Can you imagine how  devastated I was when I first read the ingredients on my favorite bottle of salad dressing? I felt violated, cheated and confused. Here I was, doing my best to eat as healthy as I possible could, thinking that the salad dressing would not only enhance the flavor of my salad but also add nutritional value. I was beyond disbelief when I noticed the ingredients which included high fructose corn syrup, chemicals, unhealthy oils and other additives.  I had put all my trust the Food and Drug Administration thinking that they actually monitored the ingredients in my food before they approved and allowed it to be sold. How did these ingredients make their way into our food supply? I’m still lost and disappointed.

I can’t dictate to the merchants who are responsible for the production of these salad dressings, but I CAN make my own. Yes I CAN. I haven’t bought salad dressings in a million gajillion years. Once I learned how simple and easy it is to make salad dressings, I have been on a roll. Balsamic vinaigrettes are on the top of my salad dressing list and I ALWAYS have balsamic vinegar in my kitchen pantry. A little drizzle goes a long way. Because of it’s tangy/sweet flavor, I put it on damn near everything. I really do. Most of the times, I don’t even measure the ingredients in my salad dressing. I just kinda eyeball it.

These lettuces, strawberries and burrata I found at the farmer’s market were just begging to be drizzled with my balsamic vinaigrette. Sometimes I give my salad a nice squirt of the balsamic vinegar (yes just the vinegar) and that usually satisfies me, however in this salad, I made it even more flavorful by combining it with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. OMG! The lemon juice just takes it to another level by enlivening the flavors. If you are committed to your health like I am, you really ought to be making your own salad dressing and this could be a start for you.

In culinary school, I learned the standard ratio for salad dressings is one part vinegar to 3 parts oil. However you don’t have to comply with that ratio. Make it your own. If you like more olive oil, then add more. If you like it with more vinegar, then so be it. Customize it. Jazz it up with some herbs. Add salt and pepper if you wish. Play with your food but be sure to NOURISH WITH NATURE.
Balsamic vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice. How simply is that?

What are your favorite home made salad dressings?