Dressing for Success

by Tracy Holly

Salad dressings and sauces have a long and colorful history dating back to ancient times. The Chinese have been using soy sauce for 5,000 years, the Babylonians used oil and vinegar for dressing greens nearly 2,000 years ago, and the ever-popular Worcestershire was derived from a sauce used since the days of Caesar. Early Romans preferred their grass and herb salads dressed with salt. Egyptians favored a salad dressed with oil, vinegar and Oriental spices. In the twentieth century, North Americans went a step further in salad development, making it a fine art by using basic ingredients like oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and spices.

The dressing is an important element of any salad, capable of making or breaking a salad's success. Unfortunately, most commercial salad dressings contain high levels of trans fatty acids, sugar, salt, and preservatives. They also provide no live enzyme value. In 1950, 6.3 million gallons of salad dressing were sold. In 1997 this figure rose almost 10 times to 60 million gallons. More people are eating salads, however, not all salads are dressed for success!

Olive Oil

Olive oil is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) food oil used by man. It comes from the fruit of the evergreen olive tree (Olea Europae), many of which are 100-500 years old. Olive oil is the major edible vegetable oil in Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Olive oil is also a well-known source of monounsaturated fatty acids. It's high in oleic acid (omega-9) and phytonutrients (plant nutrients). Olive oil contains antioxidants that prevent it from becoming rancid under long-term storage. This means that it's very stable and can be stored for long periods at room temperature.

All virgin olive oils are unrefined. Only high quality, undamaged olives are used to make virgin oils. Leading health experts recommend using virgin olive oils (the only unrefined oils easily available on the mass market) to promote good health. "Extra virgin" denotes the first pressing of the oil. Only the highest quality olive oil pressed according to very strict guidelines may be called extra virgin.

Lemons

Lemons, scientifically known as citrus limon, were originally developed as a cross between the lime and the citron and are thought to have originated in China or India, having been cultivated in these regions for about 2,500 years. Lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C, one of nature's most important antioxidants. They also contain unique flavanoid compounds known to have anti-cancer properties.

Dijon Mustard

Hailing originally from Dijon, France, this pale, grayish-yellow mustard is known for its clean, sharp flavour, which ranges from mild to hot. Dijon is made from brown or black mustard seeds, white wine, unfermented grape juice, and various seasonings.

Mustard is low in calories and cholesterol and holds minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium and niacin. Mustard is a member of the crucifer family, which includes turnips, radishes, horseradish and watercress; all known for some degree of heat. Therefore, mustard acts as a thermogenic in the body, meaning that it has the potential to help stimulate the metabolism in favour of "fat burning."

Everyday Healthy Salad Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 part (1/2 cup /125 ml) "extra virgin" olive oil
• 1 part (1/2 cup /125 ml) juice from freshly squeezed lemon
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Dijon mustard
• 6 cloves of freshly grated garlic or 1 large clove elephant garlic

DIRECTIONS:

Add ingredients together in a glass screw-top jar. Shake vigorously. Taste. If you like a more tart taste, add more lemon juice. If you like it oilier, add more oil. It's that easy!

Use this super savory dressing to dress salads; marinate meat, fish or chicken; as a side sauce for meats or steamed vegetables; or as a dip for raw vegetables.

Make and store your dressing in a glass screw-top jar. Always remember to shake the jar vigorously to combine the dressing before using. The Everyday Healthy Salad Dressing can be refrigerated up to one week. Take it out of the refrigerator before use to liquefy the dressing and bring out the flavour.

For a change, I sometimes vary the Everyday Dressing by using flax seed oil instead of olive oil, or balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice. It's always fun to experiment with different combinations. To make honey mustard dressing, start with the Everyday dressing and then add 1 extra tablespoon (15 ml) of Dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons(30 ml) of unpasteurized honey. It's always fun to experiment with different combinations.

The Everyday Healthy Salad Dressing is a vital component to good nutrition. It's extremely therapeutic and beneficial for optimum health and performance. The. Everyday Healthy Salad Dressing acts as a digestive enzyme in the body, helps to ward off disease in the body, lubricates the joints and definitely satisfies the soul.