Vegan Ranch Dressing
Posted: May 24, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Salads, Vegan | Tags: homemade ranch dressing, ranch dip, ranch dressing, salad dressing, vegan ranch dressing 1 Comment
Vegan Ranch Dressing, great as a dip or on a salad.
(Rachel)
This weekend I cleaned out my refrigerator door and overflowed the trash can with expired bottled salad dressings and corn syrup-filled marinades. It dawned on me that I haven’t eaten bottled dressing in years. Once you start making your own fresh dressing, it’s hard to go back.
Usually I make a simple vinaigrette or something like my mom’s Lemon Drop Dressing, but sometimes Jared and I crave the creamy classic, Ranch Dressing.
When Jackson was just a few weeks old, Jared got a hankering for a salad with ranch dressing, but I was nursing the baby and couldn’t get up to help him. So from the rocking chair in the living room, I walked him through the steps of washing, drying and chopping the parsley, mixing it with vegan mayo, salt, pepper, minced onions, and garlic powder, and thinning it out with a little unsweetened milk.
Unsure if he got the seasoning right, he brought the bowl to me so I could taste it. Just as he stepped onto the carpet, our cat Marvin, jetted in front of him, tripping Jared and sending the bowl into the air. Like a scene out of a Steve Martin comedy, the bowl came down landing right on the cat. In a panic, Marvin took off, shaking frantically throughout the living room sending ranch flying in every direction, coating us, baby included, the furniture, the walls, and the carpet.
The house (and the cat) smelled of onion and parsley for days.
If you can chop parsley and dodge schizo cats, you can make this dressing. It’s a great base for other creative combinations, too, like Avocado Goddess Dressing or Roasted Pepper Ranch. You can use dried parsley in this recipe too, but the fresh parsley really pops.
Easy, fresh, and so much better than bottled ranch dressing.
Rachel’s Vegan Ranch Dressing
Makes 1 cup of dressing
Ingredients
1 c. vegan mayo (We like the Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise)
1/8 c. flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 t. dried minced onion
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1 t. freshed cracked pepper
2 T. unsweetened non-dairy milk (add a little more for a thinner consistency or less for a thicker dip)
Directions
Combine ingredients and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Let sit for a couple of hours before using if possible. It should keep for about three days.
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The Title: Vegan Ranch Dressing
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Cranberry Orange Kale Salad
Posted: April 12, 2012 Filed under: Salads, Uncategorized | Tags: almonds, cranberries, kale, main salad dish, massaged kale, orange marmalade, salad dressing, side dish, vegan, veggies 4 CommentsThe Condiment Queen, that’s what I call my mom. At any given moment she has no less than 100 condiments lining the door of her refrigerator. Growing up, we always had at least ten varieties of mustard, ample obscure relishes, and enough barbeque sauce to smother 50 pigs … yet (due to raising four teenagers & a revolving door of their hungry friends) we were almost always out of milk, bread, and other essentials.
She loves her condiments so much, she even travels with them. Last week I peeked into the back of my refrigerator to see a jar of orange marmalade. I didn’t buy that, I thought. My mom always has orange marmalade in her refrigerator though. She must have traveled all the way from Denver to Dallas with it the last time she visited, in fear, I’m sure, that there might be a shortage of condiments in my fridge.
In honor of my Condiment Queen mama and her beloved orange marmalade, I used the remainder of the jar to dress the salad at our Easter lunch. The sweet dressing went perfectly with the slightly bitter massaged kale greens, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds. It would be great on spinach or mixed greens too if we haven’t sold you on the delicious wonders of one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet yet (at least according to the Whole Foods Aggregate Nutrient Density Index.)
Cranberry Orange Kale Salad
Serves ~ 6
Ingredients
1 bunch of kale, washed & dried
2 T. orange marmalade
3 T. olive oil
1 T. apple cider vinegar (or white wine or regular vinegar)
2 T. orange juice (I used one clementine)
Salt & pepper to taste
A handful of slivered almonds
A handful of dried cranberries
Directions
First, take your clean and dry kale and massage it with your hands for a few minutes until it looks like it has been lightly sauteed. It will significantly reduce in size and soften up quite a bit. Think deep tissue massage. Kale is tough and can take a nice firm touch.
(As is, kale is very fiberous and takes a long time to chew, but massaging kale breaks down the fibers and makes it nice and soft like sauteed kale with all the benefits of eating raw greens.)
Next, mix the marmalade, olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, and salt and pepper together. Taste for seasoning. Toss the kale with the dressing. Top with slivered almonds and dried cranberries.
Make this a main dish for 2-3 people by serving it on a bed of quinoa, or topping with grilled tofu, chicken (or vegan chick’n strips).
Becky Johnson
Rachel Randolph
We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook 