Salad Dressings-My Way....

So DH's last doctor's visit went okay. He was told to stay away from prepared salad dressings. Later that evening, I went in and tossed all of his stash from the fridge. Now, the only prepared dressings he has on his salads are the ones that I make. If we are eating out, he will request EVOO and balsamic vinegar.

I thought that I would share with you all one dressing that he seems to like right now. I try not to make a lot of dressings that call for cheese as some can be very salty. If I do use it, it is used very sparingly. He complains, but he will just have to get over it!!

Creamy Buttermilk and Parmesan Cheese Dressing

Here's what you will need:

1/4 cup reduced fat or light sour cream
1/4 light mayonnaise
shredded Parmesan cheese or grated, if you want a finer texture(not the canned stuff!!)
buttermilk
pinch of kosher salt
cracked black pepper or for you purists, white pepper

These measurements are not set in stone. With that said, go with how YOU would like for it to taste. I like to make my dressings the day before I will need them. This gives all the flavors a chance to meld together.

Mix the sour cream and mayo together. Add the cheese. If this mixture seems a little too thick, add some buttermilk to thin it out. If you are going for a dip texture, you may want to leave it on the thick side. Add salt and pepper to taste. Store in an air-tight container and keep in the fridge. If you make up several types of dressings, you may want to label them. Don't ask me how I know this, 'kay?

Now with just the base of the mayo and sour cream, you can add bleu cheese and a splash of red wine vinegar (or not) and you have bleu cheese dressing or bleu cheese dip.


This same principle holds true for vinaigrette dressings. You can vary this in a number of ways like by adding sun-dried tomatoes, shallots, garlic, etc. Have fun with it! Onced you've made it your way, you may not go back to the pre-made dressings.

Happy cooking!!