Easy Natural Refrigerator Dressing

Easy Refrigerator Dressing

 

Here is a quick, easy and natural dressing that can be whipped up from ingredients that you might have in your fridge.  It is great on cucumber tomato salad or as a marinade for chicken or fish.

 

¼ c. orange juice or lime juice

¾ c. olive or grapeseed oil

1 clove garlic (pressed or minced)

½  to 1 teaspoon cumin

Salt & pepper to taste (maybe start with ¼ tsp or pinch and work your way up)

 

You will want to put the fruit juice into the bowl or jar.  Then add the garlic, cumin and salt & pepper.  Wisk together or put the lid on the jar and give it a good shake.  Then add the oil and whisk it again.  If you have time to let it sit for about 30 minutes it does help the flavors to mix and deepen.  Store the dressing in the fridge, in a glass jar, for up to three weeks.

 

It really is just a matter of trying out new combinations.  You can switch the fruit juice for the vinegar of your choice.  You can use a milder oil such as canola.  You can use any of your favorite spices.   You can switch out the cumin,  and add 1/2-1 TBS soy sauce, ½ teaspoon ground ginger and some red pepper flakes, if you want a little kick.  If you do not care for garlic, add onion minced real fine.  If the texture is a problem then use your blender to make the dressing smoother.  Do you prefer a sweeter dressing, add 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup.  If you wanted something a bit creamy, add a Tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt.  The sky’s the limit. 

 

I am always looking for new flavor ideas.  If you want to share your favorite combinations with me I would appreciate it.  A word of caution; you may have to “reboot” your taste buds when transitioning from store bought to homemade.  A lot of the pre-made things we buy at the store are pumped full of corn syrup, monosodium glutamate and other things that are not good for us but become addictive.  It may take a while for your taste buds to appreciate the more subtle flavors of homemade.  It is true about the truth of God’s Word as well.  When you feed on the “real thing” this is what the scripture says we will experience: Psalm 119:103 “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” 

Karen Martin