Please, I need extra TLC......

[islesgirl]

I really need help finding a raw salad dressing that tastes like Greek or Italian. I have tried so many from this forum and none of them have hit the spot yet. I'd love something with these tastes - salty, oily, sweet, basil, oregano type stuff. I have never done anything "to taste". Would anyone be willing to help me along here, as if you were in my kitchen showing me how to do this, step-by-step? This is really the only area in RAW where I am up against a wall and I need to have salads daily to stick with this as I am short on time and can't make raw recipes from my uncook books every day. Please help me here......I would so appreciate it. Thanks so much.:)

[Aleesha Sattva]

You need to buy Gina's book! "The Raw Greek" (http://www.therawgreek.com/)

[islesgirl]

Aleesha, thank you very much. I peeked at the site and the sample recipes sounded good and have the sort of ingredients and proportions I figure might work. Have you got this book and do you like the recipes?:)

[islesgirl]

Yes, rawlinda sue that sounds good - I'll give it a try too although it sounds like an awful lot of lemon juice, but I will try anything with those ingredients. Thanks very much.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Aleesha, thank you very much. I peeked at the site and the sample recipes sounded good and have the sort of ingredients and proportions I figure might work. Have you got this book and do you like the recipes?:)

sure do! reviewed it for the next issue of my mag!

[islesgirl]

You need to buy Gina's book! "The Raw Greek" (http://www.therawgreek.com/)

Thanks again Aleesha - I just bought the book. Boy do I ever hope it can help me. I so want to get away from dressings using Hellmann's. Then I can say I am doing this 100%! Am off to re-stock my cupboards today and to get some real raw olives too from Costco - have never had them yet! Hope you have a great day:) BTW - congrats on your fabulous weightloss and your new photos in which you look so healthy, happy and pretty! (and slim!):D

[JEN]

I dont measure ingredients but i mix all this together and its delicious

lemon juice (maybe 1-1 1/2 lemons)
a little apple cidar vinegar (start with less add more if you want)
olive oil (maybe 1/2 cup)
dash sea salt
some tahini (maybe 2-3 tsp)
garlic
fresh basil and italian parsley
you can add a soaked date or dash of agave if you want to sweeten it

blend all above in blender

I serve this with a salad of mixed greens
tomato
cucumber
onion
celery
red bell peppers
crushed almonds or sunflower seeds and raisisns

Enjoy!!

PS I have The Raw Greek and its a great book!!!

[deberaw]

I love Greek and Italian too....and although it isn't either....Alissa's Honey Mustard Dressing {in her book} is very good and easy...I make it at least once every week! {The Raw Greek book sounds like a good one to get too!} Deb

[islesgirl]

JEN & deberaw , this is to say thanks and that I so appreciate your taking the time time give me some help here. I will be trying again tomorrow and will try each of these for each new salad in the next few days. Surely something will click with me and I will be smacking my lips.:) Can't wait to get the book too. :)

[deberaw]

You're Welcome! Do you have ALissa's book? If not, I'll post the recipe.......Deb

[islesgirl]

deb, yes, I do have her book, thanks. Hope your day goes well.

[Aleesha Sattva]

glad to help! her recipes will take you to places you looooooooooove (if you love greek as much as i do)

here's some dressings i have saved. have NO idea where i collected them from though:


Creamy Mac Ranch Dressing
1/2-1 full cup raw mac. nuts
1/3 cup r. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
2/3 cup cold-pressed olive oil
1 tsp salt
Italian seasoning to taste
1/2 TBS sage
DIRECTIONS:
Blend the macs. with 1/4-1/2 cup of water (depending on the thickness desired).
Add the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, Italian seasoning, and sage.
Blend thoroughly.

Ranch Dip or Dressing
1 1/2 C cashews or macadamia nuts*
1/2 C water
3 T fresh lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic
1-2 tsp Celtic Sea salt*
1/2 tsp dried dill (or 1 very small sprig fresh)
1/2 tsp dried basil (or 2 leaves fresh)
1 stalk celery
Mix all ingredients in Vita-Mix or blender until smooth and creamy. Makes 2 cups. If making dressing, use an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of water

Salad Dressing:
1 pear
small handful of pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic
a shot or two of apple cider vinegar
some olive oil
dash of sea salt
pinch of cayenne
pinch of dried herb
vitamix all ingredients

Thousand Island Dressing
2 red bell peppers
2 tomatoes
1 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. pine nuts, soaked 2 hours
1/2 c. sunflower seeds, soaked 6-8 hours and rinsed
1/2 c. fresh parsley
1/2-1 c. water
4 TBS. lemon juice
1 tsp. sea salt
Blend in blender until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasonings to taste

