This post is part of Homestead Revival's Salad Dressing Recipe Exchange!
Can I tell you how strange it is to hear myself saying "I just am craving a great salad!".
Well-- let me tell you that is a truly strange feeling for me until this last couple of years. I've been gradually working towards eliminating all sorts of things from our diets and working on getting more veggies into our diets for all of us for a couple of years now and it's starting to take hold, and why not with salads as tasty and delish as these two salads.
The first is from the Moosewood Cookbook:
(can't tell you how many delectable things are in that cookbook- even for us non-vegetarians) It's there California version of a waldorf salad, and the yogurt avacado dressing is stellar! I was skeptical at first -- thinking , hmm.. .. well I'll make a half a batch and if I like it I'm not out too much. Then I proceeded to eat it all over the course of 3 hours! Now I make the dressing in full batches and freeze what I don't use for later to save me prep time, etc. Avacados freeze amazingly well -- by the way. And you can't see it in the picture because my avacado sat out while tending to toddler needs and got brown, but the dressing when made properly and promptly has a beautiful green color to it too. I'm sure if you want the original recipe as it's written you can find it. I find that with the proportions as written it is quite soggy and has too much dressing, so I wrote below what I do. The dressing I think would be great on any fruit salad, and even would be good on spinach salad with some red onion and strawberries.
California Waldorf Salad (My version):
Dressing:
Combine in a blender till smooth, use about half and freeze the rest or save for later.
1 cup yogurt - I use plain unsweetened, whole milk yogurt
1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
2-3 tablespoons honey
1 lemons, juiced
(Fresh lemons make a difference here -- in many things I like to use bottled juice, but this is not one of them, and of course since you are going to eat the rind I like to get organic when possible.)
2 large apples, peel on, cored, and cubed
1 large orange or 2 tangerines cut up and peel off
3-4 stalks celery, chopped- I add more than the original to keep it lower in carbs
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup toasted cashews
Juice of one lemon to coat the fruit and veggies
Chop and combine the above ingredients except the cashews -- don't add those until you serve it. Add dressing and combine sprinkle cashews on top just before serving so they don't get soggy.
The second is a great stolen recipe from the book Saving Dinner the low carb way. The dressing that is.. is stolen. The combinations of the salad isn't - it's my own creation. Spinach leaves, some red onion strips, pecans, apple chunks and my personal favorite blue cheese! That and the terrific balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Which by the way is great on any salad. Especially with really good balsamic vinegar --that makes all the difference! So here it is - stolen contriband and all.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 T. dijon mustard
4 T. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Throw all the ingredients in a small jelly jar with a tightly sealing lid and shake it up really good. Shake before serving-- lasts in the fridge for a long time, allthough I always manage to use it up before it even come close to going bad.
The first is from the Moosewood Cookbook:
(can't tell you how many delectable things are in that cookbook- even for us non-vegetarians) It's there California version of a waldorf salad, and the yogurt avacado dressing is stellar! I was skeptical at first -- thinking , hmm.. .. well I'll make a half a batch and if I like it I'm not out too much. Then I proceeded to eat it all over the course of 3 hours! Now I make the dressing in full batches and freeze what I don't use for later to save me prep time, etc. Avacados freeze amazingly well -- by the way. And you can't see it in the picture because my avacado sat out while tending to toddler needs and got brown, but the dressing when made properly and promptly has a beautiful green color to it too. I'm sure if you want the original recipe as it's written you can find it. I find that with the proportions as written it is quite soggy and has too much dressing, so I wrote below what I do. The dressing I think would be great on any fruit salad, and even would be good on spinach salad with some red onion and strawberries.
California Waldorf Salad (My version):
Dressing:
Combine in a blender till smooth, use about half and freeze the rest or save for later.
1 cup yogurt - I use plain unsweetened, whole milk yogurt
1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
2-3 tablespoons honey
1 lemons, juiced
(Fresh lemons make a difference here -- in many things I like to use bottled juice, but this is not one of them, and of course since you are going to eat the rind I like to get organic when possible.)
2 large apples, peel on, cored, and cubed
1 large orange or 2 tangerines cut up and peel off
3-4 stalks celery, chopped- I add more than the original to keep it lower in carbs
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup toasted cashews
Juice of one lemon to coat the fruit and veggies
Chop and combine the above ingredients except the cashews -- don't add those until you serve it. Add dressing and combine sprinkle cashews on top just before serving so they don't get soggy.
The second is a great stolen recipe from the book Saving Dinner the low carb way. The dressing that is.. is stolen. The combinations of the salad isn't - it's my own creation. Spinach leaves, some red onion strips, pecans, apple chunks and my personal favorite blue cheese! That and the terrific balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Which by the way is great on any salad. Especially with really good balsamic vinegar --that makes all the difference! So here it is - stolen contriband and all.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 T. dijon mustard
4 T. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Throw all the ingredients in a small jelly jar with a tightly sealing lid and shake it up really good. Shake before serving-- lasts in the fridge for a long time, allthough I always manage to use it up before it even come close to going bad.
3 comments:
Laura, these look terrific - especially the Waldorf salad with avocado. I can't remember the last time I had a Waldorf salad, but I love them. Time to try one again! Thanks for linking up with me at Homestead Revival™.
I didn't know you could freeze avocados! I'll be sure to stock up when they're on special. Wonderful sounding salad dressings. Thanks for the recipes.
I LOVE balsamic vinegar. I can't wait to try this. Thanks for sharing. Jana www.adoctorandanurse.com
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