Honey Mustard Dressing

I don't buy a lot of bottled salad dressing because it's just so easy to make and it tastes so much better.  (I do live with a couple of serious Hidden Valley Ranch lovers though, so I do keep that stocked in the frig.)   

I found this recipe for Honey Mustard dressing on anoregoncottage.com.  As you might assume, the key ingredients are honey and mustard - along with a few other things.  It's super simple to make and it's really yummy.  I make mine in a smoothie blender because it's easy to clean and a perfect size for salad dressing.

Honey Mustard Dressing

• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/4 c. Dijon
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tb. lemon juice
• 1/3 c. rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 3/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt (or to taste)

Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil and salt in a blender (or food processor). Blend until mixed, about 30 seconds.

With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream, blending until the dressing is smooth and creamy.
Taste and add salt if desired.

 Pour into a squeeze bottle.

 Serve on the salad of your choice.

I LOVE summer salads.   Romaine, spinach, cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds and honey mustard dressing - oh my!  This salad just screams summer.  Bring it on.

Ciao!

Blue Cheese Dressing

I've got my tomatoes planted in my garden and I can hardly wait to start harvesting my own fresh tomatoes. 

I'm so excited about my tomatoes in fact that I've already started planning out how I am going to eat them.  Sandwiches, salads, fresh tomato sauce, salsa - oooohh the possibilities. 

I tend to prefer really simple recipes for fresh garden tomatoes - drizzled with a little bit of dressing sprinkled with fresh basil= tomato perfection.

I made a batch of homemade blue cheese dressing for Ryan's graduation party and in anticipation of the bumper crop of tomatoes that I am going to have this summer (Yes, I am optimistic.)  I thought I would try it out on some supermarket tomatoes. 

Now that I have a jar of blue cheese in my refrigerator, I am even MORE excited about my garden tomatoes.  

Blue Cheese Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
8 ounces crumbled blue cheese

Whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream.

Whisk in vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

Stir in cheese.

Spoon into dishes to serve or store in mason jar.

 Bring on the tomatoes!

Ciao!

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch

I don't want to name any names but there is a certain member of my family who is OBSESSED with Ranch Dressing.  This particular (15 year old) person is partial to Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing and I have to admit - it's not my dressing of choice.

One would assume from the amount of salad dressing that she consumes that this person eats a tremendous amount of salad.  Not true, however.  She eats Ranch dressing with --- chicken - regardless of what kind of chicken it is or what sauce it may already have on it.   On the plus side, she will eat just about any chicken that I serve her, as long as there is a side of Ranch to go along with it.

We go through a LOT of Ranch dressing in this house so I thought I would start making my own for a change.  I found a recipe from The Pioneer Woman for a homemade buttermilk ranch dressing that looked pretty good so I thought I would give it a try.  The real test was when I offered it to the Ranch connoisseur to see if it measured up to Hidden Valley standards.  Surprisingly, she really did like this dressing.  As an added bonus, it makes a really great dip for carrots and other vegetables too.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 garlic clove

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 buttermilk
1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf Parsley
1 tbsp Fresh Chives
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Pour into a squeeze bottle and enjoy.

I think that you'll agree, this dressing is even BETTER than it's store bought counterpart.

Ciao!