AmyCz.com

It has been way too long since my last post, so I thought I would share with you some great recipes that have become a staple in our house.  I came across these “Dressing for Success” recipes last year in my Women’s Health magazine.

All three dressings are made with safflower oil.  The article boasts that adding one tablespoon of safflower oil to your diet per day may shrink your belly and increase lean muscle mass, according to a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. I am not sure how true it is, I just know that we both think they taste great.

I first mixed these dressings for Christmas dinner, and have been making them ever since. I have never cared for buying bottled salad dressings, not always knowing what exactly is in them. These safflower oil recipes have helped us eat more salads; we usually have a salad with our dinner every night now. They’re tasty, easy, and keep in the refrigerator for a week or so.

I have made a few alterations. For the blue cheese balsamic vinaigrette, I roast a couple large cloves of garlic instead of putting them in raw. The first time I made it as the magazine called for, I used too much garlic. I happen to love garlic and always feel more is better , but that’s not so true with raw garlic. Roasting mellows the garlic so it isn’t as harsh.

For the Asian recipe, I add some freshly grated ginger root and it tastes wonderful. I found myself using it as a dip last night for some raw cauliflower, and it was fabulous.

I try using just a tablespoon to dress my salad. Mark, on the other hand, likes his salad with a little more dressing.

Now that I have safflower oil on hand, from time to time I also whip up a quick honey-Dijon dressing, consisting of a tablespoon each of Dijon or grainy mustard, honey, and rice wine vinegar, which has received rave reviews as well.

I hope you enjoy, and happy eating!