White Truffle Salad Dressing

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp white truffle flavored olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

The white truffle flavored olive oil will bring a lot of flavor to this salad dressing.  Other ingredients can do the same for your homemade salad dressings.  Sometimes, spending a little bit more on a specialty gourmet ingredient will go along way in your recipes.

When it comes to salad dressings, a nice, flavorful oil or a rich, aged balsamic vinegar can be the star. It’s not necessary to use a large amount of a gourmet ingredient, because the flavor will be so much better.

Amazon.com Gourmet Food Store has many great options. It’s very easy to browse the store and put a wide variety of gourmet ingredients in your cart.

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette

• 2 tbsp jalapeno pepper jelly
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste

This vinaigrette was created to compliment cabbage for a spicy sweet cole slaw, but it can be adapted for other salads by reducing the amount of vinegar or mayonnaise.  The great thing about the jelly is that it is both sweet and spicy.  There are plenty of interesting jellies and jams that can be the base for a great salad dressing.

Spicy Thousand Island Salad Dressing

• 2 tbsp horseradish sauce
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp relish
• salt and pepper to taste

This is a simple version of thousand island dressing with a little kick.  Ketchup and relish make this salad dressing sweet.  The horseradish sauce brings the creaminess as well as the spicy kick.  A fresh wedge of iceberg lettuce with this salad dressing is a great way to start a meal.

Literally, within a few seconds, you can turn a cucumber into hundreds of matchsticks. You can thinly slice a potato for chips. A sweet potato can be turned into fries, too.

There are a few different types of mandolines from the inexpensive to the elaborate. Some come with one blades, and some come with several blades. A really nice mandoline will have a compartment to catch your food.

Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Salad Dressing

• 2 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp parmesan, grated or shredded
• 1 tsp skim milk
• 1 tsp horseradish sauce
• freshly ground peppercorns
• salt to taste

There used to be a steak, ribs, and chicken restaurant that served their salads with a creamy parmesan peppercorn salad dressing.  This version brings back memories of that dressing.  The restaurant packed their salads with cheese and onions.  It was a great salad for a great salad dressing.

Tomato Basil Salad Dressing

• one can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Tomatoes and fresh basil are a perfect combination.  Adding balsamic vinegar to this salad dressing gives it depth.  You’ll love the freshness of this salad dressing on sliced mushrooms or roasted heads of romaine.

Imagine some hot boiled potatoes just off the stove. You can drain the potatoes and put them directly into the food mill. You don’t have to remove the skin!

Place the potatoes in the food mill and gently turn the crank. The potato will instantly break apart and fall through the food mill without the skin. Add some hot cream and butter with some roasted garlic, salt and pepper. You’ve just made awesome mashed potatoes – no lumps!

Roasted Garlic Salad Dressing

• two heads of garlic roasted in the oven at 400 degrees for one hour
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Roasting changes the sharp flavor of raw garlic into a sweet and delicious base for this salad dressing.  When you have a flavor that is so great on its own, you don’t want to do too much to it.  Just choose ingredients that compliment the flavor.

Pineapple Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, minced, with juice
• 1 tbsp hot sauce
• 1 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 packet artificial sweetener
• salt and pepper to taste

The sweetness and the acidity of the pineapple juice will go far in your salad.  Hot sauce adds a little bite, and low-fat mayonnaise adds some nice creaminess.  The artificial sweetener is optional, especially if your pineapple is really sweet.