Orange Jalapeno Vinaigrette - lowfat

3/4/08 I've made a correction to this recipe - one of the ingredients listed has been corrected.

Salad dressings. A mixed bag, for sure. If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you may know already that I'm very picky about salad dressings. There's really only one bottled dressing I'll buy (Brianna's Blush Vinaigrette) and I use it only occasionally, when I'm simply too lazy to make a fresh dressing. I thoroughly enjoy green salads, and the dressing certainly adds to the enjoyment of them.



But I despair sometimes finding anything that's lower in calorie. So, when I find something that IS delicious AND lower in fat and calories, I whoop for joy. This is one of those recipes. I found it at egullet.com a year or so ago and put it aside to try. Ideally, you'll want to make this when Navel oranges are in season (like now). I doubt it would be so good using Valencia oranges. And it isn't a recipe you can whip up in 3-4 minutes because you have to remove the orange segments and finely mince the jalapeno chile, then cook the mixture before pureeing in a blender. But if you have a few minutes and would like to try something quite different, this is your ticket. The first time I used it I made a regular green salad (regular for me, that is, means the salad contained a variety of chopped fresh vegetables). I thought the dressing was lost in the mix, as the vegetables predominated. The next time I made a simple salad with only greens, and we both enjoyed it very much. The greens only allow the orange and jalapeno flavors to come through. It would likely be very good on a salad mixed with some fruit, like apple slices, maybe a few raisins even. Or dried cranberries.

I don't know what "honey blossom vinegar" is, other than vinegar that's infused with some kind of flower called a "honey blossom?" Maybe somebody knows. I don't have that ingredient, so used rice wine vinegar, and the "seasoned" type rather than the more tart rice wine vinegar which has no sugar added.



Cook's Notes: Use normal sized oranges, as using really large oranges may throw off the balance of acid to sweet. Or, just don't put in all of the orange segments. I used just ONE jalapeno chile, and it actually could take another half. I was concerned it would be too hot. I also added a bit more grape seed oil to the mixture (see note below) because it just didn't have quite enough oil in it. This is a juice-based dressing, so don't toss the salad until just before you're serving it, as it may wilt the greens. And, serve with a simple greens-only salad; adding vegetables takes away from the delicate flavor of the oranges.



Orange Jalapeno Vinaigrette
Recipe: adapted from egullet.com
Servings: 6
2 whole oranges, peeled, segmented
1 1/2 whole jalapeno chiles, seeded, finely minced
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sugar, or Splenda
2 tablespoons honey blossom vinegar, or 2 T. seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup grape seed oil, (original called for 1/4 cup)
Salt & pepper to taste
1. In a saucepan place the oranges, jalapenos, juice, water and sugar. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place in a blender and puree. Add honey or vinegar and oil while blending. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and adjust seasoning, or taste, using a lettuce leaf to dip lightly into it before adding salt and pepper. Refrigerate. Use within one week.
Per Serving: 53 Calories; trace Fat (1.4% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 1mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
Printer-friendly recipe, click HERE.

Oil, Vinegar, Dishes + Cranberry Vinaigrette

Hello. My name is Carolyn. And I'm an oil, vinegar and dishes addict. I need a 12-step program, I think. They come out with some new flavored oil or vinegar and I'm a sucker. Hand it to me. Gotta have it. I'm embarassed to say that I have way too many, and more often than not, when I'm making a complex salad dressing (I usually make my own, since I dislike most bottled dressings) I don't even GO to my cabinets for these specialty oils or vinegars because I think the flavor will be wasted (as well as the money I paid for them) in the dressing.

So, now you know. I'm flawed. It's a good thing I don't really have a food budget. My DH probably wishes I did. I do remember the days when I really had to watch what I spent, but thankfully life has been good to us. I do look at prices, but if I want some kind of food item, I'll usually buy it.

