Showing posts with label Dressings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dressings. Show all posts
We are coming into much warmer weather now and salad season is almost upon us. Of course, I am the kind of person who can quite happily enjoy a salad any time of the year. I do enjoy them even more so during the late spring and summer, however.
I have always been the kind of person who likes to make my own salad dressings from scratch. I get that from my mother. When we were growing up there was no such thing as a storebought salad dressing in our home. With the exception of Miracle Whip, which my mother always had on hand, mom always made her own salad dressing from scratch.
It was a simple oil and vinaigrette dressing. Nothing too overly fancy. I do love a simple oil and vinaigrette dressing, or French dressing as it is called, but I also like to splash out and make other kinds as well.
This recipe I am sharing with you today is for Catalina Dressing. This is a punchy, sweet and tangy, tomato-based dressing that is a must on Taco salads and the like. Simple and flavor-filled, it is a real favorite of mine!
There is nothing so enjoyable as a salad made with fresh ingredients and then dressed with a lovely homemade salad dressing. Once you start making your own dressings from scratch you will not settle for premade dressings again. They are a bazillion times tastier!!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CATALINA SALAD DRESSING FROM SCRATCH
Simple store cupboard ingredients. I am betting you have everything you need in your house to make this delicious dressing right now!
- 1/4 cup (61g) tomato ketchup
- 1/4 cup (60ml) red wine vinegar
- 2 TBS honey
- 1 small onion
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 fluid ounces (95g) vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
You can use any brand of tomato ketchup which you prefer. Today I used Heinz because that is what I happened to have opened in my refrigerator.
Today I was out of red wine vinegar and so I used sherry vinegar. This worked well.
Use any kind of honey you enjoy with the exception of creamed honey. It is too thick and will not give your dressing the right consistency.
My onion was not much larger than a golf-ball. You won't want any more than 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion.
Don't be tempted to use EVOO. It will make your dressing too thick and solidify in the refrigerator. You can use any other kind of vegetable oil that you like. I wouldn't use coconut oil either for the same reasons that I wouldn't use olive oil.
HOW TO MAKE CATALINA DRESSING FROM SCRATCH
You do need a blender or food processor to make this. You can also use a smoothie maker. (That's what I used.) This is wonderfully easy to make!
Peel your onion. Cut it into small dice. Place it into a blender or a food processor.
Add the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Transfer to a covered container (I use a mason jar) and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 10 days refrigerated.
HANDY TIP
Do not over-blend the dressing. Blend it only until smooth. Over-blending the dressing can cause it to split and separate.
HOW TO STORE CATALINA SALAD DRESSING
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this delicious dressing will stay fresh for up to ten days, or even a bit longer. Because there is raw onion in it, it will not keep indefinitely.
I just us a screw-top mason jar to store mine. Do use clean utensils to spoon the dressing from out of the jar so as not to introduce bacteria into the dressing. I know I shouldn't really need to say that, but you just never know who might need to hear that information!
This is really a delicious dressing. It goes well on many kinds of salads and is great with chicken, pork or fish as well. I love it on taco salads
Today I enjoyed it on a lovely tossed salad with carrots, celery, cucumber, red onions, tomatoes and peppers. I added some cheesy garlic croutons and some crispy salad onions for added interest. How will you enjoy yours??
Are you a person that also likes to make their own salad dressings? And why not! They taste better than anything premade and are not loaded with ingredients that you cannot pronounce! Here are a few more recipes for delicious salad dressings that you might also enjoy!
OLIVE GARDEN SALAD DRESSING - Never having been to an Olive Garden, I cannot say that this tastes like their dressing as I don't know. What I can tell you for sure however is that this is one very delicious salad dressing! Tangy, rich and cheesy!
HOMEMADE SALAD CREAM - This is delicious. Perfect for drizzling over salads or using in potato and pasta salads, sandwiches, etc. It is a bit tarter than mayonnaise. When I moved over to the U.K in the year 2000 this was pretty much the only salad dressing that was on offer in most places.
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Catalina Salad Dressing (small batch)
Cook time: 5 MinTotal time: 5 Min
Super easy to make and super delicious. You will never buy the bottled version again. I promise you.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (61g) tomato ketchup
- 1/4 cup (60ml) red wine vinegar
- 2 TBS honey
- 1 small onion
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 fluid ounces (95g) vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Peel your onion. Cut it into small dice. Place it into a blender or a food processor.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a covered container (I use a mason jar) and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 10 days refrigerated.
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When we were growing up our mother would make a salad for us to enjoy with our supper most Sunday evenings. She always made her dressing from scratch. She always started it early in the afternoon.
She would finely chop about 2 or 3 TBS of onion into the bottom of a bowl and then top it with some vinegar, as well as some salt and black pepper. This would sit for several hours macerating before she added anything else.
Just when she was ready to put the salad together, she would add some salad oil and then break iceberg lettuce into the bowl and add some cucumber and maybe some radishes, tossing everything together to coat with the oil and vinegar mixture.
Those salads were always a real treat for us. I always really looked forward to them, and I will make them that same way even now to this day. Macerating the onion in the vinegar seemed to draw some of the sharpness out of the onion so all that you were left with was the sweet onion flavor.
