Salad Dressings 101

3 things that make up a basic Salad dressing:

Fat: Oil, cream, cheese, egg, etc. *ratio of 3:1 or sometimes 2:1 with the acid
Many vitamins in salad greens are fat-soluable, so they need the fat to absorb the nutrients

Acid: vinegar or citrus fruit

Seasoning/flavor: salt, sugar, garlic, etc.
To take the bite off the acid add sugar (or jam, honey, maple syrup, fruit juice or concentrate, etc.)

I'll include a few salad dressing recipes so you can make the traditional ones at home, instead of buying (Italian, Ranch, etc.). Don't be afraid to explore your options though.
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These recipes will cover more 4 cups or more of salad - enough to serve a family or small dinner party.

Lemon Vinaigrette: Juice one lemon into container, straining the seeds. Add about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Shake well to combine. This is good on salads, but equally good on steamed vegetables for side dishes.

Avocado Vinaigrette: Place into container - avocado (whole small one or half of a large one), 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon water (or 2 if not opting for wine), 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. If you are planning to mix by shaking, use a fork first to mash the avocado, then cover and shake. Otherwise, use a hand blender or food processor to blend until smooth.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette: Add to container - 3 tablespoons pomegranate juice, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Shake well to combine. Garnish your salad with pomegranate seeds to enhance the flavor of the dressing.

Caesar Salad Dressing: Add to food processor, blender or container wide enough for your hand blender - 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 garlic clove (crushed), 1 sardine (optional), 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste and the juice of 1 lemon. Process until smooth and creamy. Cesare salad is traditionally served with romaine lettuce, croutons, shaved Parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper. Juice one lemon into container, straining the seeds. Add about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Shake well to combine. This is good on salads, but equally good on steamed vegetables for side dishes.

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Check out this post of the top 7 salad dressings to make and ideas of what to put int he salad: click here