Easy homemade dressings

Store bought dressings tend to ruin your salads and dishes. Not by tasting bad, but by overloading your food with unnecessary calories and fat. According to the book Eat This Not That: Supermarket Survival Guide, Hidden Valley Ranch Original has 140 calories and 14 grams of fat. You may have guessed that ranch is high in fat and calories, but what about store bought vinaigrette? The same book states that Newman's Own Balsamic has 90 calories and 9 grams of fat. The book does list one low calorie and fat dressing, Ken's Lite Accent Italian Vinaigrette, but then warns that it "contains a chemist's list of ingredients."

Why should you sacrifice your health or weight on store bought dressings, when it is simple to make your own at home? Simple and fast. You can make a dressing as easily as adding oil and vinegar to a bottle and shaking; you can mix oil with an acidic liquid and herbs and whisk; or you can infuse herbs and spices by gently heating them in a saucepan on you stove. Here, I did all three techniques in creating four different vinaigrettes.

The first vinaigrette is the simplest. I just added dried chilli peppers into a bottle of white vinegar and allowed the peppers to rehydrate in the vinegar. This dressing is similar to the store bought peppers in vinegar that we all love to put on our collard greens down here in the South. It's also great to drizzle over broccoli or squash.
Ingredients
white vinegar
dried adobo chili peppers

The second dressing I made was inspired by the marinated mozzarella balls at Whole Foods. I loved the chilli flakes that they added and so I created this spin off. I put the olive oil in a sauce pan on the lowest setting on my stove. I added red chilli flakes and a dash of salt and pepper. I then crushed a garlic clove and added that in. Do not bring the mixture to a boil; you only want to heat it enough for the spices to infuse the oil. Add white (or your choice of) vinegar and remove from heat. Allow it to cool and put the mixture into a bottle. You can remove the spices from oil and vinegar mixture prior to adding it to the bottle; however, I like the look of the spices, and enjoy getting bursts of chili flakes in my salads.
Ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
white or red wine vinegar
dried red chili flakes
garlic (crushed)
salt
pepper

The third dressing is my take on the classic balsamic vinaigrette. I heat the oil in a sauce pan on the lowest stove setting as above. I then add crushed garlic and a dash of salt and pepper, and then add the balsamic. Allow to cool and pour it into a bottle.
Ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
garlic (crushed)
salt
pepper

Finally, the fourth dressing is one that I whisk up fresh for salads, and I have also used it as a marinade/sauce on fish and chicken. It contains fresh lemon juice, so I do not store it for days on my counter as I do with more basic vinaigrettes. I mix fresh squeezed lemon juice and white wine vinegar and add various combinations of fresh and dried herbs depending on my dish. Typically, the herbs include basil, thyme, rosemary, and oregano; whether I use fresh or dried herbs is controlled by my garden.
Ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
fresh lemon juice
basil and thyme (or) rosemary and thyme (or) basil and oregano
salt
pepper

Making dressing at home is quick and simple. Since I made my first basic oil and vinegar combination, I have begun to adventure out and create new versions. Not only is the experimenting with vinaigrettes fun, I have not purchased a store bought vinaigrette for over a year, saving countless dollars. Have some fun, create some dressings, and make your salads healthier.

In hot dogs we trust: The summer staple takes on a different flavor depending on where you order it.

There isn’t much in the world of food that I enjoy more than hot dogs. I love that they can be completely simple, or that condiments can take them to a level of gourmet extravagance. In celebration of this summer cookout star, let’s delve into the history and variety of the hot dog.
The hot dog originated in Europe as a less spicy version of Bratwurst, Germany’s famous sausage. In 1871, the hot dog made its debut in America at Coney Island with the original Feltman’s hot dog stand. In 1916, Nathan Handwerker, a Feltman’s employee, opened his own hot dog stand on Coney Island, adding a special spice recipe from his mother and undercutting Feltman’s price by half. Nathan’s now holds the crown as the world’s most famous hot dog purveyor.

Here are four regional variations to try:

New York City: The majority of NYC dogs are all-beef with natural casings, including those found at Nathan’s and Sabrett’s vendors. Hebrew National carts do not use natural casings and are Kosher. To create the iconic New York dog, first cook it in boiling water, then top it with mustard and sauerkraut, staying away from the ketchup (a big NY “no-no”). You may find the tomato sauce-cooked onions to be optional, but I won’t have a NYC dog without them.

Cincinnati: A “Cincinnati dog” usually refers to the addition of Cincinnati-style chili. However, when I was recently in Cincinnati, I had a unique grilled mettwurst (cured and smoked German pork sausage) on a brioche bun and covered in peperonata, dubbed the “AKA Cincinnati Dog.” The sausage was wonderfully spicy, enveloped in a sweet and spicy pepper relish to which I added a bit of mayo to lend a creamier texture.

Chicago: Like New York, a Chicago dog is comprised of beef in a natural casing. However, instead of being cooked in a water bath, the dog is steamed. It’s then topped with diced white onions, sliced tomato, a dill pickle spear, sweet pickle relish, yellow mustard, pickled sport peppers and a dash of celery salt — all served on a poppy seed bun. This is a delicious hot dog, but I found the amount of condiments to be a bit of a mouthful and difficult to enjoy in every bite.

Miami: The hot dog is transformed into a “Supermoon Perro” at Miami Colombian restaurant La Moon by using a chorizo sausage, adding bacon, and then topping the whole thing — bun and all — with five sauces, including mustard, a ketchup/mayo blend, pineapple sauce and some whose recipes are secret. Add mozzarella cheese, skinny Ruffles sticks and a boiled quail egg and enjoy. I know this may sound a bit crazy and overwhelming, but it somehow works. The sauces add flavor without overpowering the beefy dog, and the Ruffles sticks gives it a fabulous crunch. The egg may seem irrelevant, but it adds something unusual and delightful to the dish. This Supermoon Perro has won my heart and is now my favorite regional hot dog. I have yet to discover what those secret sauces are, but as soon as I find out, I will let you in on it.

