Homemade Ranch Dressing

This Homemade Ranch Dressing is creamy, tangy, and delicious.  You probably already have all of the ingredients in your home, and it's so easy to make.  It not only tastes better and fresher than the store-bought stuff, it's a healthier alternative because it doesn't include seed oils, added sugar, and MSG.  Simply whisk together the ingredients and enjoy right away or later.  This dressing tastes better the next day after the ingredients have had a chance to mingle.  Store it in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  

Ingredients: 

Yields 12 oz dressing 

Serving size: 2 tbsp

(< 1 carb per serving)

• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1/2 c full-fat plain Greek yogurt, or 1/2 c mayonnaise 
• 1/4 c milk
• 1 tbsp white vinegar, or 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, or 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh dill, or 1/2 tsp dried dill
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Combine and whisk together all of the ingredients.  Chill in the refrigerator. 

Enjoy!

Pan-Fried Cod with Farro Salad in Champagne Vinaigrette

My husband and I celebrated 11 years of marriage this past Valentine's Day!  We look forward to a romantic getaway every year, but once the celebrating is over, we come to the grim realization that we have to endure the long, bitter winter that just seems to go on and on... and on and on... like a bad run-on sentence.  You know it's brutal out when the school districts are closed because of the low temperatures.  The frigid weather sends me into complete hibernation mode, and all I want to do is bundle up all day with a hot cup of tea.  I'm happy to report that I've already gained my usual 5-pound winter weight, and I justify it by telling myself that the only practical thing to do is embrace the extra layer of insulation.  It takes everything in me to muster up motivation for exercise this time of year.  My daydreams have ever increasingly consisted of playing tennis under the hot son, or running on the trail next to my little sous chef.  

Speaking of running, I enrolled my daughter in Girls on the Run!  It's a program that "inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running."  Once it's completed, she and I will run our first 5K together!  More about that another time.

Because my exercise routine is rather unstable this time of year, eating healthy is a must.  Once a week, I incorporate fish into our meal rotation, and I'm always looking for different ways to present it to my family.  I've been experimenting with farro recently, and I decided to pair the two for dinner.  Farro is a wonderfully chewy and hearty grain that has a delicious nutty flavor.  It holds up well in soups and stews, and is a great substitute for pasta.  Farro is high in fiber, a rich source of vitamins B and E, and can stimulate your immune system and lower cholesterol.

This farro salad is dressed in a delicious champagne vinaigrette and seasoned with thyme, parsley, and rosemary.  A touch of freshly squeezed orange juice is added to brighten up the flavor.  Fresh tomato and artichoke are tossed in along with some minced onion for a little crunch factor.  This is a delicious salad that's hearty, healthy, and full of flavor.  It can can be enjoyed warm or cold.  I can't wait to use farro in my Tuscan Soup next time!    

Peach Poppy Seed Vinaigrette over Strawberry, Feta & Walnut Salad

We've been doing some spring cleaning of our diets recently, especially since I've gained my usual 5-pound winter weight.  I'm very anxious to get back on the tennis courts and bike trail again!  I had a beautiful package of mixed baby greens in the fridge and was in the mood for a light and refreshing salad.  I decided to use up my remaining strawberries, toss in some feta, and add some toasted walnuts.  But it needed something to bring it all together.  I found about 3 tablespoons of peach preserves that I had to use up, so I decided to make a peach vinaigrette with poppy seeds.  This dressing is seriously bangin!

Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing & Crispy Chicken

"And mom and dad can hardly wait for school to start again."  As a child, I always thought that phrase from the popular Christmas song was rude and couldn't understand it.  What was so wrong with being out of school for winter break?  Now that I am a parent of a child in school, I completely understand.  Don't get me wrong -- I absolutely adore having my daughter home with me all day.  However, I definitely do not adore how messy the house gets when she's home all day!  Also, I find myself with less time for housework, errands, cooking, etc., especially when I'm constantly being begged to play with her and the millions of Christmas gifts she received.  Days like these call for quick meals.

This salad is made in under 30 minutes and is super tasty.  Oh, and the dressing is pretty addicting if I do say so myself!

Shaved Salad with Prosciutto in Balsamic-Dijon Vinaigrette

Crispy, shaved vegetables with salty prosciutto bits in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette topped with crumbled feta cheese yields a delicious and healthy salad.  This is a beautiful, elegant side that compliments just about any entree.  I served mine with roasted beef tenderloin.  Shaved cucumber and purple cabbage are also nice additions to any shaved salad.  For a vegetarian spin, simply leave out the prosciutto.

Creamy Cheddar Chipotle Sauce

One Year Ago:  Baked Spiced Apples with Walnuts

This recipe is my attempt at duplicating my favorite store-bought (expensive) chipotle sauce and I must say that it turned out fabulous!  It is creamy, smoky, mildly spicy and highly addicting!  I have to be careful with this in the house because our diets tend to go out the window with it around!  I have used this as a salad dressing; as a dip for crackers, chips, pretzels, bread, vegetables, etc.; mixed in with ground beef for my taco salad; and as a sauce with chicken dishes.  My husband pretty much uses it on everything and anything he can get his hands on.  Like I said, addicting.  

Thousand Island Dressing

Because I only use Thousand Island Dressing in Reuben sandwiches, I make my own.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c mayonnaise
  
• 1/4 c ketchup
• 1/2 c sweet pickle relish (I had none on hand, so I used 3 spears of kosher dill pickles, finely chopped)
  
• Pinch salt
• Pinch pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients well in a bowl. Viola!

Homemade Italian Seasoning Mix / Italian Salad Dressing

Homemade Italian Seasoning Mix:

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp garlic salt
• 1 tbsp onion salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil
  
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp celery salt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and store in sealed container.

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Homemade Italian Dressing:

Ingredients:

• Italian seasoning mix (as above)
  
• 1/4 c white vinegar
• 2/3 c oil
• 2 tbsp water

Directions:
Whisk vinegar, oil and water with 2 tablespoons of the dry mix for Italian dressing.