User blog:Asnow89/Cooking 101: Salad

What is salad?
Many people use the word "salad" to describe light, savory leafy vegetable dishes, most often served with a sauce or dressing, but the category may additionally include dishes made of ingredients such as fruits, grains, meats, seafood and sweets. Today we are going to focus on the first definition.

Salad Dressing
There are so many benefits to making your own salad dressing- there are fewer preservatives, less fat, and less cholesterol in homemade dressing. You can control which ingredients go in, it costs less, AND it is always more delicious than store-bought dressing.

Here are a few easy go-to dressings to try:

Balsamic Salad Dressing
 * The rule of thumb for vinaigrettes is to use 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil (although you can adjust this depending on your preferences)
 * You can adjust this recipe by the type of vinegar or oil (example: use lemon for the vinegar and sunflower seed oil, or champagne vinegar with canola oil)
 * Example Recipes: Tossed Rice Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, New-style Chicken Waldorf Salad

Caesar Dressing
 * Don't be intimidated by the anchovies and raw egg in this recipe. You can buy canned anchovies or anchovy paste.
 * To coddle the egg so it's safe to eat, put the egg in boiling water for 60 seconds.
 * It's best to make caesar dressing in a blender or food processor
 * Example Recipes: Warm Caesar Potato Salad, California Avocado Caesar Salad, Favourite Caesar Salad

Ranch Dressing
 * Store bought ranch dressing is unhealthy and filled with preservatives, so make your own!
 * Use buttermilk instead of mayonnaise for a better and healthier dressing
 * Serve ranch dressing with chopped vegetables, in a salad, or even as a marinade for chicken
 * Example Recipes: 5-minute Southwest Layered Salad, Bacon Ranch Dip

Find more salad dressing recipes here!