Making your own fat free salad dressings and marinades

[kathy in California]

I've been searching and playing around with making my own fat free dressings for sometime. I've found that the basics to making your own fat free dressing are:

• Sour, like vinegar, orange, lemon or grapefruit juice
• Sweet, like stevia (organic sugar, honey and maple syrup in very small quantities
• Something to give it body, like mustard, ketchup, applesauce, fruit and spices
• Water, enough to make the dressing cover your salad
• A blender, which liquifies everything and adds air and froth

I like this one on Romaine lettuce:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1-2 packets of stevia (I like 2)
1T stoneground dijon mustard
1/2 -1 tsp fresh or dry Italian spices
1/4 cup of water

Blend in the blender

Happy salads! Kathy

[beeorlando]

Brenda,

Thanks so much for the salad dressing recipe!  You saved me!  I just can't eat a salad without dressing.  Last night for dinner I had a huge salad with romaine, spinach, celery, cucumber, tomato, and grilled chicken strips.  It was so tasty and took so long to eat I was tired of chewing.  When my husband started to question whether I was really on a diet, I informed him that I'm only getting 500 calories a day!  As I haven't told him or my friend, Janet, about the HCG I'm sure they're wondering how I can survive on so few calories!  Keep up guessing....

Carla

[bpratt555]

Hi Carla,
I was a ranch dressing nut so its been a little difficult--But yeah-Love the liquid aminos-Salty but good.And i like to even put alittle apple cider vinegar or squeeze a lemon or lime.
Yes i hit my 179.2 today-Day 5 for me!Im down 6 lbs but i had a turkey burger yesterday and im not so sure there wasnt added sugar in it.The scale said 180 at 4 when i got up with my husband-But at "the normal"weigh in time at 7 am i was 179.2---I got on the scale 5 times-Ok --its official---179.2 today.
Ill stick to chicken from now on.
Sounds like you are doing SUPER Carla!!Keep up the great job!

[kathy in California]

Carla and Brenda,

You guys are doing so well!!! Did you try my cider vinegar recipe last night or Brendas liquid amino recipe? The liquid aminos are also great for marinating your chicken or fish. I am starting my first day of the VLCD today. So, I am marinating my chicken to grill or poach for lunch with some liquid aminos, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper (and some chicken broth as an extender).

Kathy

[kathy in California]

The salad I had for lunch with my marinated chicken breast is iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, green onions and tomato. The dressing which I made for the first time right now is:

 1/4 cup of lemon juice
 1 packet of stevia
 1/4 cup of apple puree
 1/2 t curry powder
 1 clove minced garlic (I use a garlic press)
 a bit of minced ginger
 a bit of prepared horseradish
 enough water to extend it a little
 a couple squirts of liquid aminos

I poached the chicken in it's own marinade and some additional chicken broth, cut it into cubes and served it over the salad. It tastes so good, I don't even miss the oil!!! I feel like I just had a gourmet meal!!!!

[bpratt555]

Its funny you posted that recipe--I was just thinking--I wonder what it would be like if i put my apple in the food processor and i got out my ginger--That sounds just perfect..Yeah--I find im putting that darn aminos on everything!Love that flavor..This dressing sounds like it could be a new hit with me.Thanks Kathy!
I havent mixed veggies yet but am seriously considering-When i got my catabolics food list out it says to eat at least 10 on the list a day----WOW!So--I wont mix that many but maybe a couple----
While we are doing recipes--Im making right now
Scramble your hamburger--grate a zucchini in it,add tomotoes{diced}I put the kind that are spicy w/ green chilis and this is sooo good!!Usually you load it with cheese then pop in oven to melt but----we will skip the cheese part-For now---

[beeorlando]

Kathy,

I tried the apple cider vinegar recipe using mostly mustard.  It tastes like a spicy mustard dressing which poured over my chicken or steak salad tastes divine!  These big salads are really helping to keep me satisfied but I know I need to mix it up a bit as 20+ days of salads will get old.

I've never heard of liquid aminos. I assume they're at the health food store?

Hope your first day on the VLCD rocks!

Thanks,

Carla

[kathy in California]

Yep, Bragg's Liquid aminos are at the health food store and they taste alot like soy sauce. I just finished an apple and the leftover salad from lunch as a snack and I poured the left over poaching liquid from the chicken over it. Salads do get tiresome especially if you don't vary the type of lettuce. I try to alternate between iceberg, romaine, spinach and euro baby greens. Sometimes I put raw grated zucchini over it (I think I'll pretend its white cheese when I do  !), but I will always have tomato, green onion and cucumber.

For the last year or so I've pretty much had some kind of salad every day, but then I was able to add marinated artichoke hearts, three bean mixture, olives, peppers, carrots, eggs, sunflower seeds, creamy dressings and all kinds of stuff I won't be doing for the rest of the year.

[bpratt555]

After i got my hamburger done i realized i already ate the zucchini so i had a jar a kimchi-{ chinese spicy sweet cabbage in tomato sauce}So i added that--YUM!!!!That was pretty darn good--To the hamburger i added tons of spices-Im a spice nut=Love tarragon!Smells wonderful.Anyway---Thats what happened.
Everyone is doing so well---We all need to pat our backs!
My husband said tonite-hey-I can tell your butts getting smaller!I say---RIGHT ON!!Ill take that!!Ha Ha
20 more lbs would be heaven!   ill take 5 heck!Oh---I added 2 hoodias today to my program-to help curb the hunger-So far---ok.Im really realizing just how much i really did use to eat!Boy-I sure needed this wakeup call!!!

[kathy in California]

Isn't nice when the hubby notices? My husband casually asked me the other day, "so, how much weight have you lost?" It's a nice motivating factor when someone notices...

[beeorlando]

Great news Brenda!  The day my husband says my butt is smaller will be awesome! 

[bpratt555]

I laughed so hard Carla!!   He will!!I can know it.
And yes Kathy---Everyday hes like -How much did you lose-I want you to stay on this one!!You need this for your health---Heck-Im 43 never been to doc but to have 4 little monsters-Geez--Hes the one who drinks,Chews tobacco{yuk} AND has high blood pressure.

[beeorlando]

Brenda,

I can relate!  My husband has always been thin and never exercises.  He makes no secret of the fact he likes his women small but I question why did he marry me when I'm obviously the curvy type?  It has been a struggle and though we are happy I yearn for the day when I can achieve my ideal weight and wear the sexy lingerie I yearn to wear.  By my  calculations, I may reach my goal by mid-December.  Yahoo!

Carla

[kathy in California]

Carla, And then you can wear a sexy "santas little helper" number and wrap yourself up as a gift! he he he Kathy

[bpratt555]

Carla--Thats sounds OH SO FAMILIAR!! But the part where ill reach my goal mid December!n Ha ha ha I will  be super happy and might i add-"healthy" at 140---37 more lbs-Ya know---thats not to bad---just one more treatment.
The TEMPTATIONS--and i dont mean the singers! ---are out there in full force.I am really proud of myself-It really is pretty tough at times but im hangin in!!
Have a wonderful day----I like Kathys popsicle idea--i may try an icecube tray with a natural lime juice and a natural lemon juice and put in icecube trays -cover w/ celephane and stick a toothpick in it--Hey--you could add these to a cup of tea or water as well---We are not so dumb!!
Later----
oh-DUH---This is the start of day 7 --177.4--yesterday was 179---GAMES ON!! Got to love those 7's-