Due to the busy holiday weekend, the Sunday Chef salad dressing recipes were delayed until today. Hopefully they are worth the wait as I’m also including 2 homemade mayo recipes (at the bottom) in case you’d like to use them for the base of your dressings. Today’s recipes are rich and creamy and I hope that you’ll enjoy them as much as I do!
1. Blue Cheese Dressing
Crumble 2 oz blue cheese in a small bowl and stir in 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup mayonnaise with a fork. Add 1 Tbsp milk, 1 Tsp vinegar, and 1/4 salt and stir until well blended.
2. Creamy Lemon Dressing
Stir together 2 Tbsp honey, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, and 1/2 Tsp sea salt. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream and whisk until smooth.
3. Ranch Dressing
In a small bowl combine the following ingredients: 1 cup mayo, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1/2 Tsp each of dried parsley, dill, and chives. Also stir in 1/4 Tsp each of garlic and onion powder along with a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place dressing in the refrigerator for at least a half hour before using.
*I actually did not have chives so I substituted additional onion powder. Also, the base mayo makes a big difference of taste in this recipe so if using a strongly flavored homemade one, for example, you may wish to add additional spices.
Now, on to the mayo recipes. I’ve tried 2 different ones to date, both of which I like very much. The first one I followed exactly from Real Food Whole Health and it calls for a combination of coconut oil and olive oil. The coconut oil would be a big help if you have a hard time getting your mayo to firm up. The second recipe I adapted partly from Jamie Oliver’s recipe (from Cook with Jamie) and the Nourishing Traditions cookbook.
The one with coconut oil has wonderful flavor, but does seem to come through a little stronger when making salad dressings. If you prefer a milder base, the second recipe may work better (although you may notice that a strong olive oil taste does come through if tasting alone). I have used my food processor for both recipes and had absolutely no issues with the texture of the mayo (being runny or watery).
The recipe from Real Food Whole Health is actually based on the Nourishing Traditions recipe as well. To make, add one pastured egg and one pastured egg yolk (at room temperature) to a food processor. Add 1 Tsp Dijon mustard, 1.5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, and a dash or two of sea salt (1 Tbsp whey can also be included in this step if desired). Process these ingredients for about 30 seconds.
Next pour in a very slow, thin stream a combination of 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup coconut oil while processor is still running. Once it’s done mixing, you have finished homemade mayo! If you added whey (which extends the shelf life to months!), let sit covered at room temperature for seven hours before refrigerating (otherwise refrigerate immediately).
For the second mayo recipe, add 1 small pastured egg yolk to a food processor along with 1.5 Tsp dijon mustard, the juice of 1/2 lemon, and 1 Tbsp whey. Process until combined (about 30 seconds again) and then very slowly, in the same manner as the first recipe, poured in 1 cup extra virgin olive oil. Once combined, add salt to your taste and then you are done (other than sitting out for 7 hours due to the whey). If you are afraid that this calls for too much lemon juice, don’t add it all at once, you can add it to your taste even once the oil is added.
*This post is featured on Kelly the Kitchen Kop’s REAL FOOD WEDNESDAY and Real Food Whole Health’s Fresh Bites Friday!
1. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham
2. Class outline by Jennette Turner from the Wise Traditions 2009 conference
