This Salad Dressing Like Olive Garden’S

Dear Tina: My husband and I are crazy about the Olive Garden’s famous salad and salad dressing. I have tried countless times to imitate it on my own but the closest I’ve come to it is the chilled salad plates. Would you please help locate the recipe for us? - Sheila, Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Dear Sheila: Here’s a home version of the restaurant chain’s popular dressing. It can be used on any mixed green salad or as a marinade.

Olive Garden Italian Salad Dressing

From “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes” by Todd Wilbur (Plume, 1997). Pectin, usually used in jams and jellies, is the secret to thickening the dressing.

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup corn syrup

2-1/2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

2 tablespoons dry pectin

2 tablespoons beaten egg, or liquid egg substitute (see note)

1-1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Pinch of dried oregano

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Combine all of the ingredients with a mixer on medium speed or in a blender on low speed for 30 seconds. Chill at least 1 hour.

Yield: 12 (2-tablespoon) servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 92 calories, 7 grams fat (68 percent fat calories), 1 gram protein, 7 grams carbohydrate, 12 milligrams cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 269 milligrams sodium.

Note: Because of the possible threat of salmonella (a bacteria that causes food poisoning) from raw eggs, health officials recommend that the very young, the elderly, pregnant women and people with serious illnesses or weakened immune systems not eat raw or lightly cooked eggs. Liquid egg substitutes, which are pasteurized, are a safer alternative.

Dear Tina: I lost my house in a fire, and my recipes went with it. I was wondering if there were any recipes you had for banana bread with lemon juice in it. The recipe I had used lemon juice, and it made a big difference in the way the bread tasted. - Debbie, Spokane

Dear Debbie: I located this relatively healthy version on the The Internet Chef, a great Web site for recipes.

Lighter Banana Bread

From The Internet Chef (www.ichef.com).

3 ripe bananas

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 egg

2 egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with vegetable cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with wax paper and spray lightly again.

Puree the bananas with the lemon juice. Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the egg, egg whites, sugar, oil and buttermilk. Beat in the pureed banana. Slowly add the flour mixture, beating just until blended.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. Test for doneness. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes before unmolding. Cool on a rack before cutting.

Yield: 14 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 207 calories, 8 grams fat (35 percent fat calories), 3 grams protein, 31 grams carbohydrate, 13 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram dietary fiber, 233 milligrams sodium.