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salad dressings

Dressing Up


Hold that bottled salad dressing! Here are some classic recipes to complement your spring greens.

When I first moved to Pittsburgh nearly 25 years ago, people were anxious to show off their favorite places to eat. They took me down to the Strip District for fish sandwiches and shrimp bisque and up to Mount Washington for the terrific view.

But when it came time for a regular lunch, we always seemed to gravitate to a friendly and bustling place just a few blocks from the WQED building - The Elbow Room on Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside. The burgers were plump and prepared to order, and the sandwiches reminded me of those from a classic New York delicatessen.

However, the real standout for me was the salads. It was the first time I experienced the "Pittsburgh" salad: chicken or beef, lots of shredded cheese and a serving of french fries right in the middle of everything. Until that momentous revelation, salad always meant green things and tomatoes and maybe some crumbled blue cheese. If you ordered salad, it was a side dish, not a main course.

The Elbow Room is still there, and I adopted its salad philosophy as a great way to use up leftover ingredients for a tasty second meal. As long as the final dish includes potatoes and a hearty dressing, I feel free to include pieces of chicken, beef, pork or even seafood along with mixed greens and leftover steamed vegetables. Don't insult a Pittsburgh classic like this with bottled dressing. Homemade dressings are easy to assemble, and you can control the flavors, seasonings and types of fat. Here are three classics to dress up your favorite spring greens.

French DressingLemon Tamari Dressing

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons salt
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:
Place all ingredients into a blender and mix well. Yields 5 1/2 cups.

Ingredients:

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 stalks of celery, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 cup tahini (sesame-seed paste)
3/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup light sesame oil
1 cup soy oil or vegetable oil
3/4 cup tamari (soy sauce)
1 tablespoon honey

Instructions:
Place all ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth. Yields 4 1/2 cups.

Italian DressingHoney Mustard Dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 anchovies (or 1 tablespoon anchovy paste)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Instructions:
Place all ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth. Yields 2 cups.

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup olive oil

Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a blender. With the machine running, slowly add the oil until it is incorporated. Makes approximately 1 quart. Note: In this recipe you can use the low-fat mayonnaise without affecting either flavor or texture.

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