These are my favourite dressings at the moment and they don’t take long to prep. I normally make just enough for the meal or there might be some left over that will keep in the fridge for a week or so.
Honey, Lime and Mustard
This is a versatile mix – it can be used without the olive oil as a coating for chicken or salmon before roasting.
1 heaped teaspoon of honey (I use raw honey from Hilltop available from Tesco)
1 tsp of wholegrain mustard
juice of 1 lime, more if needed
50 ml olive oil to make this into a dressing
salt and pepper to season
You can put the ingredients into a jam jar and shake it all up (make sure lid fits tightly!) taste and adjust balance if needed – more honey or more lime, then season.
Sun-dried Tomato and Basil dressing
I use this in a puy lentil, red pepper and feta salad, but its also good mixed with chopped fresh tomatoes and used as a relish for burgers.
2-3 sun-dried tomatoes (I use Merchant)
25 ml basil infused olive oil
50 ml olive oil
1/2 clove garlic (optional)
1/4 tsp dried oregano (optional)
freshly ground black pepper.
Soak the sun – dried tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes to soften and re-hydrate about 10 minutes is usually enough. Drain and place all the ingredients together in a jug and blend using a stick blender. Alternatively, chop the tomatoes and garlic (if using) as finely as you can and mix with the other ingredients.
Thai dressing
Great on noodles of any kind – add chopped red chilli for heat and the obligatory chopped coriander. and if you want to make this pad thai style add 1 tbsp peanut butter!
1 stalk fresh lemongrass finely sliced (or 1 level tbsp ready pureed)
1 garlic clove
fresh ginger (twice as much as the garlic)
1 tbsp fish sauce (can be omitted if vegetarian)
juice of a lime, more if needed
squeeze of honey
100 ml olive oil
pinch of salt if needed
Place all ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. Taste and adjust the sour and saltiness with more lime or salt.