You may be able to tell from the title of this post that I like playing with lots of big bold flavours. I tend to try to add as many delicious and nutrient rich food items to the recipes I develop as I possibly can. Sometimes this works out and sometimes it’s a horrible, horrible mistake.
In this case, my last minute idea to add some avocados that were on the brink of ripeness to my recipe was a wonderful, creamy surprise.
I’m not going to lie, I tend to use this dressing as a bit of a nutritional tonic and eat it by the spoonful. Lots of the ingredients, such as the ginger and ACV, help improve the natural digestive process, so taking a couple spoonfuls before a meal is a delicious way to get your digestive juices flowing.
If you’re not quite at the same weirdo level as I am, this vinaigrette makes a great dip for spring and summer rolls, a yummy topping for various fishes, an excellent salad dressing, or even just a tasty veggie dip!
I love the creaminess and texture that the avocado adds to this dressing, but fear not! If you’re looking for a slightly less thick option, you can eliminate the avocados and it will still taste just wonderful. The most important thing whenever you’re cooking it to continuously taste as you go.
You may find your tastes favour a bit more salt or a bit less oil. Get tasting and you’ll be well on your way to creating your own culinary masterpieces. I’m a fan of a slightly more acidic dressing, so I tend to shy away from adding too much maple syrup or honey, but feel free to experiment until you find the ratio that works for you.
However, with that being said, try not to go overboard on the sweetener. We’re trying to make a healthy dipping sauce, not a sugar bomb 😉 Now onto the health benefits!
Apple Cider Vinegar
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!
1. When bought in the unpasteurized form with the mother (it’s similar to the SCOBY) it can help improve digestion and, uh, keep things moving south in a timely manner.
2. If you have a hard time digesting certain foods or suffer from heartburn, you can try taking a Tbsp. about 15-20 minutes before meals (in water if you don’t want the burn, but I just shoot it like a champ :P) to see if it helps.
3. It makes a great skin toner! Just add 1 part ACV to 10 parts water and use before bed. I had a monster breakout last weekend and it helped clear me up in a jiffy!
4. Certain studies have shown that consuming ACV with a meal can help balance blood sugar, which as we’ll see in upcoming posts is key to managing energy and inflammation.
Garlic
This delicious little fella packs quite the nutritional punch. Thanks to its sulfur content, specifically in the form of allicin, garlic has great anti-bacterial and antiviral properties and it totally helps boost antioxidant activity. These same sulfur compounds also help regulate inflammation in the body by inhibiting specific enzymes, lipoxygenase & cyclooxygenase, that generate inflammatory prostaglandins. Sciencey terms aside, garlic is generally just great for your body ☺
Onions
Like garlic, onions of all varieties contain sulfur and we already know how good naturally occurring sulfur-phytonutrients are for our bodies. Onions are also a sweet source of chromium, a trace mineral that your body needs to produce glucose tolerance factor. This mineral helps your cells respond to insulin and is, therefore, critical for blood sugar management.
Avocados
Dear, sweet nectar of the gods! Is anything more wonderful than a perfectly ripe avocado? These fatty fruits contain tons of beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids, which help promote healthy hearts. Avocados are also a great source of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure and fluid balance in the body. Getting enough potassium is one great way to help protect yourself from the risk of high blood pressure or stroke. It seems that avocados may love us as much as we love them!
Limes
Like other citrus fruits, limes are well known for their vitamin C content, which helps support a strong immune system. However, did you know that limes also contain flavonoids with strong antioxidants that contain antibiotic properties? These flavonoids have been shown to be protective against the contraction of cholera when consumed regularly. Now I know we don’t have too many incidents of cholera in North America, but any food that helps neutralize potentially harmful bacteria is a welcome addition to my diet! And to round out the benefits of limes, they contain certain phytonutrients called hesperidin and naringenin, whose intake has been associated with a lower risk of cerebrovascular diseases. Huzzah for limes!
Ginger
This delicious root contains special phytonutrients called gingerols (get it?) that have some pretty wicked anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger is also great for soothing digestive distress, soothing the intestinal tract, and reducing gas.
- 1 bunch green onion roughly chopped
- 1 avocado
- 1 inch of ginger chopped
- 1 clove of garlic peeled and roughly chopped
- zest and juice of one lime +juice of ½ lime
- 1/3- ½ cup apple cider vinegar I like a lot of vinegar punch!
- 1 tbsp. ground or Dijon mustard
- Honey to taste
- 1- cup healthy oil of choice olive, avocado, hemp, flax, chia, etc.
- Sea salt to taste
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Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl or food processor. Blend together (I use an immersion blender) until smooth.
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Once the first 8 ingredients are combined, slowly add oil while continuing to blend.
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Add a pinch of salt to taste. Chill and use within 7-10 days.
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Makes about 3 cups
Goes great with my Ginger Garlic Pork Burgers, Spicy Sesame Salmon Burgers, Veggie Pakoras, Crispy Quinoa Cakes, and Grain-Free Fish Cakes.
Well there you go friend! A super simple, incredibly nutritious, and crazy delicious dressing to pair with, well, whatever you choose.
In my opinion food is basically just a vehicle for various delicious sauces, dips, and dressings, so experiment, get crazy, and find new flavour combinations that excite you.
And if you’re looking for some more inspiration in the kitchen you can try out my FREE Build Your Own Buddha Bowl Cooking Class right here! You’ll receive a recipe guide, shopping list, & equipment list plus a demo on how to make Turmeric Coconut Rice, Glory Bowl Dressing, & Sweet & Salty Roasted Chickpeas. Get the class here!
As always, thank you for your love and support. Please stay safe and take care of one another!
Cait xo
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