Thousand Island Dressing

Well, h*e*l*l just might have actually frozen over.  'Cause I'm posting a recipe here, folks.

We won't even mention just how long it's been since I've done that.  (It's been since November of 2011.)

This one is just too good not to give mention to, and I have my mama to thank.  She's pretty awesome like that. 

We have our family favorite homemade ranch dressing and it's awesome.  I seriously haven't bought salad dressing in a sweet forever.  Although I'm not nearly on the whole foods bandwagon as I was three years ago (but certainly should be!), I still don't buy salad dressing.

Like ever. 

I've heard it's one of the worst processed foods out there, with all the preservatives and junk that manufactures put in them.  I know for darn sure that my homemade salad dressing isn't good for like six months after I make it.  It's probably good for two weeks, tops.  Not that it ever lasts that long--because it's so much better.   

Anyhow, thousand island dressing.  Seriously NOT my favorite dressing out there.  I mean, if it was the only dressing available, I would eat it.  Begrudgingly.  I would never choose it from a restaurant  when eating out.  It's simply is not my go to dressing. 

Until now--at least when eating at home!

My mama added several things to give this some kick, including horseradish, Sriracha hot sauce and cayenne pepper. And it is yum.

It definitely gets 10 stars in my book! 

1,000 Island Salad Dressing with a Little Something Extra 

3/4 cup mayonaise
1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of ketchup
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
2 Tbsp Worsteshire sauce
2 Tbsp pickle relish
2-3 tsp Sriracha hot sauce (I don't like things super spicy, but I seriously had to add a fair amount to give this some noticeable kick)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste


Mix ingredients together thoroughly.  All of these ingredients are approximate.....that's how I (and my mom) both roll in the kitchen!.  Feel free to add additional of any of the above ingredients to suit your tastes! 

Refrigerate until ready to serve. 



This recipe is linked to:

Flour Me with Love's Mix it Up Monday
Premeditated Leftovers Hearth and Soul Hop



  

Chunky Bleu Cheese Dressing

After making this amazing spread, I had some bleu cheese leftover and I decided to make some bleu cheese dressing. I get in such a rut with my homemade ranch dressing (as I've mentioned before) and I forget that there are some other great salad dressings out there.  And we all love bleu cheese in our house--even the Peanut.  This child snacks on bleu cheese crumbles.  Yes, snacks on them.  I love bleu cheese and all, but snacking on it is even a little much for me.  I can't complain though, because she has a very diverse palette. 

So without further ado....

Chunky Bleu Cheese Salad Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles (as always, you can't beat the price at Costco for this!  WAY cheaper than the grocery store!)
1 clove garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together and use as a dip or top on a green salad.   This is a little thick--we like it that way!--but if you prefer, you can thin it down with a few tablespoons of milk.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Designs By Gollum Foodie Friday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Friday Potluck at EKat's Kitchen
Hearth 'n Soul Recipe Swap at Premeditated Leftovers
Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday  

Chipotle Lime Corn on the Cob

I know some people that just absolutely LOVE corn on the cob.  I like it just fine, but you'll never see me lining up for it.  Normally it's served at a cookout or backyard barbeque and there are usually tons more exciting things to eat--exciting things that are a lot less effort to eat too.  Yes, I have mentioned this many times, but I am that lazy.  Plus, I need to be at my own home (or my Mom and Dad's) where I feel comfortable enough to hog the bathroom while I floss immediately after eating.  I can't stand having food stuck in my teeth.

But I digress, as my dental hygiene was not the purpose of this post.

Now if corn on the cob was always served with this yummy, fabulous, change your life forever and ever topping--I just might have to rethink everything I just claimed to be true about myself and corn on the cob.  Because this stuff is just that amazing if you ask me.  Hubs loved it too--I think I might have seen him shed a tear over the beauty of this recipe....oh, how I kid.  But we both really, really enjoyed it.   

(But our daughter who will happily eat broccoli, green beans, celery, and cucumbers?  I cannot for the life of me get her to eat corn.  Such a strange child, I mean, isn't corn every child's favorite "vegetable"?  Well, it's not our Peanut's that's for sure.)

Anyhow, please make this....and then drop me a line to tell me how your life has changed for the better.  Because it will.  I promise.

Chipotle Lime Corn on the Cob ~ adapted from Taste of Home

4 large ears sweet corn, husked and rinsed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. pureed chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (here's what you do with the rest of the can)
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 tsp. lime zest
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a rolling boil.  Place ears of corn in boiling water and simmer until corn is cooked through, about five minutes.  Remove from water and place on a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Mix together mayonnaise, chipotle pepper, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and garlic in a small bowl.  Serve over *slightly* cooled corn on the cob and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

This topping also makes a fabulous salad dressing if you have any leftover! 

