Chef´s Choice

Salad Dressings

Part 2

Intro by Ralph Kratzer

To remember part 1 of the salad dressing recipes – click here!

Salads can be eaten all year round. But as now slowly comes the time of the year in which we are prone to colds again, dear readers, prevent and pay much attention to healthy vitamin-rich diet.

Our greengrocers in North Cyprus offer a rich assortment of fresh salads and raw vegetables, but only oil and vinegar as a dressing is long-term boring. Therefore, here comes, in the weekly series Chef’s Choice, a number of recipes for different salad dressings. Have fun in preparing and enjoy! Note: Leftover dressing keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for several days.

by Chef

It’s now been a few months since our dear friend Nigel Watson died. On the internet forum “northcyprusforum.net”, launched and mainly operated by him for a long time, there is a section that was very close to his heart, cooking recipes. Under the pseudonym “Chef”, Nigel published a whole range of tasty recipes, some of which I want to call back to life. Readers being interested in “northcyprusforum.net”, please click the link before and become members of the forum.

Chili Lime Dressing

This slightly chunky salsa-based dressing is great on hearty greens, such as torn romaine lettuce.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (125 mL) light mayonnaise
1/3 cup (75 mL) salsa
4 tsp (18 mL) lime juice
1 tsp (5 mL) chili powder
1 small cloves of garlic, minced

Feta Cheese Dressing

In order to keep the fat content as low as possible, we use mainly buttermilk in this creamy Greek-style dressing.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (125 mL) buttermilk or plain yogurt
1/3 cup (75 mL) crumbled feta cheese
2 tbsp (30 mL) light mayonnaise
1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried oregano
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

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Goat Cheese Dressing

The unique, tangy flavour of goat cheese is lovely with chilled asparagus or green beans, or with a spinach salad with garlicky croutons. If you can’t find fines herbs goat cheese, use 1/4 tsp (1 mL) dried fines herbs and regular goat cheese.

Ingredients

4 oz (113 g) soft goat cheese, (1/2 cup/125 mL)
1/2 cup (125 mL) 10% cream or milk
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

In blender or food processor, mix goat cheese, cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in parsley. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days. Just before serving, add up to 2 tbsp/25 mL more cream or milk to thin.)