All The Ranch!

Homemade Ranch Dressing

For those of you unfamiliar with the importance of Ranch Dressing in the Midwest, let me fill you in. OBSESSED, a lot of people are totally obsessed with this salad dressing and use it on a plethora of foods besides salad, like pizza, vegetables, chips, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, wings, french fries, chicken... etc. 

There are two types of people, there are the 'any kind of Ranch will do' kind, and then there are the 'I only like Mazzio's Ranch' kind. The latter will also pick restaurants based on how good their Ranch is, "Oh, they have good Ranch, let's go there!"

Now that you get it, and I have positioned myself as an expert, when I say this is an excellent Ranch recipe, you know it's legit! It's also like super duper easy, so that's a plus.

On a personal note, I fall into the picky group, I don't really care for any kind of bottled salad dressing at all. Sure, I buy it & consume it, but it's been because I felt like I had no other choice. Why in the world have I never considered making my own, I HAVE NO IDEA! Last week I saw an IG post of a friend that was prepping salad ingredients for the week, chopping different kinds of lettuces, cucumbers, shredded carrots, and cucumbers and bagging them in gallon zipper bags, and I had a huge light bulb go off, "I'm going to do that too and find a recipe for some awesome salad dressing!". 

The next day searched for a recipe, then purchased the following & prepped it:

Romaine Lettuce

Iceberg Lettuce

Leafy Green Lettuce

Cherry Tomatoes

Green Onions

Shredded Carrots

Cucumbers

Ranch Ingredients

I also bought shredded sharp cheddar, high quality bacon pieces, and croutons. You guys, this is like the Midwest comfort food salad, so good!!! We ate a salad before dinner, as dinner, or as lunch for the next 5 days. 

I was able to purchase a quart of buttermilk instead of a half gallon (did you know that it's a low-fat milk!?), and went with Hellman's Mayo with Olive Oil (because it sounds healthier, ha) and I've seen several recipes that call specifically for this brand, also two packets of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix. Buy two because you will have enough buttermilk to make a second batch before the milk goes bad. 

I found this recipe online, it was a screenshot image and was labeled Texas Roadhouse Ranch Dressing, not sure if it tastes like theirs or not but it most certainly tastes a whole lot better than any bottle on the shelf! Let me know how you like it and please share your favorite salad dressing recipes with me! I AM HOOKED on making my own!

(For those of you counting WW Points Plus, 1/4 Cup is 5 points.)

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Recipe by Christy Squyres

Restaurant Style Ranch Dressing Recipe

Yield: 32
Ingredients

• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• 1 Cup Hellman's Mayo with Olive Oil
• 1 Packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Packet
• To Taste Garlic Powder
• To Taste Cayenne Pepper
• To Taste Black Pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Cheers to my fellow Ranch fans!

Christy

In the Kitchen- Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes

Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes Recipe

My sister in law Jen, has made this for us a few times, as a side dish with grilled food.  It is so fresh & so easy!  Our cherry tomato plants from last year came back this year & they have been producing an abundance of beautiful, tart, red tomatoes.  We built our raised beds last Spring & felt like our little crop was a dud, so I am very excited about this years!

 This is so simple, I wouldn't even call it a recipe, it's really just instructions.  Wash the tomatoes, drizzle them with olive oil & balsamic vinegar, & sprinkle with sea salt.  This is a perfect side dish, or an appetizer alongside an antipasti or cheese platter.  Enjoy!



In the Kitchen: Roasted Asparagus

Roasted Asparagus with

Olive Oil and Lemon Pepper

Seriously, seriously, the best way to eat asparagus, THE BEST!  I was never an asparagus fan, neither was my hubs, UNTIL I saw Rachael Ray do it like this.  My entire family, 2 year old included, can't get enough of it!  We usually eat it straight off the pan before we can even get it to our plates.

Ingredients: 

Fresh asparagus 

Olive oil (I prefer using a mister)

Lemon pepper 

Instructions:

Set oven to broil.  Since these are thin stalks I set it to low, if they are thicker, set the broiler to high.  Rinse the asparagus, then snap the ends off, where the bottom inch or two, snaps off easily.  This will ensure you don't have rough, chewy, stringy ends.

Lay it out on a sheet pan in a single layer.  Drizzle or mist with olive oil. Sprinkle on lemon pepper generously. 

 

Broil for 10 minutes or until it starts to shrivel, but doesn't turn black/dark.

 

Take it out of the oven, and try not to eat it all off the pan!

 

 

Yum!!!

In the Kitchen- Simple Black Bean Soup

Simple 'Kind of Homemade' Black Bean Soup

 



This is just 'kind of' homemade soup because you basically just open up a few cans.  But, don't underestimate it!!!  It is so easy and so full of flavor!  Do not skip the FRESH lime, that's what gives it a kick and makes it taste fresh.

Recipe

Serves: 4 as a side dish, or 2 as an entrée

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans drained

3/4 cup jarred salsa

2-1/2 cups chicken stock 

Juice of 1 lime 

Garnish- cilantro 

Combine all ingredients, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.  Mash some of the beans with a potato masher to thicken it.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.  Garnish & serve.

 

It's seriously that EASY! 

 

Cheers!

In the Kitchen- Sweet & Sour Pickles

Homemade Sweet & Sour Pickles Recipe

 

A nice neighbor of mine was giving away cucumbers from her garden last week, & another neighbor volunteered me to make us some pickles!  I made a batch last summer, after my friend Jenny posted a recipe, so I used that recipe again.  They turned out great, a little too sweet for me, but my husband loved them!  I didn't have any fresh dill, so I used dried dill, 1/4 cup, which is 1/3 the amount of fresh that the recipe calls for. 

 

The pickles are ready to eat after 24 hours in the brine, & last 2 weeks refrigerated.

Find the recipe here.

 

If you have a dill pickle recipe you love, please share it in the comments below!

 

Cheers!