Homemade Salad Dressings (they win--hands down)

Last night we were invited to some friends for dinner and I offered to bring a salad. I really just wanted to make some homemade salad dressings. For the most part, I don't like bottled dressing.... I will use them, and I do buy them for convenience sake, but I really prefer homemade salad dressing.

My friend Robbie (yes, she is an original Friday Friend), makes a great salad with Romain, fresh ginger, cilantro, avocados, green onions, and a few other things I can't think of right now... but the dressing she uses is: garlic infused olive oil, seasoned rice vinegar, and Greek seasoning.
That's it. And I love that salad more than anything.

You should actually try it...just play around with the measurments until you find a taste you like. It's really good. And very simple. And there are no artifcial ingredients, which is always a good things.

I do have to state right here, that I added some iceberg lettuce to my salad last night. I know, I know... it has gotten the reputation of being a second-class citizen in the greens community, but really, don't you just like a good CRUNCH once in a while? You can't beat iceberg for a good crunch. I used mixed spring greens and added in a little iceberg. I gotta stand up for the iceberg...it's a good addition anytime.
And I didn't use much more than just the greens. I chopped up a few extra veggies to take on the side, but for the most part it was all about the greens.

Here are two salad dressings that I made yesterday to take to dinner. They are both a bit on the sweeter side, but really good. I've been using them for years, but originally they came from an Amish cookbook by Marcia Adams, "Cooking in Quilt Country". I love all the recipes in that cookbook.

Poppy Seed Dressing

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp salt
2/3 cup cider vinegar
2 cups vegetable oil
3 Tbl. poppy seeds

Combine the first 4 ingredients. Slowly add the oil and beat until thick. Beat for 5 minutes more. Add the poppy seeds and mix well.


Celery Seed Dressing

2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 small onion, finely minced
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp celery seed

Place the first 6 ingredients and half the vinegar in a blender. Blend well. With the blender still running, add the oil and the rest of the vinegar; blend thoroughly for about 2 minutes. Stir in the celery seed.


Poppy Seed Dressing Stuff (and really...nothing could be more simple)

Celery Seed Dressing Stuff (again...easy as pie. Well, no, actually, it's a whole lot easier than pie, because sometimes pie can be very complicated and the crust, well.... you get the picture. this is EASY)

We have dressings!!

They look very similar, but they have two distinct tastes. They keep in your fridge for about 10-14 days. (proably longer, but I have issues with using anything older than 5 days myself. )

Poppy Seed Dressing on the left, Celery Seed Dressing on the right.

The view from above.......