Oil free salad dressing?

[brianschmutz]

Today is my first day on MWL. I read the book on Sunday and so far, so good. I've been a bad vegan for years. It's time to start being a good one.

So far my biggest problem has been finding an oil free salad dressing, preferably Italian, somewhere out in the stores. I looked in Giant and in Trader Joe's for the dressings the book listed as being ok and nowhere to be found. Anyone have any tips on where to find them? Or do I have to make them myself?

[ncyg46]

they aren't out there...the oil free have other bad crap in them like HFCS and other stuff.

one of my favorites is the 3-2-1 from the Esselstyn book
there are various threads on it but it is basically

3 T balsamic vinegar
2 T dijon or any kind of mustard (i use jack daniels horseradish for a kick)
1 T maple syrup..or any kind of sweetener ...I use the sugar free one for Ed

it lasts forever if you don't consume it too fast!!!!! But you will!

it is good over salads, pasta salads, whatever!

[glook]

I've found that a lot of the items in the books aren't for sale at Trader Joe's anymore, or other places for that matter. I am not sure about the packaged foods link, either.

Updates?

[SactoBob]

Add chunks of sweet potatoes to the salad (I prefer Japanese) and squeeze fresh lime juice.

[Chile]

I've always loved dressing on my salad but over the past couple of years, I've moved away from it. I'm now fine with just sprinkling a little balsamic or rice vinegar over it with salt and pepper. I also found that I really like dumping my salad on top of the hot main dish (like rice with sauted vegs, mashed potatoes, beans with salsa, etc.) and eating it like that. The cooked food typically provides some moisture and seasoning.

[SactoBob]

I thought that I was the only one who liked to dump green salads over my main course. It tastes great, and is a good way to get the greens and veggies down.

[MilesA]

Another good dressing goes like this:

Some kind of citrus juice (orange, lemon, lime)
Small amount of soy sauce or miso
Small amount of sweetener (honey, maple syrup, sugar)
Little minced garlic
Little Italian herbs
Dash of white pepper
Dash of red pepper flakes

I never measure, just put everything together by eye. Shake the dressing in a jar. You can make it in quantity and keep in the fridge for a few days. It is improved by sitting in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the flavors to marry.

[nomikins]

In my Italian family, we put spaghetti sauce on our salads when we have spaghetti for dinner.

Nowadays, I'm to the point where I don't use any salad dressing. Fresh vegetables taste delicious and don't need to be "dressed" to make them more appealing. My DH also now eats his salads without dressing.

That being said, I do occasionally like to sprinkle a little lemon juice, or balsamic on the salad. Just depends on my mood!

[Mrs. Doodlepunk]

Dump on some grilled onions, or oven carmelized onions, along with tomatoes, capers, chopped red pepper, maybe salt and pepper, a little balsamic or other type vinegar, and eat. That's basically what's in Italian salad dressing anyway, except for the oil.

[Clary]

...I also found that I really like dumping my salad on top of the hot main dish (like rice with sauted vegs, mashed potatoes, beans with salsa, etc.) and eating it like that. The cooked food typically provides some moisture and seasoning.

I thought that I was the only one who liked to dump green salads over my main course. It tastes great, and is a good way to get the greens and veggies down.

I "upside down" what Chile and Bob do. I make a VERY thick bed of my salad in a wide bowl (about 9" wide), about 3+" deep, then pour the main dish over the entire bed, then stir it around a bit. Because I use such a large amt. of salad, I seem to be able to "control" the salad better that way, without dropping pieces on the floor.

In the end, either way our meals probably end up the same- all mixed together. I do this frequently, for one meal of my day--and sometimes for breakfast with some type of brown rice dish.

Another thing I do for variety, is that I will sometimes season the salad with a choice of herbs, or black pepper, or Mrs. Dash, etc., which makes a nice contrast or complement to the flavors in the main dish.

Other than that, my favorite dressing, and about the only dressing I use any more, is the "Jane's 3-2-1 Salad Dressing"(from the book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease mentioned earlier):

3 parts vinegar (any flavor)
2 parts mustard (any flavor)
1 part maple syrup

I make it up a quart at a time, experimenting with the vinegars and mustards (and sometimes experiment with adding various herbs--Italian mix seasoning herbs, Herbs De Provence, Garam Masala; or other single herbs) and use it on many other foods and dishes besides salad. --over hot, steamed thick potato wedges, for example.

[ncyg46]

my favorite also!

[MilesA]

I made some the other day and it was pretty tasty. At the same time, I thought it was awfully strong so I added water to tone it down.

So, am I imagining things, or is this dressing a bit too assertive

Clary, I thought it was good on white potatoes, as well, though my favorite is still low-fat hummus with red pepper.

[ncyg46]

i like assertive flavors...I love asian sauces...still trying to adjust to cilantro, in fact i planted some!

You can tone it down with another milder vinegar like rice wine or red wine which is not as strong as balsamic. I usually use the jack daniels horseradish mustard for more kick!!!!

[slugmom]

Another good dressing goes like this:

Some kind of citrus juice (orange, lemon, lime)
Small amount of soy sauce or miso
Small amount of sweetener (honey, maple syrup, sugar)
Little minced garlic
Little Italian herbs
Dash of white pepper
Dash of red pepper flakes

I never measure, just put everything together by eye. Shake the dressing in a jar. You can make it in quantity and keep in the fridge for a few days. It is improved by sitting in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the flavors to marry.

I made something similar tonight for a southwestern salad - lime juice, a little miso, a little honey, then garlic, red pepper, cumin, and cilantro. I did dilute it a little with water and thicken it with corn starch. It was very good!

[slugmom]

I made some the other day and it was pretty tasty. At the same time, I thought it was awfully strong so I added water to tone it down.

So, am I imagining things, or is this dressing a bit too assertive

I find the 3-2-1 a bit assertive, too. I usually do closer to 2:2:1 - i.e. less vinegar. On one of the other boards someone said they flip-flop it, 3 sweetener, 2 mustard, 1 vinegar. It depends a lot on the choices, though -- try lemon juice instead of vinegar for less ZIP. Use a milder mustard (I nearly cleared out my sinuses last week when I used some horseradish mustard, it really had OOMPH and that plus the rice vinegar's tang ... I had to add more salad to my dressed salad to spread the dressing thinner ...)