The only time DH complains is when I buy dishes. I do love buying new dishes. I have to just slap my hands sometimes when I get into a TJMaxx store or Home Goods and I see some darling little set of 4 plates. No salad plates with them. Maybe 2 bowls. Or, maybe a couple more soup bowls would be nice. I just have to talk to myself. Where will I put them. Will I really, really use them? I walked in the door the other evening with a set of 8 salad plates. Since DH washes almost all of the dishes I couldn't fool him by hiding them somewhere and pulling them out in a couple of weeks. He'd know. So I confessed right up front. WHAT?, he said. This wasn't a what, dear, kind of response. It was a loud WHAT? Then I reminded him that our little set of 4 dark green salad plates that kind of went with our everyday dishes now was a set of 3. We can't use a set of 3 plates. They're going out into the donation bag in the garage, I said. So these are to replace those. But why 8, he said? Well, because when I bought the other four, that's all they had. The new ones had 8, so I bought them all. They were only $2.99 each, I said. As if that would make much difference. He sighed. And washed them. I reminded him that I don't have many vices. Buying books and cookbooks maybe. Spending time on the computer, yes. And probably this blog too. I think I'm forgiven. I think.

So what brought this all to mind was making a salad dressing yesterday. I'd read about the dressing over at Culinary Fool, and thought it was so festive and holiday-ish. So I got out all the ingredients and went to my vinegar cupboard. You want to see?

Yup, those are ALL oils (mostly in the left two) and vinegars (mostly right). The shelf at top right is awry because it's where DH stores his wine essentials (corkscrew, cap remover) so it sits cattywampus because I need the height for the bottles below.


When we had our kitchen remodeled there was this space at one end of the island, facing our family room. The cabinet maker was going to just put in blind ends there. They'd have looked pretty, but I knew there was about 4-5 inches of depth in there. Crying out for just the right things to store on shelves. Aha. Oils and vinegars. Perfect home for them. One cupboard is a bit deeper, so I can get 2 layers in there. I made the cabinet maker put in cupboards. I don't want to know how much extra that was. I'm very happy with my oil and vinegar cupboards.

But, I've digressed; back to the salad dressing: Searching through the vinegar options, I found a citrus vinegar, a specialty one. Perfect, I thought, to go with the orange juice in the dressing and the cranberries. I like all the pretty shaped bottles they use for vinegars these days. I have a couple of balsamic bottles that are too tall for these cupboards, so they have to live in the walk-in pantry. But I forget about them in there.

This dressing isn't appropriate for every salad. With the fruit (cranberries) and juice (orange) it's best suited for a simple salad. I used half sugar and half Splenda, to keep the carbs down a bit. Apples, just a few, sliced in a simple salad would be nice. Or pears. Dried cranberries are so popular to toss into salads, but I think they'd be too sweet in this case. Certainly some toasted nuts would go well. I added walnuts. My salad came together, then, with arugula, head lettuce even, sliced apple and walnuts. Very yummy. Thanks to Culinary Fool for this one. It's a keeper.

Cranberry Vinaigrette
Recipe: Dishing with Kathy Casey: Food, Fun, and Cocktails from Seattle's Culinary Diva, via Culinary Fool blog
Servings: 12
2/3 cup fresh cranberries -- or frozen
1/4 cup sugar -- [I used half sugar, half Splenda]
1/2 cup white wine vinegar -- or distilled vinegar [I used citrus vinegar]
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup orange juice -- or other citrus juice
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1. Place cranberries, sugar and vinegar in small saucepan and heat over medium heat until cranberries pop, 5 - 10 minutes.
2. Let cranberries cool slightly and then transfer to a blender. Puree (being careful to make sure the top doesn't pop off if they are still warm) the mixture until fairly smooth - there will still be pieces of bright red skin. Add the mustard and orange juice and lightly mix.
3. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Slowly, slowly add the oil while continuously whisking until all oil has been incorporated and the mixture is emulsified.
4. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator.
Per Serving: 143 Calories; 14g Fat (83.5% calories from fat); trace Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 50mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
To print a PDF recipe, click title at top.

White Wine Vinaigrette

On previous posts I've mentioned the cooking school in San Juan Capistrano, Our House, South County. It's been in business several years now, but unfortunately the owners are planning (trying) to sell it. Perhaps it will remain a cooking school and event venue; perhaps not. I am very sad to contemplate the closure of Our House.

