Well-Traveled Salad Dressings and Marinades

As the summer heats up, quick salads and meals inspire my favorite international-style dressings, while maximizing the benefits of FoodTrients. Most of these dressings can also be used to marinate meat, chicken or seafood. You’ll notice that many of these dressings/marinades contain a small amount of mustard. Mustard serves as an excellent emulsifier to fully incorporate the oil and the acid.  It also tenderizes the protein you are using in the dish.

Sea Scallops Get a Taste of Asia

Scallops are such wonderful nuggets of protein with a sweet, nutty taste. Scallops are also low in calories, high in protein (19.5 g for a 3-oz serving), High in Omega3-3 fatty acids, vitamins B-12, iron, phosphorus, zinc and selenium. And they cook quickly!

BBQ Grilled Scallops with Grilled Asparagus 

Asian Marinade for Sea Scallops

Serves 4
Ingredients
1/3 cup avocado or sesame oil for marinade; 1 Tbs. for sauté pan
¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled smashed and chopped
1 tsp. Dijon or hot mustard
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 lb. fresh or frozen sea scallops

Instructions

1. If using frozen sea scallops, thaw in the refrigerator for 1 ½-2 days.
2. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together all the ingredients; add in the scallops and marinate under refrigeration for ½ hour.
3. Put 1 Tbs. of avocado or sesame oil in a large sauté pan and heat over medium high heat.
4. Add in the scallops and sear about 1 minute to 1 ½ minutes on each side till just cooked.
5. Serve with rice or soba noodles and stir-fried vegetables.

Try a Tangy Asian Dressing

This recipe is also Asian inspired and makes an excellent marinade as well as a dressing. It appears in my Age Gracefully cookbook. Ginger gives this dressing its flavor as well as amazing anti-inflammatory benefits and pain-reducing effects. It also relaxes body muscles, increases circulation, and aids digestion. Buy the whole gingerroot, then peel or cut off about an inch of the rough skin. Grate only as much ginger as you need, and put the root back into the refrigerator, ready to be peeled and grated for the next dish. I use this dressing with my Green Tea Noodles with Edamame and over my Spinach and Grapefruit Salad. It works well with any mixed green salad.

Tangy Ginger Dressing

Yield about ¼ cup

Ingredients

1 Tbs. grated gingerroot
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. mirin (seasoned rice wine)
1 Tbs. sesame oil
Dash of ground pepper

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a container with a tight-fitting lid and shake until well blended.

A Dressing from the South of France

Tarragon is an herb with long, dark leaves that has an almost anise flavor. It’s used a lot in French cooking and the classic French herb blend, fines herbes. The recipe below is great on a green salad or as a dip for fresh vegetables. If you double the fresh tarragon, add a quarter cup of walnuts or pine nuts and pulse in a food processor– voila! Pesto to spread on bread or toss into pasta.

French Lemon Vinaigrette with Tarragon

Makes about 2/3 cup

Ingredients

1 clove garlic – smashed, then chopped
1 Tbs. shallot, chopped
2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
Juice of 1 large lemon
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Using a whisk, mix all ingredients vigorously in a bowl. Store in a glass container with a lid.

A Creamy Avocado Dressing from Mexico

Mexican food doesn’t have to be those heavy, red, cheesy (though delicious) dishes like chile rellenos and enchiladas. This dressing (a slight variation of the Creamy Avocado Dressing that appears in the Age Gracefully cookbook) would be ideal on a salad of greens, black beans, baked cubes of sweet potato, and a healthy grain like quinoa. Or it could grace grilled shrimp or chicken tacos. The avocado provides healthy non-saturated fat and the cilantro is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial as well as having anti-inflammatory properties. It’s rich in potassium, which helps prevent cardiovascular disease by regulating blood pressure and it contains antioxidants, which protect cells from free radicals.

Creamy Mexican Vegan Avocado Lime Dressing

Yield: about 1 ½ cup

Ingredients

1 whole, ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1 cup chopped cilantro 1 large clove fresh garlic, peeled 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice 2 Tbs. olive oil ½ tsp. cane sugar or honey (if not vegan) ¼ tsp. sea salt ¼ tsp .freshly ground black pepper ¼ tsp. ground cumin.

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients except the water in a blender or food processor; pulse until thoroughly blended.
2. Add water to thin and scrape down sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more lime, salt, cumin or sweetener as desired.
3. Save the leftover dressing in a glass container with a tight lid in the refrigerator.

A Versatile Dressing/Marinade from Lebanon

Lebanese Garlic Lemon Dressing/Marinade – Lebanon
Yield: about ¾ cup

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves peeled, crushed and roughly chopped
½ tsp. coarse kosher salt
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, about 1 1/2 lemons
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp. zaatar seasoning (available at Mid-Eastern markets or make your own)
½ tsp. dried sumac
½ tsp. Dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Put all ingredients in a large glass or ceramic bowl and whisk vigorously. Store in a tightly closed glass container.

Fatoush Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Tbs. vegetable or avocado oil for frying
2 small (4-inch) pita breads, torn into pieces
3 Persian cucumbers, finely diced
3 cups halved grape tomatoes
½ red onion, finely diced
¾ cup chopped Italian parsley
¾ cup chopped fresh mint
1 tsp. ground sumac for garnish
2 oz. sheep’s milk Greek or Bulgarian feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place pita pieces into the skillet without crowding. Fry in batches until golden brown and blot dry with paper towels.
2. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, mint and Garlic/Lemon dressing in a large bowl. Gently toss salad with fried pita pieces. Add the crumbled feta cheese and toss again.
3. Note: to make the fatoush salad more substantial, add 1 cup of drained, rinsed garbanzo beans for protein and fiber.