Sketching Out Blog: Sketches of art, watercolor, photos, recipes, books, interviews, Jewish topics, and Highland Park, New Jersey

Create Salad Dressing with Olive Oil

radish watercolor painting
Radish, Kale, Parsely in watercolor by Leora Wenger, 2011

It is customary to eat foods with oil on Chanukah. However, one is not obliged to eat fried foods on Chanukah. Yes, yes, I will be serving latkes (potato pancakes) as well as sufganiyot (doughnuts, usually jelly doughnuts but we leave out the jelly). For this post, however, we will be creating salad dressing with olive oil. That way, one can fulfill the custom of eating foods with oil in a healthy manner (yes, first cold pressed olive oil, uncooked, is actually good for you). And why do we eat foods with oil on Chanukah? Because of the little vial of oil found in the Temple in the days of the Maccabees – the vial was only supposed to light the menorah for one day, but miraculously, it lasted for a whole eight days (thus, eight days of Chanukah).

So here are some salad dressing ideas:

  • Olive oil, raw apple cider vinegar, sea salt, turmeric, pepper and garlic powder
  • Olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper
  • Ilana-Davita’s Sweet and Tangy Dressing (balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sweet chili sauce, salt and pepper)
  • Rachel: crushed garlic, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, dried oregano (if your kids don’t mind “green stuff”) and olive oil
  • Rachel: lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper, and olive oil
  • Olive oil, honey, mustard, a little orange juice and a little vinegar, salt and pepper.
  • Ilana-Davita: balsamic vinegar, olive oil, soya sauce, lime juice, salt and pepper
  • Sandy: Cilantro or basil in the blender with vinegar and olive oil.

Get the idea? How do you dress your salad? If you comment and it fits the olive oil category, I’ll add it to the list.

Rachel says

crushed garlic, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, dried oregano (if your kids don't mind "green stuff") and olive oil

lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper, and olive oil

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Leora says

Yum, love those. My kids will pour oregano all over their homemade pizza; however, they still pass on the tossed salad. My daughter will make me a salad but not eat it herself. She has been seen using lettuce and onion on a sandwich, so there's hope for her.

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Batya says

good point, send to kcc, thanks

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Leora says

Submitted.

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abw says

Olive oil, honey, mustard, a little orange juice and a little vinegar, salt and pepper.

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Ilana-Davita says

Thank you for mentioning my post. Here is a variation: balsamic vinegar, olive oil, soya sauce, lime juice, salt and pepper)

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Michelle says

Interesting that she will eat onion but not salad..having lived with a picky eater I understand, but now I am the picky eater and my daughter is adventurous..I am going to try some of the salad dressings...

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Leora says

Yay for you, on trying the salad dressings.

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EG Wow says

Thanks for these ideas, Leora. I am now copying them to my computer. :))

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Leora says

You are welcome! Does your computer wash and toss the lettuce, too? ;-)

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miriami says

I just like plain olive oil with a little salt (sea salt if I'm being fancy). I finally figured out a few years ago that I don't like most salad dressings but I love olive oil! Happy hannukah!

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Leora says

Sounds great to me!

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Jill says

LOVE this painting! The kale and parsley have so much life and energy in them.

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Leora says

Thanks for the comment on the painting, Jill! I did a while ago (last spring?), but it gets used over and over. I have it on my FB profile page in the photostrip at top.

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Jewaicious says

My mouth is watering. These all sound wonderful.

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Jewaicious says

My gosh...that painting is absolutely beautiful. So classic, and it would look lovely hanging in a dining room.

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rutimizrachi says

Ooh! Ooh! I'm going to do a little cilantro dressing, à la Sandy, for this evening's salad of arugala, parsley, romaine and assorted baby lettuce greens. Leora, how I wish I'd known about this lovely painting before I wrote my kale article. The hidden talents of my cyber-buddies never cease to amaze me. :-)

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Leora says

Ruti, sometimes food inspires me to paint - particularly kale! I bet your salad will be beautiful as well as delicious.

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Please leave a comment! I love to hear from you.

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