What's unusual about it? It's particularly charming for a variety of reasons. It's owned by 3 people: Carole & Craig (a couple) and Sarah. Read more below about them, or go to their website (link above):

• Carole is very talented, creative and fun. She MC's the "show" so to speak, talking about the food. She knows how to stage tables and serving, and has quite a knack for decorating. And maybe more than anything, she buys lots of house kinds of stuff that are placed all over the house and the barn - items that are for sale. Things we never seem to see in other stores. Things I buy. Lots of things I buy.


• Sarah, her cohort in crime, so to speak, is as cute as can be. Scottish by birth, Sarah was hired by Carole & Craig as a nanny, many years ago. The children are now grown and mostly gone, but Sarah has stayed. Sarah also became the family cook, chef, and bottle washer, most likely, but she's a complete member of the family. She and Carole have a wonderful repartee.


• The recipes they do are usually easy, but very high on flavor.
  
• They serve plenty of food - you never go away hungry, that's for sure. And usually they serve at least 2 desserts, sometimes 3, with one being a take-away one to remember them by.
  
• The summer barbecue classes were great fun - Cherrie and I included our husbands, and we invited our son and his wife also. We all had a good time.

Carole & Sarah try to serve people something to eat soon after arriving for the class. The room for the students (it's all a demonstration class) is festively decorated, Carole and Sarah talk about the food, prepare some part of it, then the helpers whisk plates of food in front of us. One of these days I'm going to write up something about why it is I go to cooking classes, but that will be another day . . .

The subject here is salad dressings. I guess I'm a sucker for one more recipe. I don't much like bottled dressings. Whether it's the additives they have to include to give them shelf life, or something else, but they never seem to taste anywhere near as good as home made salad dressings. I do have one bottled one I keep in the refrigerator - Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette - but I only use it when I'm out of home made and don't feel like making any. Carole & Sarah made this vinaigrette at the last class, and I enjoyed it very much. It has a little bit of honey, which makes it different than most totally savory vinaigrettes. That tiny amount of honey makes a big difference in the overall taste of the dressing. I've made it twice since then, and like it a lot. It's not necessary to use the blender - I make it in a lidded jar and just shake it up. Just mush up the garlic well - you don't want chunks of it, especially if it hasn't been allowed to sit and mellow for several hours or overnight.

White Wine Vinaigrette
Recipe: Our House, South County cooking school
Servings: 8

1/4 cup Champagne wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 whole garlic clove -- minced
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup olive oil salt and pepper to taste

In a lidded jar combine all ingredients and shake vigorously. Taste for seasoning. Store in refrigerator.
Per Serving: 125 Calories; 14g Fat (95.2% calories from fat); trace Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 24mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
For a printable recipe click title at top.

Tangerine Vinaigrette

A citrus dressing is not always the appropriate fit for every meal. But when it is, this recipe is my go-to citrus dressing. It may not be the right fit for a side green salad either, depending on the ingredients with which you compose your salad, i.e., I wouldn't use it with tomatoes, fennel, onions, or many of the other myriad vegetables you might use in a salad. The flavor of the citrus is just so BRIGHT in this salad, it needs to stand almost alone. I have no doubt you'll like it if you try it.

This came from a cooking class Cherrie and I took at Our House, South County, the cooking school in San Juan Capistrano, which we frequent with some regularity. Actually, I found this exact recipe on RecipeZaar, so perhaps the cooking school found it there too. Unless you have an extensive citrus garden, you may have to plan ahead to make it since it requires limes, lemons and tangerines. When tangerines are in season, freeze some juice in ice cube trays, then put them in a double plastic zip bag, so you'll have it on hand. I've also made this with blood oranges instead of tangerines. I almost always have shallots on hand, and y'all know how fond I am of garlic, so that always exists in my pantry too. I usually use Splenda as the sweetener instead of sugar, although I didn't include it in the recipe. We have a Valencia orange tree on our slope, and a Meyer lemon tree, so I freeze juice and zest every year, so I don't waste much of the fruit.

Tangerine Vinaigrette

Servings: 16 Preparation Time 10 minutes

1 tablespoon garlic -- minced

1 tablespoon shallot -- minced

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon grated lime rind

10 tablespoons tangerine juice -- fresh

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice -- fresh

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all the ingredients except the oil and whisk to blend and dissolve the sugar. Slowly whisk in the oil to emulsify and thicken. This is better if made the day before using, and it will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Yield: 2 cups

Serving Ideas : Makes a lovely dressing for a salad of baby spinach, caramelized walnuts, sliced fresh oranges and pomegranate seeds.