This is a recipe she learned from our German landlady when we were living in Germany. I, myself, add a touch of sugar to it as well.
When I saw this Sweet Onion Vinaigrette Dressing on A Farm Girl Dabbles, I just had to try it, although I did cut the recipe in half. There is really only me to feed salad to here. It reminded me somewhat of my mother's Sunday Salad dressing, albeit a bit sweeter.
I think it makes a great coleslaw vinaigrette salad.
You know I only share the best of what I discover with you! Do read on to find out my hints, tips, and experiences with this tasty recipe!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SWEET ONION VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
Simple everyday ingredients. There is nothing complicated about this delicious dressing.
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) white vinegar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (I use light olive oil)
- 1/2 tsp celery seeds
- 1/2 small onion, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
The recipe specified white vinegar, but I think apple cider vinegar would also work very well. I don't think I would like Balsamic vinegar in this dressing.
I did use light olive oil, which is olive oil that is from a later pressing, so it is not as filled with flavor and has a much lighter color than EVO. I would not use EVO.
Don't skip the celery seeds. They do add a lovely flavor.
Don't be tempted to just mince the onion. Grating the onion helps to release a lot of the flavor and the juices from the onion. You can use more or less onion, according to your own preference.
HOW TO MAKE SWEET ONION VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
This really is quite simple. You can double the ingredients to make more if you wish, but do bear in mind that, as there is fresh onion in the dressing, it won't keep longer than two weeks.
Place the sugar and vinegar into a saucepan. Set over medium heat and warm through, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Remove from the heat. Whisk in the remaining ingredients to combine completely.
Leave to cool completely. It will appear separated. This is normal.
Pour into a pint jar and refrigerate.
When you are ready to use it, give it a vigorous shake to amalgamate all of the ingredients. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
HINTS AND TIPS
1. Do not skip the step of heating the vinegar and sugar together to melt the sugar thoroughly. You don't need to bring it to the boil for the sugar to fully melt. Also don't stick your nose in the pot to smell. It will give you a jolt and a whammy of vinegar smell
2. I found it a bit oily so if I make this again, I am going to use half water and half oil, but that is a personal preference.
3. Some onions are stronger than others so judge accordingly and try to get all of the juice from your grated onion as well.
4. Don't skip the celery seed. This adds a lovely piquancy.
5. If using it to dress cabbage/coleslaw, make sure your cabbage is not shredded too thinly.
6. Store in a jar with a screw top lid. This allows for ease of shaking the dressing to emulsify it when it comes to using it to dress your salad.
7. This will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
8. Use the freshest vegetables you have available to make your salad with using this dressing.
This was quite tasty. You do need to shake it up really well each time you go to use it so make sure you have it in a jar with a very tight lid. I used it on a small amount of shredded cabbage and carrot as that is all I had in the house. It worked very well.
Apparently this much will suitably dress a whole bag of coleslaw mix. Personally, I think that this amount would be too much for use with one bag of coleslaw mix, at least as far as the bags of coleslaw mixes that we can get here in Nova Scotia go.
I think it would be great on a salad of spinach, bacon and egg as well. Just use your own common sense and dress it accordingly.
If you are like me, you enjoy a homemade dressing on your salads more than any shop bought. Here are a few more of my all-time favorites that I think you might also enjoy!
OLIVE GARDEN SALAD DRESSING - I have never been to an Olive Garden restaurant, so I have never had their salad dressing. I cannot speak to the authenticity of this dressing. What I can tell you however is that it is incredibly delicious. Rich, creamy and beautifully flavored!
HOMEMADE SALAD CREAM - This tasty dressing is the most common dressing offered in eating places all over the U.K. You can also buy it in jars in the shops. This homemade version is even better than the shop bought. It is rich and creamy and beautifully tangy. We love this!
Yield: 12 servings
Sweet Onion Vinaigrette Dressing
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 10 Min
Sweet, oniony, bright and tangy, this is a delicious homemade salad dressing. Great for coleslaw or for any salad really.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) white vinegar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (I use light olive oil)
- 1/2 tsp celery seeds
- 1/2 small onion, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the sugar and vinegar into a saucepan. Set over medium heat and warm through, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Remove from the heat. Whisk in the remaining ingredients to combine completely.
- Leave to cool completely. It will appear separated. This is normal.
- Pour into a pint jar and refrigerate.
- When you are ready to use it, give it a vigorous shake to amalgamate all of the ingredients.
- This will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
All rights reserved The English Kitchen
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
I grew up in a home with a mother who never bought ready made salad dressings. Mom only ever made her own salad dressings from scratch. Always fresh, always delicious. I am a person who also likes to make my own, although I will sometimes buy some of those little single serving sized dressing sachets to have in my refrigerator for in a pinch.
Sometimes you might be having company for dinner and they want a specific kind of dressing, so those single serving sachets come in handy.
Mom always made a salad to serve with our dinner on a Sunday, and she would start the salad dressing for it early in the afternoon.
