Showing posts with label simple dressings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simple dressings. Show all posts
This Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing is a real favorite in my house and something which I have been enjoying for years. Its sweet and slightly tangy and goes very well on all sorts of salads, but I really love it on a Spinach Salad.
Especially if there is some fruit involved, and or chicken. It goes very well with both.
Our local superstore sells salad kits. They are not cheap really, but when you are a single person, the cost of buying all of the ingredients separately can be a bit exorbitant. It makes sense to buy a kit.
They have had a few new ones available recently and I decided to pick one up the other day. At $6.99 it wasn't really cheap, but when I weighed out the cost of buying everything to make one from scratch, it suddenly got cheaper.
It was a medium sized salad and ideally would serve me for several meals. With a medium salad, I think you are allowed to pick up two dressings to serve with it, or maybe one. I can't remember.
In any case I forgot totally to pick up the dressing altogether. Blah. That's me.
I decided to make my own dressing. When we were growing up my mom always made our salad dressing from scratch. There was never any bottled salad dressings in our refrigerator.
She had learned how to make a very simple vinaigrette dressing when we lived in Germany. My father was just talking about that the other day and how good it was. Maybe I will make some on my sister's birthday, but I digress.
There were no bottled dressings in our house, and no variety. We got the vinaigrette she made, each and every time. We didn't mind. It was delicious.
This of course changed as she got older. Often she would buy prepared dressings, and of course we would buy some every time we came home to visit. Usually because the bottled dressing in her refrigerator were quite suspect, meaning we never know how long they had been in the fridge.
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Most of them would still be there from our previous visit. She wouldn't throw it out because it was "ours" and we had bought it.
If you were to take a bird's eye peek at some of those visits, you would see us three kids gathered around the fridge opening jars and smelling them. We never knew how long anything had been in her refrigerator.
My sister still has tins of salmon in her basement from mom's collection that expired in 1995. I kid you not. They aren't bulging or anything, but she's afraid to open them. I don't blame her.
I don't like waste myself, but I am not adverse to throwing things out that are out of date or just plain old. With careful planning, that doesn't happen very often.
Anyways, back to the salad I bought at the store and the dressing I forgot to pick up. They have been putting out a few different salads lately.
On the day I was there I had a difficult time making up my mind. There were quite a few to choose from. Some were of the Caesar salad variety, and whilst they are good, I wasn't in the mood.
I hummed and hawed in my mind about this one. Spinach, with red onion and a variety of fruits.
There was a nice large amount of baby spinach leaves. I love baby spinach and am always trying to increase my iron intake. Spinach is loaded with iron.
There was walnuts and chopped red onion, along with a nice variety of fruit.
Mostly berries. Blackberries, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. There were also mandarin oranges. I wasn't so sure about them.
I finally decided to just go for it, and popped it into my cart. I felt I could toast the walnuts at home. Nuts should always be toasted. Especially for in a salad.
Toasting improves their flavor and crunch considerably. I did forget the dressing however and so made my own.
I did cut my usual amounts in half because there is only one of me and I knew I would not use it all if I made the full amount. It makes about 1 1/2 cups.
If you think you can use it and wanted to make the full recipe, here are the amounts: 3/4 cup of mayonnaise, 1/4 cup each of sugar, milk and white wine vinegar, 2 TBS poppy seeds, 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder, salt and black pepper to taste.
That's it. Just whisk it all together and keep it in the refrigerator.
I keep it in a jar and then give it a shake before I use it. Its really delicious with its creamy milk and mayonnaise base.
Sugar and white wine vinegar give it is sweet tang. You can adjust the levels of these according to your taste. I like a pretty even balance, but you may enjoy it more sweet, or maybe more tangy.
Its a matter of personal preference I guess. Its really nice drizzled over chicken or grilled fish as well, especially salmon.
Its a very pretty dressing and quite popular with the girls. Its a bit dangerous to serve at a luncheon however. I remember the Missus when I worked at the Manor, was always careful that we didn't serve anything at a luncheon for the ladies that might stick in their teeth.
Nobody likes to get caught with egg on their face as it were, and little bits of black caught between your teeth are not that nice. Its not like you are going to clean your teeth at the table with a toothpick.