Per Serving 105 Calories; 10g Fat (85.1% calories from fat); trace Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; trace Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

If you want to print just the recipe, click on the title above.

Mexican Chopped Salad

Since the 5th was Cinco de Mayo, I should have posted this then. Ah well. It's really okay, because this salad could be made any day or month of the year in my book. This is the last recipe I'll post from the Mexican cooking class Cherrie and I attended a couple of weeks ago. We agreed this salad was the stand-out of the dinner (Cherrie made it, I photographed it surreptitiously while our dinner guests were sitting in the dining room and we were plating up the dinner in the kitchen - this is a tricky thing I'm finding in foodie blogdom - how to photograph company meals while the guests are hanging around).

But, back to business - you need to love cilantro if you're going to make this one. It could be a side salad, but ideally it would be best as a main dish salad. The instructor, Phillis Carey, suggested fresh shrimp or chicken as a protein add-in.

What's different about this salad is that the dressing contains the cilantro, which is whizzed up in the blender, so you don't know there's cilantro there except that the dressing is nice bright greeny hue. But, because it's pulverized in the blender, you need to use up the dressing within a day as cilantro begins to turn slimy within that time. So only make enough to use for the one salad. The salad itself could be your own combination of lettuces and fresh vegetables, but the instructor particularly talked about the corn, the jicama and the Feta cheese as important ingredients. The jicama gives the salad such a nice crunch. The corn is great for color, and the sheep's milk Feta (not cow Feta, she said) gives a wonderful lightly salty taste. Cherrie added some crispy radishes to the mix also. Phillis indicated it's the lime juice that makes this salad. Try it!

Mexican Chopped Salad with Cilantro
Recipe By : Phillis Carey

Serving Size : 6

Preparation Time :0:40

SALAD DRESSING:

1/2 cup cilantro -- coarsely chopped

2 whole garlic cloves -- minced

1 teaspoon chipotle chile canned in adobo

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

SALAD MIXTURE:

1/2 cup green onions --

2 1/2 cups Romaine lettuce -- chopped

2 cups green cabbage leaves -- chopped

3/4 cup roasted red pepper -- diced

3/4 cup jicama -- peeled, diced

3/4 cup corn kernels -- fresh or frozen

1/2 cup Feta cheese -- sheep's milk, not cow's milk

2 cups blue corn tortilla chips

1. In a blender combine: cilantro, garlic, Chipotle chiles, lime juice, mustard, sugar and salt. Puree until smooth. Whisk in the oil and green onions. Cover and chil until serving time.

2. In a large salad bowl toss together the lettuce, cabbage, red peppers, jicama, corn and Feta cheese. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Serve topped with tortilla chips for garnish.
Description: "This is unusually good. It's ordinary ingredients, but put them together and WOW."

NOTES : The dressing will keep just one day (because of the cilantro). It's the lime juice that makes this dressing so special.

Serving Ideas : You can make this with grilled shrimp or chicken also. You could also add some drained and rinsed black beans and tomatoes also.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 559 Calories; 24g Fat (38.1% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 75g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 11mg Cholesterol; 740mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 4 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

To print, click on the title at the top.

Mock Caesar Dressing from the Mexican Village

Do you have go-to salad dressings like I do? My repertoire contains a list of about 8 dressings that I rely on, depending on my mood or a particular meal when I want a specific flavor addition to a meal. This is one of those, and it's been a keeper since I first tasted it at the Mexican Village Restaurant, a 1960's vintage restaurant in Coronado, California. I loved this dressing whenever I went to the restaurant, and was overjoyed when, in the 1970's the San Diego Union Tribune printed a recipe, purportedly the original, but maybe it was somebody's interpretation. Why it was called "Mock" Caesar, I really don't know. It does have garlic, Parmesan, oil and anchovy paste in it (no lemon juice, though). It's really just another style of garlic-Parmesan-blue cheese vinaigrette. But whatever it really is, it's really tasty. I go-to to this often.

