Quick and Tasty Dressings

We don't bother purchasing bottled salad dressing anymore. I discovered how easy it is to make my own! Making your own dressings is not only easy, but costs a lot less and is healthier. Just make as much as you need for the salad you are preparing. If you want to make extra, make enough for a couple of days so it'll stay fresh in the fridge. D.I.Y. dressings are healthier too since they don't need any preservatives or weird additives like most bottled dressings. Once you've experienced a good fresh homemade dressing you won't bother with store-bought stuff.

I use simple ingredients and my imagination to come up with different ones. You may also want to buy some flavored oils and/or vinegars for the base. In my pantry I have some raspberry basalmic and Persian lime extra virgin olive oil http://oliversevoo.com, as well as a good extra virgin olive oil.

As a general rule, I tend to mix the oil and vinegar on a 1 to 1 ratio. Be sure to mix the vinegar with your other flavorings first. Then gradually add the oil in a slow steady stream while whisking.

This week we purchased some beautiful fresh raspberries at the farm stand. We decided we'd eat them with some champagne and chocolate for starters. While I was thinking about a dinner salad, I experimented with a new dressing: rasperry basalmic and EVOO with a bit of cocoa powder! Sounds weird but the nuttiness of the cocoa went really well with the raspberries and the flavored vinegar. We served it with baby arugula and cherry tomatoes but you can try other hearty greens as well.

Have fun and use your imagination. The possibilities are endless!

Raspberry Balsalmic Dressing (2 servings)

2 tablespoons raspberry balsalmic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

dash of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Mix first five ingredients and then add olive oil gradually and whisk until smooth and sheeny