If there's one thing I tell people to start making at home right away, it's dressing. Homemade salad dressing is as easy as whisking together olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. From that base, the possibilities of dressing are endless. While most people say you want a dressing that is 1 part acidity (lemon juice or vinegar) to 3 parts oil. My dressing tend towards 1:2 as it all depends on what you're adding to the dressing.
Herbs/Spices: Add a few fresh herbs like parsley, chives, or tarragon. Or, add a pinch of your favorite spices like cumin, coriander, or paprika.
Alliums: Swap out the shallots for minced or roasted garlic. Finely minced scallions also work well in the dressing.
Mustard: I love a teaspoon or so of stoneground mustard in my dressings. You could also add a pinch of mustard powder.
Yogurt/Mayo Turn this dressing into a creamy dressing by mixing in a few tablespoons of whole milk yogurt.
Nut/Seed Creams Similar to the yogurt, turn this into a cream based dressing by using cashew, sunflower, or hemp seed cream. Also, adding a dollop of nut/seed butters also works.
Miso/Ginger Whisk in fresh minced ginger and a teaspoon of miso. I also love to swap out the olive oil for toasted sesame oil- you have a wonderful dressing or stir fry finishing sauce!
Sweetener I like my dressings tart but you could add a pinch of sugar, honey, or brown rice syrup to help cut through the tang of the lemon.
Salads: Use the cashew cream in place of heavy cream to thicken cream soups.
Pastas: Use one of the variations like herbed cashew cream sauce or pesto cream sauce to toss with cooked pasta.
Grain Bowls: Use a spiced version or the cilantro cream sauce to top enchiladas sauce for a creamy version.
Roasted Vegetables: Use a variation of of the cashew cream sauce to top roasted or grilled vegetables.
I'm on the tart end of the vinaigrette spectrum as well - 1:3 just never seemed right for me. And, if there's one thing I've learned, it's all about the olive oil!