Not only are they a great way to jazz up a salad or some veggies but there is something intrinsically fun about the whole family getting their hands envolved in the process. It takes us all away from our
segregated plates to a frenzy of shared eating fun.
For parents they are also a really effective way to get those fussy little eaters to get more veggies in, with a good selection. When presented like this you will notice kids eat more too in a sitting.
It is also a great way to 'sneak' in some really healthy fats, protein and
carbohydrates.
I've lost count of how many varieties of fish we have got our two kids to eat by blending into houmous (works for fussy adults too!)
Homemade dressings beat shop bought versions hands down on flavour, lower sugar content and micronutrients. Again, get the kids involved squeezing lemons or whisking things as you cook.
Some popular ones that have gone down well with our client base are:
Ginger Dressing
- Peel and chop as small and neatly as possible 3 parts shallot, 2 parts ginger and 1 of garlic.
- Combine in a bowl and add sesame oil to just cover, and then add tamari sauce.
- The sauce is for colour and flavour, so leave to infuse for an hour or so then serve as a dip with sushi, rice wrapper rolls or raw / seared fish, or drizzle over salad.
- Add some fresh coriander to your salad and drizzle this dressing over the top.
Tomato and Olive Dressing
- Roast a small box of cherry tomatoes
with a few pitted black olives at 180c until the skins start to split.
- Leave to cool then blitz them in a food processor.
- You could add any combination of herbs to the cooled mixture for variation.
- Try basil or tarragon – experiment!
Citrus Dressing
- Peel 2 oranges and 2 lemons taking off all the white pith.
- Squeeze all the juice into a small pan and add the remaining pulp.
- Bring to the boil and reduce the juice by half then pass through a sieve and cool.
- Add a small amount of oil to make a dressing for salads or grilled fish.
- You could use
extra virgin olive oil, flax oil or avocado oil
Sundried Tomato Dressing
(Makes a lot but will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks)
- 2 cups sun dried tomatoes, drained if in oil 1 cup wine vinegar 12 cloves garlic 1 ½ cups olive oil
- Heat the sundried tomatoes in the vinegar for 5
minutes and then allow to cool.
- Put into a bender and add the remaining items.
- Blend to combine into a smooth dressing.
- You can use the oil from the jar of tomatoes in place of some of the olive oil but make sure it is good quality.
Pesto
Serves
4
- ¼ cup pine nuts 2 cloves garlic 2 cups basil leaves ½ cup olive oil
- In a processor, grind the nuts and garlic, then add the basil and process until finely chopped.
- Remove from the machine and stir in the olive oil and season with black pepper.
Sweet Paprika and Roasted Garlic
Houmus
Keep a batch of this delicious dip in the fridge and eat with crudités.
- 1 bulb garlic 2 x 400g tins chickpeas in water 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp sweet Spanish smoked paprika Lemon juice to taste Sea salt (optional) and freshly ground black pepper
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
- Wrap the whole
unpeeled garlic bulb in foil and roast in the preheated oven until soft (approximately 20-30 minutes, depending upon the size).
- Place the chickpeas, olive oil and smoked paprika in the bowl of a food processor.
- Unwrap the garlic bulb and use a sharp serrated knife to trim off the pointed end, leaving the root end intact.
- Squeeze the roasted flesh from the bulb into
the food processor, discarding the skin.
- Blend until smooth, then season to taste with lemon juice, salt (if using) and pepper.
Salsa Verde
This is a delicious sauce for any steamed greens and with poached, baked or roasted fish.
Serves 4
- 1 large bunch
of basil, 1 handful of mint 1 large handful of parsley 2 tbsp of tarragon leaves 1 tbsp of dill 2-3 sprigs of lemon thyme (no leaves) 1 zest of large lemon 4 crushed garlic cloves 2 tbsp tamari 1 large handful of capers in vinegar 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 large cup of extra virgin olive oil
- Lightly pulse in a blender the garlic, lemon zest, capers, tamari, pepper and red wine vinegar. Now add the herbs to the mix and pulse lightly until finely
chopped; do not over blend. Add the olive oil and some pepper to season and pulse to mix all together. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge until you are ready to use it. The mix should be left for 10 minutes before using so the oil can become liquid
Have fun and experiment!
Kim
