Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Easy Greek Salad Dressing


This salad dressing is super quick and easy to make! Best of all, homemade salad dressing beats bottled dressing any day of the week! The health benefits of homemade dressing are well worth the little effort it takes to make. The reason that homemade trumps is because bottled dressings are almost always made with cheap, low-quality oils that have been stripped of their nutrients and rendered rancid by high-temperature processing. In addition, bottled dressings typically include stabilizers, preservatives, MSG, and refined sweeteners. Homemade dressings on the other hand are much healthier if made with extra-virgin olive oil. Olive oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and supplies vitamin E along with a host of wonderful antioxidants. Studies prove that olive oil provides numerous health benefits. If the oil has been processed correctly, it will still contain its original content of antioxidants, which protect the oil's fatty acids form rancidity. Along with olive oil, I always add a tablespoon of flax oil to my salad dressings; unrefined flax seed oil is one of the best vegetable sources of omega-3 fatty acids. If you can get your hands on Barlean’s Organic Flaxseed oil, it is considered one of the best in terms of quality, purity and health benefits. Homemade salad dressing is very easy to make and with a little practice, you can learn to make your own dressing without measuring.

Recipe:
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil (preferably organic)
1 T organic expeller pressed flax oil
1 t Dijon mustard (smooth or grainy)
2 T raw Apple Cider Vinegar
1 T Fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 garlic cloves (pressed)
½ t basil
½ t oregano
¼ t sea salt
¼ t fresh ground pepper
2 heaping T Feta Cheese

You can make this dressing in a matter of minutes! Simply measure out all your ingredients and place them directly into a glass jar with a very tight lid. Shake the jar vigorously and refrigerate overnight to allow the spices to soften and the flavor to develop.




Take care and, as always, bon appétit!

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