In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients.
Plain Russian Dressing will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. If you add scallions, red onions, or fresh tomatoes, it will keep for 3 or 4 days.
Baby Greens with Pecans & Pears
versatile vinaigrette
A basic vinaigrette can be quickly made with only a few key ingredients found in the pantry.
YIELDS 1⅓ CUPS
TIME: 5 TO 10 MINUTES
⅓ cup vinegar or lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, pressed
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup olive oil (extra-virgin is nice)
Either whisk together all of the ingredients or whirl them in a blender for a few seconds.
Vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for weeks. When cold, the oil tends to become milky-looking, partially solidified, so remove the dressing from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
variations
HERBED VINAIGRETTE
Add fresh or dried herbs. Whisk in 1 to 2 tablespoons of minced fresh dill, chives, tarragon, thyme, basil, mint, or marjoram, or ½ to 1 teaspoon of dried. For the best flavor, allow dried herbs to steep in the vinaigrette for at least half an hour.
TOASTED PECAN VINAIGRETTE
Add 2 tablespoons of toasted pecans. Purée all of the ingredients in a blender for about 30 seconds, until smooth and thick. (In this vinaigrette, we especially like balsamic vinegar or red or white wine vinegar.)
sour cream lemon dressing
We hope you have a microplane grater, because the quality of the lemon zest makes a big difference.
YIELDS ¾ CUP
TIME: 10 MINUTES
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup sour cream
½ teaspoon salt
In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients until smooth and creamy.
Keeps in the refrigerator for a week or more.
chipotle mayonnaise
YIELDS 1 CUP
TIME: 5 MINUTES
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
Whisk together the ingredients. Keeps in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.
serving ideas
Spread the mayonnaise on a baguette with roasted vegetables, baby greens, and sliced Cheddar. Put a dollop on poached fish or steamed vegetables. Serve as a dip for roasted potatoes. Or use as a dressing for pasta, vegetable, or potato salads.
herbed aioli
Take a few minutes to turn mayonnaise into something special. Aioli is a flavorful topping for steamed vegetables of all types, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, fish, and shrimp, as well as a dressing for a simple salad, a dip for artichokes—even a sandwich spread.
YIELDS ⅔ CUP
TIME: 5 MINUTES
½ cup mayonnaise
1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra-virgin is nice)
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or tarragon (1 teaspoon dried dill)
1 tablespoon minced parsley and/or scallions (optional)
dash of black pepper
Whisk together the ingredients in a small bowl. Keep refrigerated.
variation
SAFFRON AIOLI
Prepare aioli, omitting the herbs. In a cup, crumble a pinch of saffron into a tablespoon of hot water and set aside for a few minutes. Crush the saffron with the back of a spoon to infuse the water with the saffron flavor. Stir the saffron water into the aioli. As it sits, the saffron will continue to bleed into the aioli, so stir before serving.
cilantro lime dressing
The clean, fresh flavors of cilantro and lime make this one of our all-time favorite dressings. If you like a smooth, emulsified dressing, make it in a blender.
YIELDS ¾ CUP
TIME: 10 MINUTES
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 or 2 thinly sliced scallions
¼ cup lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ cup olive oil
Whisk together all of the ingredients in a bowl. Or for a bright green, smooth dressing, in a blender on low speed, whirl the cilantro, scallions, lime juice, salt, and red pepper flakes, if using, until smooth. Add the olive oil in a steady stream and as soon as the dressing is thick, turn off the blender.
Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
serving ideas
Adds a wonderful flavor to rice, potato, or bean salads, such as Southwestern Black Bean Salad. Delicious drizzled on avocado cubes or shredded jicama. Excellent as a dressing for fish or shrimp.
cocktail sauce
Who knew that putting together a robust little cocktail sauce was so easy? Plus it doesn’t have the corn syrup and flavor enhancers of commercially prepared sauce.
YIELDS ¾ CUP
TIME: 5 MINUTES
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons lemon juice
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients.
Keeps in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.
tartar sauce
Easy to put together in a couple of minutes and much fresher-tasting than commercial products. Makes a familiar topping for fish and other seafood and a great sandwich spread.
YIELDS ¾ CUP
TIME: 5 MINUTES
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup pickle relish
2 teaspoons lemon juice
In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, relish, and lemon juice.
Will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
INGREDIENT NOTE For the relish, substitute ¼ cup finely chopped sweet or dill pickles, an additional teaspoon of lemon juice, and a teaspoon of sugar if you wish.
variations
For extra flavor, add a tablespoon of minced scallions or red onions, a tablespoon of minced capers, a teaspoon of minced fresh dill or tarragon, or a few drops of Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce.
Po’ Boy Sandwich
duck sauce
Once you’ve made this easy Duck Sauce, you’ll never go back to store-bought!
YIELDS ¾ CUP
TIME: 5 MINUTES
⅔ cup peach or apricot preserves
2 tablespoons white or cider vinegar
4 teaspoons soy sauce
Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Store in the refrigerator; it will keep for at least a month.
serving ideas
Serve this as a dipping sauce for Easy Egg Rolls or any time you need a little sweet-and-sour jolt on a stir-fry or sauté.
barbecue sauce
Easy, no-fuss sauce for your favorite barbecue.
YIELDS ¾ CUP
TIME: 5 MINUTES
⅔ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon or yellow mustard
2 teaspoons white or cider vinegar
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