Our family has been hit hard with illness this month, but we are finally emerging from the fog of norovirus, flu, bronchitis and pneumonia. It feels so good not to feel bad! I tend to be a tad melodramatic and channel Emily from Thornton Wilder’s classic American play Our Town whenever I’m very sick, proclaiming my love and appreciation for all the ordinary things in life from beyond my imaginary grave: Mama’s sunflowers, food and coffee, new ironed dresses and hot baths….and sleeping and waking up! (Not that I’ve seen an iron or a dress in many years myself). Even the little mundane tasks like dishes, laundry and grocery shopping felt wonderful to accomplish once my energy returned.
As I languished in my sick bed, I made a commitment to healthier living. More salads, less cookies. I made this dressing for the first time last month in an effort to replicate the ginger dressing served at our favorite sushi place. Even though I didn’t hit the mark exactly, I’m still very pleased with the results. I made some again today and tweaked it a bit further. The peanut oil really gives it a nice richness and body, but there is only a 1/4 cup of it, so it’s not too unhealthy — especially compared to bottled dressings.
Dawn’s Ninja Ginger Dressing, yields 1 1/2 cups
2 inch piece of fresh ginger
1/2 medium onion
1 whole carrot
one clove of garlic, peeled
juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
In a heavy duty blender or food processor, combine all ingredients until smooth.
Mom Mom's Apron 
This looks fantastic. Peanut allergy here – what oil would you suggest as a substitute?
Hi Barbz! I would either substitute with light olive oil or canola. Let me know what you think.
What kind of salad would you put it on? I like the idea of the dressing just not sure of the salad contents or am I clueless/
Today I just put it on mixed field greens with cucumber, tomato and onion. Simple! Later in the day I used a little as a dip for my baby carrots. Tomorrow I will probably mix it with some leftover bagged cole slaw cabbage which I should use soon or throw out. No rules, but it’s pretty strong stuff, so I’d suggest plainer salads.
Yum! Just whipped up a batch and it is zingy – this recipe is a keeper. I wouldn’t have thought of adding Greek yogurt but I think that’s the key.
So glad you liked it! Do you think one whole tablespoon of Sriracha is too much? We have crazy-high tolerance so sometimes I tend to overdo it on the hot. But it tastes perfect to me!