The Best Oil Drizzles For Salads

Tasty dressings add a whole lot of excitement to your salad dish. One of the most commonly used salad dressings is oil. Aside from adding flavor, it also makes the dish more nutritious. It makes the fat-soluble vitamins as well as phytochemicals more usable to the body. One strategy to balance the amount of oil in the dish is to see to it that you place just enough oil to coat the leaves of the salad. This is best done by putting a minimal quantity of oil in a bowl, add the salad then toss very well. Aside from using less oil, the salad will taste better since it is evenly coated with dressing.

Best Salad Oils

Ideal oils used for salads contain significant amounts of monounsaturated fats. The most commonly used oil is olive oil. It is very popular and thus can be found anywhere. It is also reasonably priced and healthy. With only 73% monounsaturated fat and 9% omega-6 content, it is an all-around ingredient in most kitchens. Another popular oil used as salad dressing is canola oil. It is one of the healthiest cooking oils with a very high content of healthy unsaturated fats. It is also enriched in omega-6 fatty acid and linoleic acid. Sunflower oil is also used as a salad dressing for health purposes. Besides unsaturated fatty acids, it is also an excellent source of Vitamin E. Vitamin E is an essential fat-soluble vitamin and antioxidant responsible for protecting your cells from damage caused by free radicals. And more recently, Argan oil is also making a name for itself. This rare, nutty oil which is exclusively produced in Morocco is commonly used as a drizzle not just on salads but also on meat and fish dishes and soups as well. It also contains high amounts of essential fatty acids and antioxidants most especially Vitamin E. For a change, why don’t you try using this oil on your salads? Here are some simple salad recipes that you can easily make. Aside from its unique flavor, you can also enjoy the diverse health benefits it brings.

Tomato Salad With Mozzarella

This is an ideal complement to any chicken and fish dish. The colorful contrast of flavors: salty, nutty and tangy will enhance the flavor of the meat. Ingredients:

• ripe tomatoes, sliced
• mozzarella
• anchovies, include its oil
• 1 tsp of Argan oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• lemon to add some zest (optional)

Procedure:

1. Put the anchovies and its oil in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the sliced tomatoes and sliced mozzarella and mix evenly.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Drizzle with Argan oil and squeeze a few drops of lemon if desired. Serve.

Feta Cheese Salad

This is an interesting accompaniment to grilled meat especially steaks. The sharp flavor of the cheese and the zing of the dressing is a great buffer to a protein-loaded entree. Ingredients:

• 1 medium block of feta cheese
• 2 slices of toast
• 1 bag of mixed greens
• 2 tsp of Argan oil
• 1 tsp of honey
• paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• Dressing
• red wine vinegar
• Olive oil

Procedure

1. Combine the Olive oil, honey and paprika. Marinate the feta cheese in the mixture for about 10 minutes.
2. In another bowl, mix Argan oil and red wine vinegar to make the vinaigrette.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the mixed greens and toast lightly.
5. Place the marinated feta cheese on top of the slices of toast. Warm this in an oven until cheese is semi melted.
6. Put the toast and cheese on top of the salad and serve.