Caesar Salad Dressing:
makes 1 pint of thick dressing that will keep fresh for a week.
5 tablespoons raw tahini
1/4 cup pinenuts
2 tablespoons tamarind paste (optional)
1 nice clove garlic
2 green onions, or 1/4 cup sweet onion
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup or 3 soft dates, pitted
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1-2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
1-2 teaspoons sea salt or to taste
2 tablespoons good olive oil (optional)
fresh water, 2 tablespoons at a time as necessary to blend
In a blender or Vita Mix:
Blend tahini, pinenuts, tamarind, garlic, green onion or minced onion, lemon juice, vinegar, maple syrup or dates, nutritional yeast, black pepper and sea salt, adding oil and fresh water, 2 tablespoons at a time as necessary to blend until very smooth.
Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
Separate Romaine lettuce leaves and break into pieces. Dollop dressing on, a few tablespoons at a time, and toss with lettuce until well coated, but not drenched. Serve and sprinkle with 'Pinenut Parmesan'

Sun-Seasoned Tapanade
Tapanade is a traditional Mediterranean spread or condiment made from olives and olive oil. This recipe includes the sweet addition of sundried tomatoes for body and savory flavor.
1 cup sundried olives, pitted
1 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked in 2 cups fresh water until soft (5-15 minutes)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon sundried sea salt, or to taste
Soak sundried tomatoes in 2 cups of fresh water until softened (5-15 minutes)
In a blender or food processor: Blend softened sundried tomatoes, pitted olives, olive oil, artichoke hearts and salt until fairly smooth.
Add more oil as necessary to blend.

Dressing/Dip
1 cup almond milk
1 cup extra virgin cold pressed sunflower oil
1 tablespoon onion powder
Add everything to blender except oil & blend while slowly adding the oil. Chill in fridge to thicken up. !

Annette's Favorite Salad Dressing
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup catsup (buy a healthy one)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (raw & unfiltered)
1 tablespoon honey--more or less to taste (raw & unfiltered)
1 teaspoon mustard (buy a good one from the health food store)
1 clove garlic (minced)
Place ingredients in order given into mixing bowl and stir. Then pour into blender and blend well. Chill to blend flavors, or can be used immediately.

Poppy Seed Dressing
4 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 Tablespoon fresh orange juice
1/2 cup soaked almonds
2 Tablespoon green onion
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoon poppy seeds
Place almonds in a bowl, cover with distilled water, and soak overnight. Drain and place all ingredients in blender except poppy seeds. Blend until desired consistency is reached, adding distilled water if needed. Stir poppy seeds in by hand before serving.

Grape Juice and Avocado Dressing
"One of my favorite raw recipes is to make 1 cup of fresh grape juice and put it into a blender with the flesh of one ripe avocado. It makes a wonderful sweet sauce for over strawberries, peaches, nectarines, apples, etc. Just use your imagination.

Darlene’s Favorite Salad Dressing
1/2 avocado, peeled
1 celery stalk
1 tomato
1/4 cup fresh snipped chives
1/4 cup fresh snipped parsley
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (organic)
2 teaspoons Celtic Sea Salt(or other seasonings)
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Chill. Serves 4 to 6.

Merry's Favorite Salad Dressing
1 avocado (peeled)
1 clove of garlic
Water
Lemon juice or Celtic Sea Salt to taste.
Put avocado and garlic and seasoning in blender with enough water to cover half way. Blend until creamy. Add water if needed to desired consistency.

Chris's Favorite Salad Dressing
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons raw, unfiltered, organic apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons raw organic honey
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or one fresh, finely chopped garlic clove)
1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
2 teaspoons of Celtic Sea Salt
Pour all ingredients into a salad dressing jar and shake vigorously. We have found it gets better the longer it sits. We refrigerate it and the olive oil thickens somewhat, which makes it cling to the salad better.

Ruth's Favorite Salad Dressing
1 cup flax oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
1 tablespoon basil (or Italian herbs)
1 teaspoon granulated garlic (or fresh garlic)
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
Celtic Sea Salt to taste
Mix with a hand blender or shake in a jar.

Rhonda's Favorite Salad Dressing
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup honey (raw & unfiltered)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon minced sweet onion (or dried onion flakes)
Celtic Sea Salt to taste
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
Mince garlic clove and onion

Richard's Favorite Dressing
One avocado, mashed
Juice of one lemon
One tablespoon flax seed oil
Celtic Sea Salt to suit taste
Dash of the following: cayenne pepper; curry; kelp powder; favorite dried herbs (I use a mix of basil, chervil, tarragon, marjoram and chives). Find an herb mix that you like. Add distilled water to consistency you like--the thin you can use on salads, the thick as a veggie dip or whole grain/rice snack cracker spread.

