Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce and Italian Salad Dressing

Have you ever looked at the ingredients in any bottle of salad dressing? I did and still do. And guess what? I can't find any salad dressing without one or more questionable ingredients like xanthan gum, citric acid, ascorbic acid or caramel color. These are the ingredients I've tried so hard to avoid in prepackaged foods ever since Camden outgrew his food intolerance.

When I make chicken nuggets or have a mixed salad, I have to come up with my own version of a dipping sauce or a salad dressing. Brek prefers to have his chicken nuggets with honey mustard. I thought about it and figured out that I could maybe make my own. And I did. Super easy ingredients to put together. The difference is that I prefer using agave than honey. So testing out my honey mustard sauce with agave or honey and see which one you prefer best. My honey mustard dipping sauce is a bonus as a salad dressing.

For a salad dressing? That one was easy too. I luv Italian flavor. I couldn't figure out what was in the salad dressing that I had at the local Mediterranean restaurant. After I reviewed several Italian salad dressing recipes, I realized that they had pretty much the same ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, and salt. I tested and mixed my own version, and it turned out really tangy (my favorite flavor). 

To make a tasty dipping sauce or salad dressing, I do use good brand of products. For mayo, I luv Sir Kensington's classic mayonnaise. I've used their classic ketchup for awhile, which is perfect for a pizza sauce. When I saw their mayo on the shelf, I gave it a try and really loved the creaminess. Keep in mind that their mayonnaise has egg and white vinegar (from corn).

My attempt of making yellow mustard was a big fail. So I was overjoy (yes, my heart skipped a beat) when I found Eden Foods yellow mustard. Their mustard is made from apple cider vinegar. This is a big plus for me because that means it is corn free. So I've used their yellow mustard since Camden was still super sensitive to corn. When it comes to red wine vinegar, I'm not much of an expert. Well, not at all actually. Since I luv Eden Foods products so much, I decide to try their red wine vinegar. For one good reason, it only contains two ingredient. And you know what? It's organic and isn't that expensive from other non-organic brands.

Ok, let's make some sauce and dressing. Oh yeah, feel free to make changes to my recipes and add your own twist of flavor. Remember, I luv my savory foods on the sour side.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce (or Salad Dressing)
serve 2

2 Tablespoons (0.8 oz) mayo
1-2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
agave (or honey) to taste

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Italian Salad Dressing
serve 4 - 6

1/4 cup (2 oz) extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (2 oz) red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Whisk all ingredients together. Keep in it a pretty bottle at a room temperature for up to 14 days. NOTE: Vigorously shake the Italian salad dressing before pouring it over the mix salad.

Allergy Info: These dipping sauce and salad dressing are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, wheat, and fish.