Recipe: Fish tacos with marinated squash and cucumber

These fish tacos are perfect for summer. They are light and healthy, and the lack of cheese or cream means that they will travel well to picnics and the beach.

For the fish, I chose Tilapia. It is a white fish that has a delicate flavor and holds up well in the tacos. According to the FDA’s chart on “Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish”, tilapia has the lowest amount of mercury found in fish. Tilapia is a low total fat, low saturated fat, low calorie, low carbohydrate and low sodium protein source. It also contains Phosphorus, Niacin, Selenium, Vitamin B12 and Potassium. Beware of farmed Tilapia, as it does not contain as much of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids that wild Tilapia contains. And, farmed Tilapia contains too much of the bad omega-6 fatty acids. Stick with wild Tilapia, and you will have a great healthy fish taco. I was planning to grill the Tilapia for this recipe, but rain forced me to cook indoors, so I decided to lightly fry the fish. You can easily switch up this recipe and grill the fish, just negate the fish fry breading.

As for toppings, I did away with the typical heavy and fattening taco toppings such as cheese and sour cream. I also skipped the cabbage that usually is found in fish tacos. I decided not to purchase an entire head of cabbage for the tacos, and instead used a cucumber and yellow squash that I had on hand. The marinated cucumber and squash added a bright bite to the tacos. Instead of cheese, I topped the taco with avocado. While avocados contain fat, it is the good kind of fat. They have been shown to lower cholesterol and are high in fiber.

I did not specify weights in my recipe, as I created it as a dish for one. Adjust weights depending on how many tacos you are making, and how much you like the taste of the particular spices.

Fish Tacos

Marinated cucumber and yellow squash
Cucumber
Yellow squash
Olive oil
White vinegar
Tarragon
Salt
Black pepper
Dried chili flakes

Use a vegetable peeler on both the cucumber and the squash to create long, thin ribbons from the vegetables. Place the ribbons in a mixing bowl and add all the other ingredients. Toss to cover. Place in refrigerator to marinate for an hour.

The fish
Tilapia fillets
Juice of a lime
Salt
Black pepper
Dried cilantro
Dried cayenne pepper
Fish fry breading
Olive oil

Cut the Tilapia filets into bite size pieces. Place them in a bowl and squeeze lime juice over them. Add salt, both black and cayenne pepper, and dried cilantro. Allow to marinate for at least ten minutes.

Heat your skillet and olive oil to medium/medium-high. While the skillet heats up, dredge your fish in the fish fry breading. You don't need a lot of olive oil, you are going to saute the fish, not deep fry it. Also, you don't need a thick breading on the fish, try to keep the breading light, so it doesn't hide the flavor of the fish. Fry the fish in small batches so that you don't cause your skillet to lose its temperature. You should only need to fry the pieces for approximately two minutes (for each individual piece).

Place fish on paper towel after frying, so that any oil left on the pieces will soak into the towel.

Building the tacos
Corn tortillas
Fried tilapia
Marinated cucumber and squash
Jalapeno, sliced
Red onion, diced very small
Fresh cilantro
Avocado, sliced
fFesh salsa
Lime

Warm your tortillas by placing a few at a time in the microwave, covered by a damp paper towel. I recommend using two corn tortillas for each taco, to help them stay together (You can also use flour tortillas if you choose, I just happen to prefer the taste of corn tortillas). Add fish, toppings of your choice, and then a quick squeeze of lime juice. Enjoy these wonderful, fresh tacos.

Zucchini "pasta" salad

I began using a peeler to create fun and light strips of vegetables a few months ago. It began with carrot strings in salads and has elevated to this beautiful dish. By using a peeler on vegetables, you can create light and visually attractive dishes instead of the typical chunky vegetables seen in dishes. This Zucchini "pasta" salad is light and healthy. It makes a fantastic side dish, and is great for summer picnics. I usually serve this with a light fish dish, but it is so tasty that I have even eaten it as a light meal.

The word zucchini comes from the Italian zucchino, meaning a small squash. The term squash comes from the Indian skutasquash meaning "green thing eaten green." Zucchini, Cucurbita pepo, is a member of the cucumber and melon family. Inhabitants of Central and South America have been eating zucchini for several thousand years, but the zucchini we know today is a variety of summer squash developed in Italy.

Zucchini had a reputation in the past as not being very nutritional. However, according to Ruth Litchfield, a nutrition expert at Iowa State University, one cup of cooked zucchini with its skin on provides 13 percent of the potassium recommended in the daily diet, as well as up to 19 percent of the vitamin C and up to 9 percent of the fiber. Zucchini is also high in carotenoids, which have been proven to ward off chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. Even zucchini flowers provide some vitamin A, calcium and fiber.

Zucchini also had a reputation as being bland. However, by choosing smaller sized, organic zucchini, you can enjoy a tasty and less watery vegetable.

Zucchini "pasta" salad

Ingredients
(Note: Everything to taste)

Zucchini squash
Extra virgin olive oil
White vinegar
Dried red chili flakes
Tarragon
Garlic
Lemon juice
Salt and white pepper

Directions:

Use a vegetable peeler to create "pasta" strips from the zucchini. Mix all other ingredients to taste, and whisk to combine. Toss zucchini in the vinaigrette and allow to sit for at least ten minutes prior to serving.