Haha can you imagine a bunch of really wealthy people sitting around a dining table picking their teeth with toothpicks, etc.?
A luncheon with the Queen and various heads of state all picking their teeth. Wouldn't happen. I bet that she is really careful not to serve anything that could be embarrassing either.
In any case this was a really delicious salad, and made all the more so for the dressing. Any salad is only as good as its dressing and this one spells winner winner!
Whether you make the full amount of the smaller amount, one thing is certain. You are going to enjoy it. Bon appetit!
Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
Yield: makes about 2/3 cup
Prep time: 5 MinTotal time: 5 Min
This creamy dressing is excellent on salads in the summer time. Sweet and tangy at the same time, it goes very well with poultry and fruit!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (66g)of good quality mayonnaise
- 3 TBS sugar
- 3 TBS white wine vinegar
- 3 TBS whole milk
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 TBS poppy seeds
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl, then chill in the refrigerator until you need to use it, giving it a quick whisk just before you serve.
- Excellent on grilled poultry and fruit salads, with spinach, nuts, etc. Also excellent with grilled fish.
Roasted Garlic Aioli. You may be asking yourself at this moment, just what is aioli. From where I am sitting I would say it is a garlic mayonnaise, and I hear Frenchmen everywhere cringing as I utter those words!
Wars have been started over less I am sure.
In the south of France which is where this delicious condiment got started, it is essentially garlic pounded together with olive oil by using a mortar and pestle. There are no eggs or any other ingredient added.
Like most things however, it has morphed into a type of a garlic mayonnaise, with the addition of eggs, and mustard. A really tasty garlic mayonnaise.
A garlic mayonnaise that is really delicious served as a condiment or dip with all sorts of things. In fact you can buy ready-made aioli in most of the shops where it will be found next to the mayonnaise!
I am not overly fond of raw garlic. (Did I hear all of you garlic lovers just take a sharp breath?) I find the flavour a bit harsh, especially in large amounts such as the amounts needed to make aioli.
Roasting garlic however, really mellows out and sweetens it. I love roasted garlic. I would never eat a whole clove of garlic raw, but I have been known to eat one roasted!
Its lovely and sweet. Beautiful spread onto bread and in sauces. And I have to say it is gorgeous in aioli! Seriously delicious!
The recipe I am sharing with you today is an adaptation from one I found in the Donna Hay cookbook entitled, The New Classics. I really love Donna Hay recipes. They are fresh and innovative and usually less than fiddly.
She is pretty much the Martha Stewart of "Down Under" and the Queen of presentation when it comes to food in my opinion. I absolutely love what she does.
Her original recipe made two cups of aioli, and I knew I would never in a million years be able to reasonably use two whole cups of the stuff, no matter how delicious it was.
I cut the recipe in half to make only one cup, which suits me just fine. That I might be able to handle and use up within a week, but I am not sure about that. I will try anyways!
Normally when I roast garlic, I cut the top off, drizzle the inside with some olive oil, sprinkle it with salt and pepper and then wrap it up in little foil pouches, ready to throw into a hot oven to roast.
She roasts her completely differently and I have to say I really love how she does it. The garlic gets halved horizontally, drizzled with oil and then roasted cut side down on a baking paper lined baking sheet.
It roasts in half the length of time and you get more scrummy toasty bits. Oh, I do so love scrummy toasty bits, especially in garlic. Almost like candy.
The roasted garlic then gets squeezed out of the skins into a bowl and mashed with a fork, ready to fork into the mayonnaise-like sauce that you create.
You will need a food processor, blender or immersion blender to make the mayo mixture. I use my immersion blender. Its really easy to use. I would not be without one. In fact I don't even bother to keep a regular blender anymore.
You just pop the egg, lemon juice and some Dijon into the bowl of the blender/food processor, or cup for the immersion blender and blitz everything together to combine. Then you start drizzling in the oil while continuing to blend.
In next to no time at all you have a beautiful emulsification, a thick, creamy glossy sauce. Mayonnaise for all intents and purposes, except made using lemon juice instead of vinegar.
If you are going to feed this to small children or the elderly, do make sure to use a pasteurized egg as the egg in this isn't cooked, and they don't recommend serving raw egg to either of those groups of people.