Avocado Dressing
1 ripe avocado
1 lemon, juiced
Mash the avocado until smooth, add the lemon juice until a creamy consistency is obtained. To Serve: Place leaf lettuce on a plate, spread with avocado mixture, top with raw sweet corn salad.

Tahini Salad Dressing
1/4 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1/2 cup flax, or extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup tahini
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/4 cup distilled water
Celtic Sea Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.

Italian Dressing
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 - 2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard (optional)
1/2 cup distilled water
1 green onion
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
dash cayenne to taste
Place all of the above ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Then stir in: 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon oregano & 1/2 teaspoon basil) Refrigerate till used.

Russian Dressing
1 Avocado
1 small ripe tomatoe
1 tbsp honey or agave
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
Blend it well in the blender and pour it on your salad

Thousand Island Dressing
2 red bell peppers
2 tomatoes
1 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. pine nuts, soaked 2 hours
1/2 c. sunflower seeds, soaked 6-8 hours and rinsed
1/2 c. fresh parsley
1/2-1 c. water
4 TBS. lemon juice
1 tsp. sea salt
Blend in blender until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasonings to taste


Salad Dressing:
1 pear
small handful of pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic
a shot or two of apple cider vinegar
some olive oil
dash of sea salt
pinch of cayenne
pinch of dried herb
vitamix all ingredients

Italian Sunflower Dressing
1 cup sunflower seeds*, soaked 6-8 hours and rinsed
¼ c flax oil
¼ c lemon juice
1 T Nama Shoyu
½ t dried basil
½ t dried oregano
½ t dried thyme
In a blender, mix all ingredients until smooth and creamy; adjust seasonings to taste Yesterday 07:38 PM Gosia Simple dressing ideas:

* orange juice and tahini (I simply squeeze the juice on the salad, then pour tahini, and then mix)
* strawberries and tahini, processed
* lemon juice, tahini, water, processed
* as above, but use nuts/seeds (macademias, sunflower, hemp, sesame etc), processed with water, instead of tahini

[Aleesha Sattva]

then of course... there's the low fat dressing suggestions - no idea where i got these either:


Low-fat salad dressing options. Mango is a great substitute for oil - it gives a nice, creamy base to a dressing. Tomato-mango-basil-lemon-salt is lovely over zucchini noodles and greens. Mango-raspberry-basalmic is delicious on salad. A fresh tomato-mango-red onion-cilantro-lime salsa is great over salad or wrapped in lettuce leaves. Orange-ginger-garlic-miso is nice to toss veggie noodles, or over salad. Likewise: mango-red onion-tomato-lime-curry-cardamom on noodles and greens

[carolg]

I make a dressing similiar to Rawlinda's. You can also add in some fresh basil or oregano giving an additional aroma of Italian. My husband is from Italy!

Aleesha,
Wow. My friend loves Ranch so now I have a goodie you shared. Thanks.

OT:
I'm busy giving my new chiro raw dishes and so far I have a 100% track record with him loving both dishes.

I think next appointment may be cool "ice" cream made in food processor with my frozen peeled bananas and then perhaps adding some carob in it to call it "choco" ice cream. Maybe making RP brownies if I have extra time. Even icing below. Maybe I will be the dessert part of his food.

http://rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=32313&highlight=rp+brownies

I also see there is an ice cream sandwich thread. Do search here.

Back to "dressing" talk.
carolg

[islesgirl]

(oops - sorry about the extra "l" in your name - I don't know how to correct it.) for me so thank you, thank you, thank you. Now I feel confident I will get some raw dressings I like out of all this. I won't be doing the low-fat though - I love the richness and flavor of lots of oil. I am now so excited about trying these. I will let you know how they go and what I have found that I like!:D

[islesgirl]

carolg - Mmm, I love the flavor of oregano etc. I even grew some oregano and basil of my own this summer, so I will try them in some of these dressings. Thank you muchly.:)

[carolg]

islesgirl,

I have three store bought large basil plants I repotted to take in the house during winter time. I need start or buy some oregano and do same. I want to expand my herb gardening so need to bump it up now. I too love fresh oregano and/or basil. Yum as I eat my kosher garlic pickles based on Boutenko recipe you can search for here. I posted recipe a few times. May look for Boutenko recipe pickles carolg.

Enjoy.

carolg

[Aleesha Sattva]

you are welcome! :D

[oceanee]

Add oregano to one of the above lemon juice,olive oil, garlic,ss & pepper dressing then you have the Greek touch. Yum Yum ! Cukes, red peppers, red onion,tomatoes, kalmata olives and there you go ~
Oceanee