One thing I have just never bought is pre-made salad dressings. Often we eat our salads on their own or with a squeeze of lemon juice over them, but if we are looking for something special, I find it no trouble (and little expense) to whip up my own creation.

I was a little troubled recently when I saw a bottle of balsamic salad dressing that was packaged to look natural and good quality (although it didn’t make those claims) and when I looked at the  long list of ingredients it included vegetable oils, a long list of additive and sulfates.  I just did not understand why it needed all those nasties when its such a simple dressing!

Here are my quick (and much cheaper) versions of some favorite dressings that take less then a minute to shake up.

Balsamic Dressing

-1/4 cup of olive oil (good quality Australian extra virgin cold pressed oil)

-2 tablespoons balsamic dressing (good quality)

-1-2 teaspoons of wholegrain mustard (look for organic with ingredients you recognize- I use the Macro one which is not too expensive)

Put all the ingredients in a clean jar and shake. Serve!

Apple Cider Vinaigrette 

-1/4 cup of olive oil  (good quality Australian extra virgin cold pressed oil)

-2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (organic if you can)

-1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

Put all the ingredients in a clean jar and shake. Serve!

Italian Dressing

-1 clove of crushed fresh garlic

-1/8 teaspoon of black pepper

-1 teaspoon of oregano

-1 teaspoon of thyme

-3 teaspoons of lemon juice

-9oml of olive oil  (good quality Australian extra virgin cold pressed oil)

-30 ml of white wine vinegar

Put all the ingredients in a clean jar and shake. Serve!

Yogurt Dressing

-1 cup of natural yogurt (can add a small amount of milk to thin if desired)

-1 tablespoon of lemon juice

-2 tablespoons of chives

-1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

Stir all the ingredients in together and serve!

Enjoy!