There is a complete tutorial and instructions on how to do exactly that here on The Instructables, or you can purchase them already pasteurized.
Once you have your mayonnaise/aioli made it is simple a matter of forking the roasted and mashed garlic through. Easy peasy. You won't even break into a sweat!
You will find this to be incredibly delicious and quite versatile as well. You can use it as a dip, or to garnish salads and cooked meats.
Today I used it as a dip/salad condiment to serve with a lovely garden/dinner salad I had made for myself.
Fresh salad leaves, a lovely mixture that I picked up at the farm shop behind my house, along with some spicy micro-greens that I got in town. To that I added some poached chicken and a hard boiled egg, along with some steamed vegetables.
Asparagus for dipping, carrots, zucchini, fresh garden peas. A beautiful combination and all going so very well with that delicious aioli.
I garnished the top with some alfalfa sprouts and added a radish garnish as well. Those radish garnishes are very easy to make, and are so pretty when done.
Just use the tip of a sharp knife and make small cuts in towards the center of the radish, all around the circumference of the radish, creating a sort of a zigzag pattern. You only want to go as far as the center.
Once you have done that all the way around, it is very easy to twist the two halves apart and voila! You have a beautiful garnish for all of your cold and salad plates!
This was really delicious. I even steamed a cauliflower floret to enjoy along with it all. My favorite bits? Why those beautiful new potatoes. So tasty dipped into that gorgeous aioli!
I am still thinking about them . . . sigh . . . I am such a glutton.
It was all seriously delicious. I thought this to be a fairly healthy and yet substantial dinner. Well, maybe the aioli wasn't the healthiest bit, but the rest was absolutely healthy!
I felt absolutely justified in having a dish or Orange Pineapple ice cream for dessert! Oh boy it was some good!
And now you know why I look the way I do!
Its a good thing I don't have to meet anyone in person for the next day or so. I quite stink of garlic I am sure . . . and orange pineapple. What a glorious combination!
Roasted Garlic Aioli
Yield: Makes 1 cup
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 35 Min
This is a great condiment to have in the refrigerator in the summer month. Its delicious, easy to make and goes so well with cooked meats and vegetables. It also makes a fabulous dip.
Ingredients
- 2 heads of garlic, unpeeled and halved through the middle
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 large free range egg
- 1
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 TBS Dijon mustard
- 3/4 cup (180ml) light olive oil
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*C|F/180*C/gas mark 4. Line a small baking tray with some baking parchment.
- Place the garlic, cut side up, on the baking tray. Drizzle with the oil and then flip over, cut side down.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before squeezing the individual cloves from the skins into a bowl. Mash completely with a fork.
- Place the egg, lemon juice, and mustard into a food processor or blender and blitz to combine. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil in a thin and steady stream. You should end up with a thick and creamy mayonnaise type of mixture.
- Fork through the mashed garlic, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Store covered in the refrigerator. Use within one week.
But its not enamel. Its ceramic and I think quite cute! I had to buy it. I know I will be using it a lot! I quite love LOVE it.
All of the content you see here on this page, both photography and written, are the sole property of The English Kitchen, Marie Rayner. 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.
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One thing that I like to make from scratch is mayonnaise. That's why I was dismayed when my immersion blender disappeared!
Once you have made your own mayo from scratch you will want to make it all the time rather than buy it.
The recipe makes a decent amount, not too much, and I have never had a problem using it all up within a week. I would not keep it for any longer than that.
It does use a raw egg, but if you are bothered about that you can use pasteurized egg or a coddled egg. Personally I am not bothered.
I find our eggs are very safe today. However, if you are worried about that, or you have an elderly person or a very young person in the home do try my method of coddling the egg first, and then just add it and proceed as per the recipe below.
To coddle an egg:
- Bring a small pot of water to boiling.
- Set up an ice bath (lots of ice and cold water in a bowl).
- When water begins to boil, submerge whole egg into the pot for exactly 1-minute.
- Remove and immediately place in an ice bath for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove and use in place of raw egg.
I just use the juice of the lemon, but you can also add the zest for a really nice lemony touch, or even a clove of raw or roasted garlic for a garlic mayo.
You just put everything into the blender cup of your immersion blender. It is important that the liquid comes over the top of the blades of the blender, or it won't work properly.