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Designs By Gollum Foodie Friday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Friday Potluck at EKat's Kitchen  (Friday Potluck will be hosted at girlichef for the month of July)
Hearth 'n Soul Recipe Swap at A Moderate Life
La Bella Vita's Fresh Clean and Pure Friday 
Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap
Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday 
This Chick Cooks Recipe Swap

I'm Spreading My Wings

One might think that this going to be some heartfelt post about going outside my comfort zone and doing something hugely important in my life or for the community or something else divinely meaningful.

Not so much.

I have this thing for garden salads.  When you see green salads listed on my menu plans, it's always your standard lettuce/mixed greens-tomato-carrot-celery-cucumber-green onion kind of salad.  One may even call it a garden salad.  Oh, and if bell peppers weren't too costly that week, I might throw some of those in too.  'Cause I'm adventuresome like that.

It truly might be that I have a thing for ranch dressing.  Especially my homemade variety.  It's so garlic-y and good.  And what better kind of salad for ranch dressing than a garden salad?   I might mix it up occasionally and make basil pesto ranch or honey mustard....but it really doesn't happen all too often.  I am my father's daughter through and through. 

I am no stranger to different kinds of green salads either.  I even like them.  I like Asian inspired salads and whenever we are at my parents, my mom always has some type of non garden variety salad--you know the kind--with some sort of fruit and nuts and a tangy vinaigrette.  Really tasty and yum, but for some reason I never make that kind of salad at home. 

It's always garden salad and ranch dressing.  However, ranch dressing has mayo.  Sigh.  I have nothing against mayo--I still even buy the conventional kind.  It's the soybean oil I have an issue with--and most conventional brands of mayonnaise contain it.  I know you can make your own, but the raw egg thing has me kind of creeped out.  In defense of raw eggs, I've also heard there's no issue if the eggs are pastured.  However, using a "whole food" oil is tricky as well.  Extra virgin olive oil, peanut oil, and sesame oil all have too strong a flavor, coconut oil will turn to a solid once refrigerated, and most other oils are bad for you in one way or another.  So I haven't even gone there yet and meanwhile I continue to buy conventional mayo. 

Anyhow, I digress.

Back to the salad I came up with a few weeks ago. This salad is super easy, super yum, and it doesn't contain the aforementioned perplexing mayo.  Several weeks ago, I had a bunch of greens that needed using up.  (Love the organic mixed greens from Costco!!!)  I also had some feta cheese.  Everything else I had was in the pantry and we are loving this new variety of salad!

 

























Tender Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette ~ from me

Mixed greens (have I mentioned I love the organic mixed greens from Costco?)
Dried cranberries
Sliced almonds
Feta cheese, crumbled
Green or red onion, sliced thinly
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Black pepper, freshly cracked


Layer greens, cranberries, almonds, feta, and onion on salad plate.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and top with black pepper.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Designs By Gollum Foodie Friday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Friday Potluck at EKat's Kitchen
Hearth 'n Soul Recipe Swap  
Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap
Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday 

Basil Pesto Ranch

This recipe came as a suggestion from my husband.  Several weeks ago, we were having green salad with our customary homemade ranch dressing (yum! yum!) and he suggested I add some of my homemade pesto to it.  At the end of last summer, to utilize my mass amounts of fresh basil I had on hand, I made up a whole bunch of pesto and then froze it.  Some I froze in ice cube trays (for approximate tablespoon portions) and some I froze in larger 1/2 cup portions.  Until he suggested it, I had completely forgot all about my pesto and I thought it was a great way to start using it up. 

I thought his idea sounded wonderful and the verdict....

it was.  

Basil Pesto Ranch

1 cup buttermilk (you can make your own if you don't have any)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

4 tablespoons homemade or prepared pesto 

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

Combine the buttermilk, lemon juice, and all dry ingredients, whisking until combined.  Add the mayo and pesto and whisk until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to develop flavors. Serve over green salad.


This recipe is linked to:

Designs By Gollum Foodie Friday 
Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap
Miz Helen's Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday 
Paisley Passions Fun With Food Friday

Homemade Ranch Dressing

My mom made this during our Mexican feast last weekend and it is soooo good.  Plus you can totally do it with pantry ingredients and it is still very, very good.  It is from the Chevy's Fresh Mex Cookbook, and like the marinade I posted awhile back, this is delicious! 

El Ranch-O Dressing--from Chevy's Fresh Mex Cookbook (sidebar on right)

***I adjusted this recipe to what I had on hand--my mom made it according to the recipe-yum! and I made it to what I had on hand--still just as yum!***

1 cup buttermilk (you can make your own if you don't have any)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice (didn't have it, used lemon juice from fridge--yes, Mom, I know this is a no no)

1 tablespoon minced cilantro (didn't have it, didn't add it)

1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano (used dried)

1 tablespoon minced yellow onion (used red--it's what I had out at the time)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

Combine the buttermilk and all dry ingredients, whisking until combined.  Add the mayo and whisk until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to develop flavors.  The dressing will keep up to one week in an airtight container. 

