Asian Ginger Vinaigrette Dressings

Ginger Rhizome

by Cat, July 2007, updated 2011 (photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

• See also: 1. Vinaigrette Dressings, 2. Creamy Salad Dressings;; 3. Hoisin Sauce; 4. Other sites: Salad Dressing 101 (5); Homemade Rosemary-Scented Vinegar (Mercola site (6))
• Included here: 1. Asian Ginger-Sesame Dressing; 2. Hoisin Dressing; 3. Hoisin Sauce moved to new page

Salad dressings are so easy to make at home, its a wonder why commercial dressings even exist.  So many commercial dressings contain ingredients questionable for health, such as rancid salad oils, GMO canola  or soy oil, guar gum, hydrolyzed protein, MSG, etc..  When you make your own dressings, you control the type and quality of ingredients, and don’t have to use chemical preservatives because your dressing is FRESH.

Try my recipes as they are, or as a base for your own selection of ingredients.  Most call for lemon or other citrus juice, which acts as an emulsifier to help keep the watery and oily components blended together after shaking. It’s best to use freshly squeezed citrus juice, rather than reconstituted, bottled juice, for flavor and for all the wonderful enzymes in the raw juice.

Asian Ginger-Sesame Dressing

This dressing is incredibly delicious with grilled salmon, either as a garnish for the salmon, or as a dressing for an accompanying green salad. I’ve lost the original source of this recipe.

• 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon, lime or orange juice
• 3 Tablespoons raw cider vinegar or rice vinegar *
• 1 – 2 teaspoons Tamari, Bragg Aminos, or Organic soy sauce
• 1 – 2 minced garlic or shallots (or more)
• 2 Tablespoons thinly-sliced fresh ginger root
• 1 packet Stevia sweetener (I prefer Sweet Leaf (1) brand, a mix of inulin and stevia) or 2 – 3 tsp honey
• 2 Tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 4 – 8 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or cold pressed peanut oil
• 2 – 3 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

1. Toast sesame seeds:  Heat a small cast iron pan, then add seeds and continue to heat, shaking frequently to ensure the seeds get toasted on all sides, until seeds are fragrant.  Do not heat so long that the seeds burn or smoke.
2. Place lemon juice, garlic and ginger into blender and process at low speed until well blended.  Add all other ingredients except the oils and the sesame seeds.  Blend thoroughly.
3. Add oils and blend again. Pour into a bottle or small jar.  Add toasted sesame seeds and shake well.

Hoisin Dressing

This is adapted from a recipe for an Asian salad of Grilled Steak & Asparagus, with Hoisin Dressing (from FineCooking.com (2)). I think this salad would be great with grilled salmon as well; however, I would use a vegetable broth instead of chicken stock. This hoisin dressing is an excellent sauce for many grilled or pan-roasted meats.

If you cannot find hoisin sauce, or if you want to make your own as I do to avoid unwanted ingredients, see recipe, below.

I am avoiding yeast (common in some fermented foods), so I use Braggs liquid aminos instead of soy sauce, as it is not a fermented product. Or if using Tamari, add a bit of vodka, or simmer the Tamari for 5 minutes before using, to kill any yeast.

• 3 Tbsp homemade Chicken Broth or Mineral-rich Vegetable Broth; plus more, as needed
• 2 1/2 Tbsp hoisin sauce (see recipe below)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp Tamari sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos
• 2 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 1 tsp Dijon or Chinese mustard
• Unrefined sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in blender, and pulse several times, adding more broth/stock as necessary to achieve a silky consistency. Adjust seasoning and pulse again.

Hoisin Sauce

This recipe has been moved to its own page: Hoisin Sauce.

References:

1. Stevia: sweetleaf.com
2. GrilledSteak & Asparagus Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette recipe: finecooking.com/recipes/grilled-asparagus-steak-salad-hoisin-vinaigrette.aspx
3. Chinese Food.com Hoisin sauce recipe: chinese.food.com/recipe/homemade-hoisin-sauce-312992#ixzz1vS1YopZd
4. CD Kitchen Hoisin sause recipe: cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/420/Hoisin_Sauce12082.shtml
5. Salad Dressing 101: rebuild-from-depression.com/simplechange/produce/produce/saladdressing.html
6. Mercola: Rosemary infused vinegar: articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/10/22/a-homemade-rosemary-flavored-vinegar-that-s-absolutely-divine.aspx
7. Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon with Mary G. Enig, Ph.D.
8. Vegetarian Epicure I and II, and the New Vegetarian Epicure, by Anna Thomas
9. Cooks Magazine