Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Ranch dressing is popular type of salad dressing here in America.  It boggles my mind that, on occasion, there are restaurants that don't serve it.   Every time I ask for it and they don't have it, the server tells me that they get asked that a lot.  You'd think the owner would get the hint and get the dressing!! 

Those who love ranch dressing also put it on sandwiches, wings, fries, any fried food you can name. I like mine on my Homemade Chicken Strips with Whiskey BBQ Sauce.  Some Midwesterners are even into dipping their pizza in it!  I, myself, never tried it and never will but to each their own.  

This homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing doesn't use a pre-measured packet and is so simple to make.  Your greatest patience will be practiced waiting as the dressing chills and the flavors mesh in the fridge.  I've given you spice and herb measurements as a guide.  Change it up to suit your taste, it's your dressing!

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing                       Printable Recipe

5 Tablespoons mayonnaise (I prefer Hellman's Canola)
3 Tablespoons sour cream (can use lite)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
2 dashes onion powder
2 dashes salt

Whiskey BBQ Sauce

Whiskey BBQ Sauce

(makes about 1-1/2 cups)

2 Tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup shredded onion
1-1/2 cups water
6 ounce can tomato paste
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2-1/2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 Tablespoon molasses
1 Tablespoon Jim Beam Whiskey
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicier)

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions and cook for up to 5 minutes. 

Sweet Lime Pickles

These pickles take a few days to make but they are yummy!  I started mine at 5 pm on a Wednesday and processed them on Friday morning. They are crispy and a fun color!

Sweet Lime Pickles

7 pounds cucumbers (wash, cut off ends, slice 1/4" thick)

2 cups pickling lime

2 gallons water

2 quarts white vinegar

9 cups sugar 

1 teaspoon canning salt

1 Tablespoon mixed pickling spices*

Bread and Butter Pickles

This is Aunt Martha's recipe for some easy pickles!! 

Bread and Butter Pickles

3 quarts cucumbers, sliced

1/2 cup salt

3 cups vinegar

3 cups sugar

3 onions, sliced

1/4 cup mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Homemade Taco Seasoning

In one of my classes with Chef Gaby we talked about whole spices and grinding our own.  We put together rubs, vinegars, oils, and other dry spices. One was this, taco seasoning.  She threw together spices I would never have thought to put together for true "taco" seasoning.  This is nothing like those taco packets.  It's better!  Why?  First off, they are whole spices that are ground.  A WOW! Bam! Burst of flavor! Second, whatever combination this is, works!!  

I only took basic notes on the spices so I figured up measurements and we liked this combo. 

Taco Seasoning

1 small cinnamon stick (broken up a little)

1 Tablespoon whole cumin seed

1/2 Tablespoon whole coriander 

1/2 Tablespoon whole fennel seed

1 Tablespoon ground chili powder

1 Tablespoon ground paprika

Cheater's Guacamole

I love guacamole but don't always have the time to chop or want to make a mess.  This is a quick and easy way to cheat your way to guacamole!

Cheater's Guacamole

1 ripe avocado
salsa
sour cream

Mash avocado in small bowl, add about 2 Tablespoons or so of drained salsa and 1-2 Tablespoons of sour cream.

Mix and enjoy without all the chopping and mess!! 

Basil Pesto

Chef Gaby showed me how to use the abundance of basil I had.  I'll never buy pesto in a jar again!

Basil Pesto

All ingredients are approximate and be changed up to suit your taste!  Double, triple or quadruple to make extra to freeze.

2 ounces fresh basil

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons pine nuts (we used and prefer macadamia nuts)

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons grated Romano cheese

salt, as needed

Throw all of your ingredients except salt into a food processor and whiz away. 

Scrape down sides as needed to be sure it all gets incorporated.  Taste as you go and add salt as needed.  The cheeses have a fair amount of salt in them.

Store in a jar in the fridge to use.  It will darken on top but it is still tasty. 

Freezes great too.  Scoop into an ice cube tray.  After they are frozen pop them into a freezer bag or vacuum sealed bag for use later.

During harvest I use our pesto for quick spicing up of my homemade marinara sauce.  To use in pasta: Cook some ravioli, gnocchi, or favorite pasta shape.  Drain but leave a little pasta water on them.  Add some pesto.  Stir, then sprinkle with Parmesan.  The little one calls this "green pasta."

Homemade Mustard

I learned this recipe from a personal cooking class with Chef Gaby.  Check her out!!

Homemade Mustard

2 Tablespoons ground mustard (start with whole seeds, toast (optional) and grind then measure)
6 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire (optional) -  I did not use
1 Tablespoon malt vinegar (optional) -  I did not use
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large egg yolks
2 Tablespoons sugar

Using a cast iron pan toast your seeds.  The main picture above was made with toasted seeds (your mustard will be darker).  This picture shows the seeds toasted.  They turned from golden yellows to a much more brown color.  Careful not to burn!!

This picture shows untoasted seeds.  You can mix and match toasted and untoasted to your taste/time preference.   Chef Gaby would use a mortar and pestle.  I do not have one yet so I use a coffee grinder that I use for spices only and gently pulsed until the balls were gone but not too powdery.

Place all ingredients over a double boiler.  The best is to use a round bottom metal bowl over a saucepan that has the water in it so you can whisk and get all the ingredients stirred   Whisk continuously until it thickens.  Takes only a short amount of time.  

Store your mustard in the fridge.  It will be very light and airy.  If you like honey mustard add some honey to your mustard.  Makes a great dip for chicken fingers.

Homemade Sauerkraut

If you like sauerkraut you should try your hand at making your own.  It's easy to do and you can in it jars to have on hand for anytime.

Homemade Sauerkraut

In this ratio...

5 pounds cabbage

3 Tablespoons canning salt

As needed...Brine --1 quart water plus 1-1/2 Tablespoons salt (heated until salt dissolves, then cooled)

Fauxy Sauce (Soy Sauce Substitute)

I had a chef come teach me about spices and herbs and one of the recipes called for soy sauce.  My husband can't have soy so rather than have her come up with a new recipe I scoured the internet to find out what people subbed soy sauce with and worked out this combination of ingredients. Rather than call it Soy Sauce Substitute I thought it would be more fun to play on the word faux (meaning false) and call it Fauxy Sauce.

Fauxy Sauce - (said foy -like soy)

2 Tablespoons chicken or beef broth
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
dash white pepper
1-1/2 cups water
salt to taste - I used 1 teaspoon to start then added 1/2 teaspoon at the end as my broth was not very salty since it was homemade

Stir together all the ingredients in a small saucepan.  Bring to boil and cook until reduced.  I reduced mine by about half.  That is when I tasted it and added the last 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Thousand Island Dressing

Your reuben sandwiches and home salads will never be the same!

Thousand Island Dressing

2/3 cup salad dressing
1/3 cup sour cream (lite is ok)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons vinegar
3 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons finely minced onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 dashes white pepper

Add to bowl and mix!

Flavors best if let set for all day but can be enjoyed right away too.