Moo's Vinaigrette Dressing

1 cup vinegar (you can cut this with some lemon juice if you prefer)
1 T sea salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 cups olive oil
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl, mix vinegar (or vinegar/lemon juice), salt, sugar, mustard, garlic and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Refrigerate in a tightly covered jar.

Moo's Garlic Cream Salad Dressing

Here's a simple salad dressing that goes great with sliced cucumbers and onions. It's one of Moo's original palate pleasers.

Mix frozen lemonade concentrate with sour cream or plain yogurt. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and crushed garlic cloves.

Niki Dragon Raspberry Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

Niki put this one together, and I've replaced the canola oil with olive oil. It's a great palate pleaser.

3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 - 2 tsp. honey
1/2 - 1 tsp. curry powder
Fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste
1 1/2 T poppy seeds

Mix ingredients. Put aside to allow flavors to mingle and merge. Store in refrigerator.

Moo's Lemon Spice Dressing

This is an excellent salad dressing.

1/3 cup soft tofu
1/2 lemon, unpeeled and cut into pieces
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup white wine

Combine all ingredients, except the wine, in a blender until smooth. Add wine to desired consistency. Allow flavors to mingle and merge for several hours before using.

Moo's Honey Dressing

Try making your own rather than buying a bottle of something at the store. Replace Miracle Whip with a vegan version of mayo for a vegan dressing.

3/4 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup honey
1 T lemon rind, finely grated
3/4 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. fresh ginger, grated

Mix all ingredients in blender. Make ahead to allow flavors to mingle and merge. Keep in the refrigerator.

Moo's French Dressing

Again, try making your own salad dressing for a palate pleasing treat. Moo's recommendation: "Always try to get a good vinegar."

1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 can tomato soup
1 can olive oil
1 cup vinegar

Mix all ingredients together in blender. Make ahead to allow flavors to mingle and merge. Keep in the refrigerator.

Moo's Own Russian Dressing

Believe me homemade Russian Dressing beats most anything you'll buy in a jar. And if you replace the Miracle Whip with a vegan mayo and leave out the hard-boiled eggs, this is a true vegan Russian Dressing.

1 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 cup catsup
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients together. Keep in the refrigerator.

Moo's Maui Papaya Salad

On one of the family's trips to Hawaii, Moo had a room with a small kitchen. And she had access to all the wonderful fruit and seafood. This recipe was the result. A Hawaiian palate pleaser.

1 head lettuce, torn to bite-size pieces
1 bunch watercress, stems removed
1 pound cooked shrimp, lobster, crabmeat (any one or all)
1 papaya, peeled, halved, seeds removed
1 can hearts of palm

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 T white vinegar
2 T ketchup
salt and pepper to taste

Select a very fresh, flavorful lettuce, mound seafood in center. Slice papaya and arrange in a pinwheel around the seafood. slice palm heart and arrange around seafood. Decorate center with a few watercress leaves.

Moo's Cauliflower Salad

This is a vegetable salad of cauliflower, celery and onion (I think you could easily add some sliced carrots too). Moo received this recipe from a friend, but she then took the recipe apart and recreated it. The lemon dressing makes it a Moo palate pleaser.

fresh cauliflower, sliced
celery, sliced
raw onion, chopped
salt & pepper

Lemon Dressing
2 large lemons, use juice of both and grated rind of one
2 T sugar
3 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 cup sour cream

Lightly beat the egg yolks and set aside. Combine lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Reserve the rind. Bring ingredients slowly to a boil, swirling the pan to dissolve the sugar. Stir a little of the hot juice into the egg yolks to warm them. Return all the egg mixture to the juice saucepan over low heat. Whisk briskly until the eggs have thickened slightly. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in sour cream and rind. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Pour over vegetables, mix well and serve.

Imperial Moo Chicken Salad

This is a palate pleasing salad with an Asian flavor.

2 large chicken breasts, boned
1/3 cup sherry
1/4 cup soy sauce
6 thin slices ginger

Olive oil for frying

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
6 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

2-3 ounces of Chinese rice sticks or bean thread

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1 T plus 1 t. soy sauce
3 t. sesame oil
2 t. dry mustard
2 t. sugar
1 t. fresh ginger, minced
1/2 t. hot chili oil

Combine sherry, soy sauce and ginger slices to create marinade. Marinate chicken breasts for several hours (overnight, if possible). Turn chicken breasts over a couple times. When ready to cook, drain chicken breasts, pat dry and lightly salt. Then coat with cornstarch. Refrigerate for an hour to allow cornstarch to set.

Heat olive oil in skillet and deep fry chicken breasts for about 5 minutes per side or until golden and crisp and cooked through. Drain chicken on paper towel then slice into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add lettuce, scallions, almonds, sesame seeds.

Heat olive oil in skillet or wok. Deep fry rice sticks or bean threads. They will puff up very quickly. Drain, salt lightly and add to salad. Mix dressing ingredients, add to salad, toss and serve.

Blue Cheese Dressing

This is a delicious blue cheese dressing for any salad. But while I like it on greens, I adore it on cold pear slices (either fresh or canned). An unusual palate pleaser.

1/4 cup wine vinegar
1/8 t. pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 t. salt
3/4 and 2 T. olive oil
1/2 cup apple sauce

Combine vinegar, salt and pepper in blender. Slowly add oil while running blender at low speed. Add sour cream, apple sauce and blue cheese. Blend until smooth.

Shandy's Curried-Maple Salad Dressing

Okay, I have to admit that Shandy was an Airedale, and she didn't eat salads or salad dressing. However, she was a peanut butter freak. My sister, on the other hand, does love salads, and she came up with this recipe. Shandy was her dog...hence the name. It's another delicious palate pleaser of a curry-based dressing for which you'll find dozens of uses.

1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T cider vinegar
2 T maple syrup
2 T soy sauce
2 t. curry powder
1 t. shallot, minced
1 t. garlic, minced
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Whisk together vinegars, maple syrup, soy sauce, curry powder, shallot, garlic and mustard. Then add the oil in a slow stream while whisking to emulsify.

All-Purpose Ginger Sauce

This sauce is good for dipping, marinating, sasting and even as a salad dressing. It was one of Moo's staples. Try it...you'll like it. More importantly, you find dozens of ways to use it and give a little distinction to an ordinary dish. I have friends who use it and literally come up with new uses for it every day. This palate pleaser is becoming a staple in their kitchen too.

2 inch piece of ginger, remove skin and chop coarsely
½ cup oil, your choice (I prefer a good olive oil)
¾ cup soy sauce
1 small wedge of orange, seeded
½ small onion, sliced
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 small wedge lemon, seeded
Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth. Serve as a dipping sauce for steak, chicken, seafood or salad dressing.