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap   
Life as Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap  

Asian Chicken Salad with Homemade Asian Dressing

I made this for dinner several weeks ago and it was just plain yum!  The salad dressing recipe is yet another from the cooking classes that my mom used to attend and it is simply, aaaa-mazing. 

Asian Dressing

3/4 c granulated sugar
2/3 c rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (I used sea salt, it was fine)
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce (can find in the Asian food section of your supermarket, it also referred to as plum sauce)
1 1/2 tsp course ground pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 c peanut or vegetable oil

In food processor using metal blade, drop whole garlic through feed tube with machine running.  Add all ingredients except oil, pulse to blend.  With machine running, slowly pour oil through feed tube until emulsified into dressing.  Store in refrigerator up to one month.   Remove from refrigerator prior to use; whisk or stir before serving.   Makes about 2 cups.

Salad

Romaine lettuce
Green onions
Cubed, cooked chicken
Mandarin oranges
Chinese noodles
Toasted, slivered almonds

Toss and serve with dressing on the side.  Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to:

Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday
Blessed With Grace Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap  
Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap
 

Aqua Negra Marinade

This recipe comes from the Chevy's Restaurant Cookbook. It is so easy and tastes really good on both chicken and beef. I am sure it would good with pork as well. Just haven't tried that yet. We had a Mexican theme for the Peanut's birthday party and this was one of the recipes I used. Sorry, no picture...but let me assure you, it is always a hit.

Aqua Negra Marinade

1 cup soy sauce
2 cups pineapple juice (frugal tip: save your juice from your tidbits and rings and freeze until needed)
2 tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Mix ingredients and marinate your cut of meat for several hours to overnight. Grill meat as desired. Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to:


Life As Mom Ultimate Recipe Swap

Spaghetti Sauce with a Peanut

Due to the much needed rain, we had spaghetti tonight instead of hamburgers. Weather permitting, we will have the burgers tomorrow. I just thought I would share my spaghetti recipe, as my thoughts on homemade spaghetti sauce are the same as the pizza sauce. So here it is...



Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
1/2 - 1 lb. ground meat (I use beef, but you can use turkey, spicy sausage--whatever you prefer)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste (I usually use two cans tomato sauce, but this is what I had on hand)
1-2 cups of water (depends on how thick you like your sauce)
1 can mushrooms, stems and pieces
3 cloves minced garlic (no, we don't kiss in this household) :)
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat and break into pieces and add onions while browning meat. Drain off fat and add remaining ingredients, except for garlic. Note-depending on the intensity of the garlic flavor you prefer, add it at the beginning of your cooking if you want a milder flavor, or shortly before serving if you prefer a more intense flavor. Let simmer 10-15 minutes prior to adding in pasta that has been cooked al dente.

We served ours tonight with steamed broccoli and the Mediterranean Herbed Bread from the Betty Crocker cookbook.

As a side note, even the Peanut appreciates her broccoli...

...she even gave us several smiles through dinner...


...hopefully this attitude towards vegetables continues.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

I find it funny that some make pizza at home but buy all pre-made ingredients to prepare the pizza. For example, pre-made dough in the deli or the bread in a tube or pre-made pizza sauce. I always thought the purpose of making pizza at home is because it is less expensive (and I also think it is better), but by the time you buy all the pre-made ingredients, you might as well get take and bake, because the savings just isn't there!

I have been making my own pizza at home for a couple months now and my family loves it! I don't think this recipe for pizza sauce is by any means ground breaking, but it is good and I thought I would share it. :) It's easy and inexpensive and it tastes pretty darn good.

Pizza Sauce

All you need is:


Italian seasoning (I have also used basil and oregano and it is just as yummy), one can tomato paste, one eight ounce can of tomato sauce, and fresh garlic. That's it!
I use approximately one tablespoon of the seasoning and about two cloves or two teaspoons of minced, fresh garlic. Stir it all together and it's done! If I plan ahead, I like to let it sit for about 24 hours to let the flavors meld. Melding is very important. My mom taught me that. :) I can usually get about three pizzas with a generous amount of sauce.

You can also add salt if you wish, but I find with all the other toppings, the pizza has enough salt, so the sauce doesn't need it. Enjoy!
For other great recipes, stop by Gayle's Grocery Cart Challenge.

BLT Chicken Salad

It was sooo tasty! I got this recipe from Stretch Mark Mama. I love yummy recipes that are easy to cook on those warm summer days. We don't have air conditioning, so I try to use the grill outside or the crock pot whenever possible on hot days. I just made sure to plan ahead to cook the bacon and chicken and I made the dressing in advance, so it was super easy to throw together when it was dinner time. I served it with some homemade focaccia bread. Delicious!