing is especially good over a green salad with cherries!

Lemon Dressing

This dressing makes good use of the clean flavor of fresh lemons. I used a Meyer lemon for the fresh lemon juice. Its the thin skinned, less astringent, and smaller version of a classic lemon. You'll also notice that I use agave nectar as the sweetener. I usually like to use honey in dressings, but I really wanted the taste of lemon to shine. Agave nectar, or syrup, has almost no taste while my honey tastes like wildflowers. I love the taste of wildflowers ... but didn't want that taste to interfere with the bright lemony taste in this particular dressing. There's a very small amount of Dijon mustard, which I use to emulsify the dressing. Oil and water, juices, or vinegars, don't like to mix together. Emulsifiers make them cling together a little longer, so that they pour more easily. You'll still have to give the jar a good shake before serving, but the dressing should hold together until it lands on your plate!

Ingredients

1 tsp lemon zest
1 lemon, preferable Meyer, juiced (about 2 Tbs juice)
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Directions: Roll the lemon on the counter to make it easier to juice. The zest is the yellow part of the lemon peel. Remove some of the zest with a zester, peeler, or knife, taking care to remove only the pungent yellow part and not the bitter white pith beneath. Mince the zest to make about 1 tsp. Cut the lemon in half and juice. Place all ingredients in a jar and shake or whisk to combine.

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tips: This dressing is also good on steamed vegetables. I especially like it on roasted or steamed broccoli or grilled asparagus.

Balsamic Dressing

This salad dressing is good with flavors that benefit from a balance of sweet and acidic. This included mixed greens and spinach salads.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 grind salt

Directions:  Mix all ingredients together and pour over salad.

Serves 4-6

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Use extra virgin olive oil for your salad dressings, as it provides the kind of healthy fat that aids digestion. If you like the flavor of olives, experiment with different extra virgin olive oils to find one you really enjoy. If you don't like the flavor of olives, use a "light" extra virgin olive oil and you'll find that the flavor is lighter, not the calories!

Lemon Honey Dressing

This dressing is very similar to honey mustard dressing. Both are good on salads, or can be used as a marinade.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons dijon type mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a jar. Shake or whisk until blended.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: As with honey mustard dressing, remember not to give honey to children under the age of 1. Try using a local honey. You can usually find a honey vendor at your local farmer's market, and they can usually tell you the approximate area where each honey comes from. If you choose a honey that's local to your area, it may help you build immunity to seasonal allergies.

Spinach Salad Dressing

Here's a tangy spinach salad dressing, the one I use with Norma's spinach salad.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup catsup
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp worchestershire sauce

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake well. Shake again before dressing the salad

Stealthy Cooking Tip: This dressing tastes so good that everyone will be eating their spinach salad, but the good taste also means it's more difficult to handle on portion control. Either dress the salad in a large bowl before serving, or dress each serving individually. If dressing the salad in the bowl, allow no more than 1 tablespoon dressing per serving. Pour the dressing down the side of the salad bowl, instead of directly onto the greens, to more evenly proportion the dressing throughout the salad. Allow the same amount of dressing if dressing each individual salad on a plate ... then, drizzle no more than 1 tablespoon dressing over each portion. Use an actual tablespoon until you're comfortable with your ability to "eyeball" the amount. Don't put the dressing on the table! Kids, especially, will pour much more dressing than they need on their salad.

Caesar Salad Dressing

I love Caesar salad. This is a salad where the dressing makes the salad. For a classic version of the salad, use romaine lettuce. I usually add some shredded or shaved parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of pine nuts. Recently, I've begun adding avocado, too.

Ingredients:

1 hard boiled egg
4 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

To hard boil the egg, place it in a pan of cold water. Bring the water to a boil, and let boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the egg sit for 8 minutes. (Increase the time to 10 minutes if you live at an elevation over 3000 feet.) Pour off the water, and run cold water over the egg. Peel the egg and roughly chop it. Place the egg, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, and garlic in a food processor or blender and process until well blended. Add salt to taste.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Here are some safety tips about eggs. Check your eggs before buying them, and don't buy any with cracked shells. Store your eggs in the refrigerator itself, not on the door where temperatures can fluctuate. Eggs will keep for several weeks. If you do get a cracked egg, don't use it. Just throw it out. Cook eggs thoroughly. Boiling an egg for 1 minute, then covering it and holding it in hot water until the yolk is hard, brings the yolk to 160 degrees, a termperature high enough to kill any bacteria or salmonella. By using a hard boiled egg you'll alleviate any health concerns about cooking with raw eggs. I enjoy the taste of this recipe, and know that it's safe.

Sweet Italian Dressing

I've been experimenting with agave lately, and having fun doing it. Agave nectar is a sweetener that's made from the agave plant. It's lower on the glycemic index scale than other sweeteners, so it gets aborbed more slowly, meaning you don't get the spikes in glucose like you do from sugar. If you don't have any agave, just use honey instead. Here's one of my new favorite recipes. This salad dressing is quite creamy, so it coats your salad nicely with less dressing. I've also used this as a topping for quickly cooked vegetables. For example, it's delicious over quick cooked asparagus or broccoli.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs agave nectar
1 Tbs grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/4 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Blend for several seconds, then serve.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Drizzle a little salad dressing over the top of each individual salad, using no more than 1 tablespoon per serving. That way the greens or vegetables will shine with dressing, but you'll get a better handle on portion control.

Right Reasons Salad Dressing

This is my interpretation of a family favorite salad dressing - the "good seasons" dressing that comes with the cruet. What I like about this dressing is that it doesn't include some of the shelf stabilizers. It's as fresh as the spices in my cupboard. However, the flip side is that this dressing won't last forever - I usually use mine up within a week of making it.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 3 tbs. water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1-1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp ground pepper

Directions: Mix all ingredients together, either in a cruet or a small glass jar. Cover jar and shake well before serving. Refrigerate unused portions. The olive oil in the dressing will solidify with refrigeration, so take the dressing out of the refrigerator for about 1/2 hour before subsequent uses.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Try this with your favorite vinegar ... experiment until you find what you like best! I've made this with cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, and part balsamic vinegar. Have taste tests (on salads, vegetables, or as a marinade) to find your own favorite.

Citrus Dressing

I've had a cold for the last few days, and one of the things that I do to help fight a cold is to up my vitamin C intake. So, I've been having citrus salads with a fresh tasting citrus dressing. This dressing tastes best when made with fresh lemons, but I've also made it with bottled lemon juice when I can't rummage up a lemon in the fridge.

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbs water
1 tsp spice blend
1 tsp sugar
4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl or jar. Whisk or shake to combine. I like adding lemon zest to lemon dressings, as they look nice and add an extra flavor boost. In addition, I like adding a splash of vinegar to brighten the citrus taste. If you don't have a seasoned rice vinegar (like Nakano), use a sherry or champagne vinegar or a simple white wine vinegar. As for the spice blend, I frequently use Mrs. Dash, as this is a blend that my family likes. You might like to use tarragon or experiment with any blend that you find tastes good to you!

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Try different salad dressings, until you find the ones you enjoy. This dressing really works well with any salad that includes citrus. Once you find a dressing you really like, consider using a small amount over quickly cooked vegetables to enhance their flavor, too! This works wonders if you're trying to add vegetables to your plate, but haven't figured out how to flavor them. I especially like this dressing with asparagus!