She never really measured anything. She would pour a pool of oil into the bottom of a bowl and then add half again the amount of vinegar. Into this would go chopped raw onion, some salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. She would leave the onion to macerate in this mixture most of the afternoon. This helped to remove any sharpness from the onion. I believe she learned this simple dressing when we were living in Germany from our German landlord.
This Olive Garden Salad Dressing I am sharing with you today is one I adapted from a recipe I found on a blog called Salt & Lavender. It looked and sounded really good. Never having eaten at Olive Garden, I was really keen to try it out for myself!
My sister said I should have photographed it in a fancy dressing bottle, but I don't really have one of those and to be honest, that's not me. I am not a really fancy person. I like things to look authentic and real most of the time and for every day. Fancy is not beneath me. I am more than capable, but I do prefer simple in my every day life!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE OLIVE GARDEN SALAD DRESSING
Just a few simple ingredients. This is a great store cupboard salad dressing!
- 1/2 cup (120ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup (60g) full fat good quality mayonnaise
- 3 TBS white wine vinegar
- 1/2 TBS granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 TBS freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp salt
- black or white pepper to taste
This is one time where you will want to use the Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I always use that when I know the taste of the real deal is going to make a difference!
I like to use Hellman's mayonnaise. I don't get Dukes up here. I have not tried Kewpie for this, but I bet that would also be nice.
Use a good quality white wine vinegar, or even a white Balsamic. Don't leave out the sugar. Apparently this is the key to the authentic taste of this dressing. In all honesty, I always add a pinch of sugar to my dressings to help cut the acidity of the vinegar.
Make sure you use powders and not salts. I know this might seem like a stupid thing to have to tell you, but you would be surprised at how many people don't know the difference. If you use garlic and onion salt, this will be too salty.
Try, if possible, to grate your own Parmesan Cheese for this dressing. You can also use a Parmigiana Reggiano, or a Romano cheese. Using freshly grated does make a difference. They add things to already grated cheeses to help them flow better. You don't want that in your salad dressing.
Make Your Own Italian Seasoning: Mix together 3 TBS dried basil, 3 TBS dried oregano, 3 TBS dried parsley, 1 TBS garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
HOW TO MAKE OLIVE GARDEN SALAD DRESSING
You can of course, just whisk everything together in a bowl, but I like to pop it into a canning jar and give it a good shake. It can then be stored in the refrigerator in the same shaker jar.
Measure all of the ingredients into a mason jar with a tight screw band top. Shake vigorously to combine.
Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
Keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 7 days, shaking well prior to use.
FOR AN AUTHENTIC OLIVE GARDEN SALAD EXPERIENCE
I have never been to Olive Garden in all honest, but I have perused their menu many times and dreamt of going. I have heard some very good things about them from people who have as well. Here are my suggestions for how to throw together the perfect salad to enjoy with this delicious dressing.
Toss this dressing together with iceberg lettuce, chopped into large bite sized pieces. Add some pickled pepperoncini, black olives, half moon sliced red onions, sliced Roma tomatoes and crisp buttery garlic croutons. Toss with additional grated Parmesan cheese.
Turn your salad into a main meal by adding some grilled fish or chicken.
Chop up some Italian deli meats (like salami), some fresh peppers, diced provolone cheese, etc. and turn it into a chopped Italian Salad
This was quite simply a lovely salad dressing. I have never been to The Olive Garden, so I really can't say for sure if it tastes like theirs or not, but I can promise you that it is delicious, with just the right amount of herb, spice, garlic and cheese.
It was rich and creamy without having to add any cream to it. I bet this would also be lovely drizzled over fish, or even an Italian Grinder style of sandwich!
If, like me, you like to make your own salad dressings, you may also be interested in the following delicious options!
CREAMY CHIVE AND CHEDDAR DRESSING - Rich and creamy and loaded with plenty of delicious cheddar cheese, this is a dressing that goes well on any type of mixed salad. I really love it on crisp wedges of Ice Berg Lettuce, however. There is something about the richness of the dressing and that cool crispness of the lettuce that is just oh so delicious! A salad that feels, looks and tastes like a treat! Creamy and rich, it is filled with the lovely flavors of garlic, cheddar and chives. So good it stands on it's own on a delicious canvas of crisp iceberg lettuce. The two together are a perfect marriage in heaven.
MARTHA'S CREAMY BLUE CHEESE DRESSING - Blue Cheese salad dressing is one of my favorites, and this recipe adapted/inspired from one by Martha S is fabulous! It is rich and creamy, but not overwhelming, having the perfect balance of flavors. Often when you have a blue cheese dressing all you can taste is the blue cheese. Aside from the blue cheese and perhaps the buttermilk, it uses really simple ingredients. If you don't have buttermilk you can use whole milk, but the dressing won't have quite the same tang!
Yield: 12 TBS
Olive Garden Salad Dressing
Prep time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min
An Italian American Favorite. Quick and easy to make and oh so tasty! Bold and tangy flavors. Simple.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup (60g) full fat good quality mayonnaise
- 3 TBS white wine vinegar
- 1/2 TBS granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 TBS freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp salt
- black or white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Measure all of the ingredients into a mason jar with a tight screw band top. Shake vigorously to combine.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
- Keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 7 days, shaking well prior to use.
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