I put the egg, lemon juice or vinegar, and mustard in first and then pour the oil in over top of those. Let it sit for a few seconds. Put the blender head in, reaching right to the bottom and turn it on.
Leave it for a few seconds and you will see it start to emulsify and creep up the sides of the container, then you can slowly life the blender up, tilting it now and then until you reach the top and the whole mixture has emulsified.
It won't take very long at all. 60 seconds if that. You can then stir in any seasonings you want to use. I sometimes use a mix of lemon juice and cider vinegar. I don't always add sugar.
Real mayonnaise does not have sugar in it, but depending on what I am using it for, sometimes I do add a bit.
It always comes out perfectly thick, rich and beautiful, as you can see. Its also very easy to flavour it. If you have some basil oil, or chili oil, you can substitute a bit of the regular oil with that. I would not use any more than a TBS of the flavoured oil.
I also don't use any oil other than a basic vegetable oil. I would never make it with extra virgin olive oil. You want a flavourless light oil. Only add other oils in a small quantity to add some flavour and nothing more.
This is beautiful and such a simple thing to make. Once you try it you will never go back to store bought if you can possibly help it. Trust me on this!
I also like to make my own Salad Cream. It does require a bit more work than mayonnaise as it is cooked, but there is nothing like a homemade salad cream to use in a potato salad or a coleslaw.
Two Minute Mayonnaise
Yield: makes about 220g/ 1 cup
If you have a stick blender/immersion blender homemade mayonnaise is only a few minutes away. You can also do it in a food processor or regular blender but it takes a tiny bit more effort.
ingredients:
- 1 whole free range egg, or two egg yolks
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp mustard powder (can also use Dijon mustard)
- 240ml flavourless vegetable oil (1 cup)
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- white pepper to taste
instructions:
How to cook Two Minute Mayonnaise
- Place the mustard, egg, sugar (if using) and lemon juice in the bottom of the blender container of your immersion blender. Top with the oil. Let sit for about 30 seconds. Then put the wand/head of the immersion blender into the container, right to the bottom, and turn it on, lifting it slowly and tilting the head as the mayonnaise forms. Don't lift it up and down or pump it. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I like white pepper as it doesn't colour the mayonnaise. You can use cider vinegar instead of lemon juice.
- If you are using a regular blender or food processor. Add everything to the bowl of the blender/processor and turn it on, drizzling the oil in slowly through the feeder tube until it thickens and emulsifies.
- Keep in a covered container in the refrigerator.
I used this to make cucumber sandwiches to take to Grace's Birthday Party. I just spread medium thick slices of bread on both sides with the mayonnaise. You can see how nicely it spreads.
Thick and not gloppy. I like to cut my cucumber for it very thinly with a mandolin cutter, and than layer it as you can see.
Its not as slippery when done that way. (You can also pat them dry with paper towels.) I seasoned them today just salt however as Ariana had requested just salt. I personally like a bit of pepper as well.
For a tea party I would cut off the crusts. But for a child's birthday party, I just left the crusts on. I also garnished them with some radish roses.
I was going to tell you how to add different flavourings to your mayonnaise to dress up your sandwiches, salad plates, etc. But I found a lovely Info graphic that does a wonderful job of just that!
I broke it down into sections so that you could view it better and larger. I hope you don't mind.
Some of them sound quite, quite delicious and I may give them a go! After-all tis the season for such things! I can see me serving the Sesame Ginger one with some lovely poached salmon
The Buffalo Cheese Mayo would be fabulous with chicken, and I think the Chipotle would be just wonderful on burgers, as would the Spicy Horseradish-Parmesan version!
(source)
No matter how you choose to enjoy your mayonnaise, I think you will agree that once you have made your own and see how easy it is to do so, its something you will want to do often!
This is the Immersion Blender that I have now. It is a Cookhouse Model. As with all of their products I am very impressed with it. Its midway priced and performs impeccably. Its easy to clean as well. (I just immerse it in a cup of hot soapy water and blitz away!)
They did not send me a free one to use, or ask me to tell you about them. I received it as an early Birthday Gift from a friend. I quite simply wanted to share it with you because I am really happy with it and I think you would be too.
Have a great day!
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@aol.com
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