It keeps stored in the refrigerator for several weeks. It is at its best during the first few days, but it's really just fine for a long time. Years ago I used to make this with the Kraft dry, crumbled Parmesan cheese in the paper can, because I sure didn't know much about the real, Italian Reggiano-Parmesano cheese. I use the latter now, but it's certainly possible that the Mexican Village used the paper-can type themselves. It's certainly cheaper!

SIDE NOTES ABOUT WHITE WINE VINEGAR: In the photo above, you'll notice at the top right is a gray bottle. That's my white-wine-vinegar jar/pot. I have this white (well, gray) one and a red one. Into those bottles go any dregs of wine that doesn't get consumed. Initially I started with about 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 1/2 cup of wine in each bottle. I let it marinate (room temp is fine) for several days to allow it to develop, then you merely add more wine remnants. It can go months without additions. These bottles just reside on my pantry shelves. Don't use sweet wines. And occasionally taste the mixture - if it's not sour or tart enough, add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the bottle.

Mock Caesar Dressing
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons green onions
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons blue cheese
1 teaspoon anchovy paste

Smash the garlic clove with the side of a chef's knife to remove the skin. Drop into blender container with the salt. Whiz briefly and allow to sit while you collect the other ingredients. Add all remaining ingredients and blend well. Refrigerate for a few hours before using. Makes about 2 cups.

Serving Ideas : Use different kinds of greens, but few vegies in the salad so the dressing shows through.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 132 Calories; 14g Fat (95.0% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 305mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 3 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
To print the recipe in pdf, click the title above.

How do I love thee - garlic

In most things in my life I’ve learned moderation. Like when a recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of crushed thyme, I know to use 1-3 teaspoons. Not 3 tablespoons. Or if it calls for 2 teaspoons of Madras curry powder, I won’t use 2 tablespoons. Now cookbooks are another matter. Well, I’ve never learned moderation there, as my sagging family room bookshelves can attest. And when it comes to garlic, there’s hardly ever enough. If a recipe calls for 1 clove, I’ll generally use 2, maybe even 3 cloves. And I like to buy good-sized heads - I can’t stand those little, puny cloves that need microsurgery to remove the skins and chop. I seek out a couple of markets that always have good, fresh garlic where each clove is the size of a thimble. We’re not talking "elephant garlic" here, but just your everyday garlic. And it’s a rare day when my kitchen is without at least one or two heads in my kitchen-counter bowl. Hence, I have numerous recipes for garlic-enhanced salad dressings. And the more the merrier.

So the next question is, how do you like your garlic - minced, mashed, chopped, squeezed through a press, food processed or blended? I suppose each method would have its proponents. For me, it depends on what it’s in. Bigger pieces go into stews and braises. Minced and chopped might go in a salsa. Food processed I don’t do much anymore because my trusty Cuisinart doesn’t always get the pieces uniformly cut. So what’s that leave? Ta-da:

THE BLENDER METHOD: So, some years ago I heard or read about a method for enhancing garlic flavor. Salt, as we know, can suck the juice out of most things, and that’s exactly what it does here. Using a chef’s knife I mash the clove of garlic with the side of the blade just to remove the skins. Drop the clove(s) into the blender and then add table salt. Whiz briefly (lid solidly affixed) and let it sit for about 5 minutes. That’s while you go collect all the other things that go into this dressing. Measure things out, and you’ll be ready to finish it. I’ve made this with olive oil, but find the olive flavor overwhelms the dressing, so I prefer using Canola oil or other unflavored vegetable oil.

This recipe was given to me in the 1960's by a family friend. And it’s become one of my standard dressings ever since. Although I’ve tried making the salad with lots of different vegetables, I keep going back to the way it was originally served to me - the salad must contain mostly head lettuce, small florets of cauliflower, some shaved almonds and crumbles of Feta cheese. I like the way head lettuce holds a lot of that garlic-whammy dressing. And I will add, although this dressing keeps, it’s the very best an hour after making it.

Garlic VIP Salad Dressing

1-2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seeds
½ tsp paprika
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1/3 c vegetable oil

Place garlic in blender with salt. Blend briefly and allow to sit while you assemble other ingredients. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until well combined. Pour into a covered container and allow to sit about an hour (ideally) before serving. About ½ cup will dress a side salad for 4 people. Refrigerate remainder and use within a week.