I just got the latest Eating Well magazine in the mail yesterday, and they had recipes for some delicious-sounding salad dressings.  Here are three that sounded especially yummy to me:

Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing

1 small shallot, peeled
3/4 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbs. buttermilk powder
2 Tbs. white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup nonfat milk
1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

With food processor running, add shallot through the feed tube and process until finely chopped.  Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, buttermilk powder and vinegar.  Process till smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 3 minutes.  Pour in milk while the processor is running.  Scrape down the sides, add dill, salt and pepper and process until combined.

Yield: 1 1/4 cups

Per 2-Tablespoon serving:
19 calories; 1 G fat (0 G sat, 0 G mono); 1 MG cholesterol; 2 G carbohydrate; 2 G protein; 0 G fiber; 125 MG sodium; 10 MG potassium

Orange-Oregano Dressing

1/2 tsp. freshly grated orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano, or 3/4 tsp. dried
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a jar.  Cover and shake to combine

Yield: about 1 cup

Per 2 Tablespoon serving:
27 calories; 2 G fat (0 G sat; 1 G mono); 0 MG cholesterol; 2 G carbohydrate; 0 G protein; 0 G fiber; 165 MG sodium; 41 MG potassium

Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette

12 oz. plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise and cored
1 Tbs. chopped garlic
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning blend
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbs. sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 300F.  Coat an 8-inch square glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Toss tomatoes, garlic, oil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Spread the tomatoes in the prepared dish.  Bake until the tomatoes are broken down and the juices are thick and syrupy, about 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes.

Transfer tomatoes to a blender.  Add vinegar and puree.  (Use caution when blending hot mixtures.) Cool completely before using.

Yield:  1 cup

Per 2 Tablespoon serving:
19 calories: 1 G fat (0 G sat, 1 G mono); 0 MG cholesterol; 1 G carbohydrates; 0 G protein; 0 G fiber; 99 MG sodium; 59 MG potassium

Thanks Judy!!  Those all sound great, especially the creamy dill.  I can’t wait to try it.

Here is a super easy, fat free salad dressing that is readily available at all restaurants:

Just squeeze some fresh lemon juice on your salad.  (You can steal the lemons meant for the iced tea.) I did this at Panera today

Another that I like at home sometimes is to mix fat free sour cream with salsa and use that as salad dressing.

And, if I add goat cheese or avocado to my salad, I find I don’t need dressing.  So creamy… not fat free of course!

lewis - 05 June 2007 05:18 PM

Another that I like at home sometimes is to mix fat free sour cream with salsa and use that as salad dressing.

Mmm… Ditto!  I eat a “southwest” salad every day for lunch with just a spoonful of fat free sour cream and a dallop of salsa. Good stuff!

Although, now I am intrigued by Judy’s recipes. Maybe I’ll make my own Tomato Vinaigrette. Yum

Carlyn - 07 June 2007 12:10 AM

Mmm… Ditto!  I eat a “southwest” salad every day for lunch with just a spoonful of fat free sour cream and a dallop of salsa. Good stuff!

Hey I thought I invented that!  Cool to hear you like it too!

Hi Judy
Thanks for these, they sound scrummy..
Just one question though - what is buttermilk powder? I am sure we have the equivalent here in the UK but I am not too sure what it is?
Many thanks

Hi Amanda,

Good question!  Buttermilk powder is basically dehydrated buttermilk.  I found it with the other powdered milks at the supermarket (at my local store that would be on the shelves with flour, sugar and other baking supplies).

I just did a quick search, and it appears that Dairy Crest is a UK company that makes powdered buttermilk.

Thanks for your help Judy I appreciate you going to all that trouble!
I am going off to the supermarket tomorrow so will check that aisle out (I don’t go along the baking aisle too much)