SALAD DRESSING??? HELP!!!!

This one is good. It's pretty high calorie because of the oil, but you really do need this ratio for proper balance. Because the dressing is on the thicker side, sometimes I water it down a little bit (yes, with water) and that will make the calories a touch lower. But I"ll just use a bit less rather than have a crappy dressing.

Classic Balsamic Dressing (will work with any vinegar)

1 T balsamic vinegar
pinch salt (ideally fleur de sel)
fresh-ground pepper
1 T dijon mustard
3 T olive oil

1. Dissolve salt in vinegar. Add in pepper. Add dijon and olive oil and whisk until thick and emulsified.

This dressing can easily be doubled or tripled, and of course you can mix up the vinegars and oils. I like the hint of sweetness that balsamic provides, but it's also excellent with red wine vinegar. For a bit more sweetness, you can add a little touch of honey or maple syrup (the real stuff). I also like adding in minced shallots, or a bit of crushed garlic.

The key to a good vinaigrette is the 3:1 oil to vinegar ratio. You can go lower, but it won't be that wonderfully delicious thick yummy dressing.

1/2 cup GOOD extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs ( equal portions of thyme, basil, and rosemary )
1/2 teaspoon salt

Put the oil and vinegar into a jar that has a lid. Put the herbs into a mortar and mush them around a bit with the salt. Dump crushed herbs and salt mixture into the oil and vinegar, then put the lid on the jar and shake and shake.

The recipe has no pepper, as I use fresh cracked pepper on top of the salad.

Remember, the quality of the oil and the vinegar affect the quality of the dressing. And olive oil is a "good" fat.

Good quality Balsamic & Olive Oil, rock salt, fresh ground black pepper, some Italian dried herbs (Schwartz)