Salads Made Easy

                        
Dressings make the salad! I keep these favorite homemade dressings on hand, and if greens are washed well in advance and crisped in the refrigerator, tempting salads can be made in a jiffy. Even leftovers can be turned into interesting salads that will tempt jaded appetites.

Old-Fashioned Cooked Dressing

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Few grains cayenne

teaspoon paprika

1-1/4 cups milk

2 egg yolks

cup vinegar

cup salad oil

Mix first seven ingredients in a small amount of the milk until smooth. Add remaining milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; gradually add the egg yolks. Return to heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and gradually beat in vinegar with rotary beater. Add salad oil; beat well until smooth. Cool. Makes 2 cups. Use with potato and fruit salads.

****

At family gatherings and parties, homemade guacamole seems to be a pretty regular item on the table, and it's usually one of the first snacks gone. This salad dressing is reminiscent of guacamole, but it adds a refreshing twist – and it makes a really delicious dip with fresh veggies or nacho chips, too.

Cucumber-Avocado Salad Dressing

1/3 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 avocados, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

cup lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Puree the olive oil and garlic in a blender until smooth. Add cilantro, avocado, cucumber and lemon juice. Puree again until smooth, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill and serve over your favorite mixed greens or as a dip.

Flavors Gone By includes recipes and articles collected from local publications circa 1930-1990, along with family favorites. Send questions, comments or submissions to jwarden@gpubs.com.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load