Oil-Free Salad Dressings

Dear Dan,

For great salad dressings, WITHOUT any oil, I use XANTHAN GUM. It's a dietary fiber, and a component of commercial low-fat products, as well as a number of other grocery store items.

1/2 teaspoon in one cup of water produces the desired thickness. Use this the same way you would use oil (although I use more vinegar than normally recommended.) You can buy Xanthan gum at health food stores, or at www.kingarthurflour.com. It's a bit pricey, but remember a little goes a LONG way.

It takes a little coaxing to blend; I use a Bonjour
battery-powered emulsifier, but a mini-whisk will work.

I used to use the less expensive guar gum, but it has been pulled from the market place. If you can believe it, people wouldn't follow the instructions on adding enough water, when taking it as a dietary fiber supplement, and it would swell up in their stomachs and cause problems!! Too bad, since it also dissolved easier than the xanthan gum.

Sincerely,

Sanford B.

(Thanks for the neat tip! I'll have to try it!)





Do you have something to share with other Cook'n readers? Email your thoughts to us. Tell us about you and your family, and send us a picture. We'd love to hear from you...and who knows...perhaps you will be the star of the next newsletter!