simple salad dressing

[etowernyc]

Last night I threw lettuce, chopped celery & carrots, pine nuts (browned in a skillet) and diced roasted chicken from the night before into a bowl. I added extra virgin olive oil, then a good splash of dry sake and about a tablespoon of hot chili oil. Added fresh-ground pepper and salt, and tossed. I'm not a gourmet chef, but it was as good a 10-minute meal as I've ever made! Really interesting and satisfying!

I used olive oil because it's what I had...what other oils should I think about using for this? I'm trying to expand my knowledge of oils a bit.

[Antilope]

Here's a blended Vinaigrette recipe my wife developed. Our family loves it:

Blended Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

4 Tbs Marukan Seasoned Gourmet Rice Vinegar
2 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
1-3/4 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
3-1/2 Tbs Olive Oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Add ingredients to a jar with lid. Seal jar and
shake well to blend.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Serve over a green salad.

[piccola]

I love sesame oil. But when I'm not in the mood for Asian flavours, I go for walnut or avocado oils. The former has a really nutty taste that goes great with bitter greens; the latter tastes buttery and rich, perfect with milder ingredients.

[rcinsf]

a little bit of sesame oil would add a nice dimension. my easy go-to salad dressing is olive oil, some Asian rice vinegar (seasoned or not), and salt and pepper to taste. oftentimes i'll also add some dijon mustard (or whatever's open in the fridge), some honey, or minced shallots. even just a quick vinaigrette of olive and decent vinegar is so much better than anything storebought!

[etowernyc]

i absolutely agree! this is the first time i've deviated from my standard oil, vinegar, lemon, salt and pepper in months. it was kind of nice to get away from the vinegar! i'll be back, though...

[JungMann]

I think sesame or some groundnut oil would add a great dimension to what you've whipped up, as well as play off those Asian flavors.