(Fresh romaine lettuce from the garden)

Summer is finally here which means the spring veggies are perfect for harvesting and the abundance of summer vegetables is on its way. Veggies can get boring easily so add a flavor kick with a homemade dressing for salads! Use it as a marinade and grill your veggies. Homemade dressings are easier, healthier and tastier than those you will find in the store. Your fresh veggies deserve some fresh flavors and it’s easier than you think! In the video below I will show you how to make simple dressing anytime and a secret on how to do it without dirtying any extra dishes in the kitchen.

Easy Homemade Dressing

Dressings I think are often the most overlooked and under-appreciated aspects of a salad. I love salad dressings because I can whip them up in a flash to add a little kick of sassiness to my salads and they can almost always serve as a marinade or dip for another part of the meal. I love multipurpose items. It is so simple when one item can work twice as hard for you so you don’t have to. In this video I share how easy it is to make homemade dressings and Elizabeth from http://redouxu.com shares some of the health benefits of making your own homemade dressing. We show you how to maximize flavor and leave out the artificial flavors, gums, stabilizers and preservatives.

I share my secret of making homemade dressing without dirtying any dishes and you can even clean out the fridge in the process.

Here is what I like to do: Take a look in your fridge and pull out the old jar of raspberry preserves, fruit jam or even mustard container that has just a tablespoon or two left in it and has been taking up space in your fridge for the last 3 months. The next time you want to make a salad make the dressing right in container. The basic ratio for vinaigrette is 3 to 1, so 3 parts oil to one part acid; this may vary slightly depending on the strength of your chosen acid. Try 2/3-cup olive oil and 1/3 cup acid, (red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, even apple cider vinegar) to the container with a pinch of salt and pepper and shake until well combined.

Taste the dressing and adjust the seasonings if need be, does it make your mouth pucker? Too much acid? Add some more oil or maybe a little sweetness, like sugar, honey or maple syrup! Too oily and bland? Try an extra pinch of salt, some lemon juice or more vinegar, shake and taste again until it is just right. There you did it! Made a healthy dressing and cleaned out your fridge without creating extra dirty dishes.

See recipes below for more guidance and share your favorite salad dressing combinations as well.

(Simple spinach and veggie salad with chicken and Basic Italian-Style Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Basic Italian-Style Balsamic Vinaigrette:

• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Makes about 1 cup.

For the vinaigrette or marinade, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well until thoroughly combined.

Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

• cup red wine vinegar
• cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Makes about 1 cup.

For the vinaigrette or marinade, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well until thoroughly combined.

Storage:

You can store dressing in almost any container. I prefer glass with a tight-fitting lid as opposed to plastic because it is non-porous. It won’t leave any flavors behind or leak anything out of the containers. Honestly, an old clean jelly jar is my go to.

Homemade dressings can keep up to 1-2 weeks just check to see: if the color has changed or a different odor has developed it may have spoiled; if so whip up a new batch just to be safe.