Homemade Salad Dressings

Calcium disodium EDTA. Xanthum gum. High fructose corn syrup. Soybean lecithin. Sulfites. Yum! Now there's a list of fantastic ingredients that really gets my mouth watering. You, too?

This is just a partial list of some of the ingredients that go into store-bought salad dressings. Here you are, going to all of the trouble of eating healthy by making a salad, and you top it with a salad dressing that has an ingredient list right from the laboratories of Dow Chemical. Really? While you're at it, have a little bite of salad and wash it down with a chilled glass of windshield washer fluid.

Making fresh salad dressing at home is one of the easiest things on earth. Plus, you get to control the ingredient list so that only good stuff goes in your dressing. Extra virgin olive oil. Vinegar made from fine, white wine grapes. Fresh ground mustard. Now we're talking.

The simple dressings below are meant to be made fresh and consumed immediately. Extra virgin olive oil coagulates in the refrigerator, so don't bother storing any of these. Let your imagination run wild and add your favorite ingredients to these basic recipes.

• OIL and VINEGAR: Whisk 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil with 2 tablespoons of red or white wine vinegar. Add 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
• LEMON and OIL: Whisk 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil with 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Add 1 clove of finely minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
• LIME VINAIGRETTE: Whisk 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Add 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
• RED HOT PEPPER VINAIGRETTE: Whisk 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil with 2 tablespoons of red or white wine vinegar. Add 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
• MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE: Whisk 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil with 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar. Add 2 tablespoons fresh ground or dijon mustard, 1 clove of finely minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. 
• TARRAGON MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE: Whisk 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil with 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar. Add 2 tablespoons fresh ground or dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons dried tarragon, 1 clove of finely minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. 
• BLUE CHEESE: Whisk 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil with 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Add 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons milk, 2 cloves of finely minced garlic, 4 ounces of crumbled blue cheese and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. 
• ASIAN VINAIGRETTE: Combine 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Mix well.
• BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE: Whisk 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Add 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.