Sunday, October 16, 2011

A Good Homemade Dressing

I think the last time I had a store bought salad dressing in the house, it sat in the refrigerator for about a year before it finally made the final walk to the compost pile. It was so unflavorful nobody wanted to eat it. It was so expensive I didn't want to throw it out.

Making my own salad dressings is another step that adds to my time in the kitchen, but as far as I'm concerned, it's the only healthy, nutritious and delicious way to get salad dressing. So, that's why I choose to do it.

I've been making this Thousand Island Dressing for umpteen years. I have no idea where I got the recipe in the first place. It's Papa Pea's favorite so it makes an appearance on our table frequently.

It was kind of a mini celebration to make it today as it requires one hard-boiled egg. We have been suffering deep egg deprivation lately. But, just this past week, our older chickens have finally ended their strike, and our new pullets have started to lay. Yippee and wa-hoo, we once again have enough eggs to eat them regularly for breakfast and to splurge (how decadent) on a hard-boiled one for this dressing. Life is good.

THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chili sauce (or ketchup)
2 tablespoons minced ripe olives
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 chopped hard-boiled egg
2 teaspoons chopped parsley (using 1/2-1 teaspoon dried is fine)

Combine and mix all ingredients. Store dressing covered in the refrigerator.

If you get a chance to make it, I hope you like it as much as we do.

15 comments:

Dirt Lover said...

Ohhhh, my mom used to make this when I was growing up umpteen years ago! I love this dressing!
~~Lori

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

I don't think I have ever had thousand island dressing. As someone who also doesn't buy dressing I might just need to try this. Sounds very interesting.

Mama Pea said...

Lori - Ha! I'm betting your mom and I are the same age! Maybe it was popular in the '60s (that's when I started cooking) and we both saw the recipe?

Jane - It's not a "light" dressing texture or calorie-wise. We use it a lot when a tossed salad is all we're having for a meal. It seems to add "substance" to a salad! Hope you like it.

Claire said...

My favorite dressing: straight up balsamic vinegar! No olive oil, just the vinegar. I love it!
On a side note, did you take your header picture???? It is GORGEOUS! I see were dear daughter gets her talent!

Mama Pea said...

Claire - Methinks I'll have to try the straight up balsamic vinegar! I do love vinegar, but unfortunately Papa Pea does not. He doesn't even like most vinaigrettes because of the vinegar.

I did take the header photo, and I thank you. But if I have any photographic talent, I get it by osmosis from dear daughter. She's head and shoulders above me there!

Freedom Acres Farm said...

Yum! We too make all our own salad dressings. Our fav Thousand Island is from the More with Less Cookbook. I love that cookbook!

Mama Pea said...

Freedom Acres - Isn't that just the greatest book? My copy is well worn, too.

Sparkless said...

How long does this last in the fridge? I'm thinking no more than three days with that chopped egg in it.
We usually make our own oil and vinegar dressings or balsamic vinegar, oil and parmesan with spices. I only make creamy dressing for dips but I really should make this because we buy Thousand Island for the daughter who will only eat one type of dressing.

Sue said...

Thousand Island is my favorite--so this recipe is certainly going to be used. I confess-I've always bought salad dressing because I thought .....well, heck, I don't know. Maybe I just DIDN'T think ?

We're sending off the little guy today. I'm sad. And overjoyed.
Two years old.....they pack a lot of energy in those little legs!
:D

judy said...

thousand island is my husbands favorite-everything ,even mayo is tangy to him now so ,but wait,just wait-I know he will enjoy this one

Susan said...

That sounds so delicious! I will have to make it when I get an egg to hard boil. Some time in April, the way things are going.

Leigh said...

Thank you! I love 1000 Island, though my DH does not. He's strictly an olive oil and balsamic vinegar guy. I'll have to try your recipe.

Jenyfer Matthews said...

Is the egg required? I love them, but my husband does not.

If we use dressing, it's oil and balsamic vinegar, but I often just eat salad plain.

Patty said...

Looks good! When our new hens start laying maybe I'll celebrate with this dressing too! :)

Mama Pea said...

Sparkless - I keep mine in the frig for a week with no problem. If it lasts that lone. (Least it hasn't killed us yet!) I've also cut the recipe in half when I thought we weren't going to be having salads to use it up quickly. This homemade version will probably taste quite a bit different than the store bought variety, but I hope your daughter likes it.

Sue - Well, ya know, we all have our own habits of what we make at home and what we buy ready made. Some of which doesn't make much sense! (To anyone else but ourselves, of course!)

Hope your recuperation period from having your little grandbabe with you goes quickly. ;o]

judy - When someone isn't feeling well, anything we can do for them is great!

Susan - Kinda makes you wanna go out and shake (squeeze?) a chicken, doesn't it?

Leigh - Hope you like it! I had never tasted Thousand Island Dressing until I went away to school. Sunday nights in the cafeteria was salad bar night and I think I ate more of their fantastic Thousand Island Dressing than salad!

Jen - Sure, you can leave the egg out . . . probably without much change in flavor!

You and my brother eating your salads without dressing. Never could understand that!

Patty - Pretty pitiful when we have to wait to make a recipe until we have ONE LITTLE EGG, isn't it? :o]