Showing posts with label dressings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dressings. Show all posts

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Oil Free French Vinaigrette Dressing





I brought a salad with the original oil based version of this  vinaigrette dressing to a gathering and a couple of guests just had to have the recipe for it. I adapted it from Ina Garten's recipe and tweaked it using more garlic powder and Dijon mustard called for. I also used De Lallo brand red wine vinegar with a higher acidic content of 7% than the suggested champagne or white wine with the standard acid content of 5%. The result is a tart mustardy delicious dressing. It is good especially with a salad spring mix available in any grocery store. You will not need any other embellishments like tomatoes or croutons, thus making this recipe convenient to serve for a party.

I took the challenge of making the dressing oil free using an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce for the oil and tested it with my picky taster, my husband. He loved it as much as the original. So there. A good crowd pleasing healthy and easy
salad vinaigrette!

Oil Free French Vinaigrette Dressing

Adapted from this recipe.
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1\2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1\4 cup water (optional. Use if using vinegar with 7 % acidic content)
  • 3\4 tsp salt 
  • 1\2 tsp black pepper 

Mix the ingredients together in a container with cap and shake till well blended.



Monday, December 12, 2016

Easy Caesar Salad Dressing



I brought Caesar Salad to a Mahjong party. I made homemade Caesar Salad dressing to go with it.  It did not have anchovies but you would not miss them. The garlic, lemon snd Worcestershire sauce combined magically make up for it and make this a to die for dressing.  So good. Garlicky with slight tang from lemon.





Easy Caesar Salad Dressing

  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 6 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 6 tbsp light mayonnaise (I used Hellmanns)
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (I used Kraft brand)
  • salt and pepper to taste
Using a small blender, blend the ingredients till smooth.

Monday, September 5, 2016

Linguine Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing



This is now my favorite pasta salad. I had it during our Book Club meeting at the McGinnis Specialty Store in Monroeville, PA and I just could not get it off my mind.  The hard salami in it makes the salad special plus of course the crunchiness of the various vegetables.  I initially used store bought Italian dressing but my husband complained that the whole salad did not appeal to him.  I added the homemade Italian dressing instead and I was surprised the herbs did not turn him off and he went gaga over the salad.

I used less oil than most homemade salad dressing calls for.  It actually works so do not worry serving the healthy dressing.  Its taste is amazing especially with the salad.  It is not too late to prepare it today, Labor Day.  It will be a hit.

Linguine Salad

  • 16 oz linguine, cooked and cooled
  • 1 zucchini, cubed
  • 1 red pepper, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cucumber, cubed
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 1 cup pimento olives
  • 8 oz hard salami, cut into bite sizes
  • 1 recipe Italian dressing (recipe below)
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss.  

Homemade Italian Dressing
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp dry oregano
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp dry thyme leaves
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dry parsley
  • 1/2 tsp dry basil
Combine all the ingredients in a bottle with a screw cap. Replace the cap and shake till well mixed.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Zucchini Cranberry Walnut Salad




I have this love fest for Aldi's Grocery Little Salad Bar brand Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad shown below. When my sisters, Bebeng and Menchie (shown below with Maddie my granddaughter) came for a visit this month, they also found this salad irresistible.  So much so they made sandwiches out of this salad to take with them on their airplane ride to Los Angeles.  Luckily they left me with one full container of this awesome salad which I ate with gusto.




I had been off my plant based diet when my dear sisters were here and I have decided to go back to this approach to eating.  For one thing I have not had a cold or flu since I adapted this way of eating and I want to stick to it.  I am a believer.  Anyway I could not get this chicken salad off my mind especially during lunch. What is key to this salad is the combination of the ingredients and I thought that as long as I could mimic the delicious dressing, substituting some kind of veggie with a crunch for the chicken might work.

I resorted to using good old zucchini.  It has a neutral taste and good crunchy texture.  I added nuts, walnut, in this recipe and dried cranberries that give the salad its distinct personality and deliciousness. I used light Miracle Whip but one can use plant based mayo.  I just have this love fest with Miracle Whip. I added rice vinegar which gave the dressing an added tang.

Did I miss the chicken?  Of course there is nothing like having chicken pieces but you know what with the delicious dressing, the nuts, cranberries and crunch of the zucchini, you will fall in love with this vegetarian version like I did. Try it.

Zucchini Cranberry Walnut Salad


  • 1 large zucchini, cubed 
  • 1/2 cup walnut
  • 1/2 cup sweet dried cranberries
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3/4 cup light Miracle Whip
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp nutritional yeast
  • salt and pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.  Serve over lettuce or over lettuce lined bread or as it is as a salad.







Sunday, July 31, 2016

Spinach Nectarine Salad with Naked Veggie Wontons




I had a salad recently that had two ingredients that you would ordinarily savor separately as its own dish, ramen noodles and potstickers.  They were combined with spinach and orange slices to comprise an oriental themed dish that surprisingly worked.   I had this delicious salad shown below during the July meeting of the Book Club at the McGinnis Sisters Specialty Store in Monroeville PA. It was prepared by the creative Karen Novak, the specialty store Events Coordinator. 


In my version of this Asian salad, the potstickers have been replaced by Naked Veggie Wontons , shown below. I did not feel like waiting for the wonton wrappers to thaw that I had frozen in the freezer so I decided that they go naked.  I also wanted to do away with the meat and opted for veggie filled ones that I would bake.  I was pretty lazy the day I made this.


I also substituted nectarines for the orange slices and made my own sesame dressing instead of a store bought one.

I had a very satisfying lunch savoring this oriental themed salad which recreated what I enjoyed during our Book Club July meeting featuring Yvonne Phillips who spoke about Feng Shui.



Naked Veggie Wontons

  • 1/4 cabbage
  • 1 cup baby carrots
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger
  • 1/2 pack soft tofu (or any type will do)
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the cabbage, carrots, celery, garlic and ginger in the order given in the Vita Mix blender or any blender or food processor.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the tofu and mix with the other ingredients with a large spoon. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a large spoon. 

Line a pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  Using a small ice cream scoop make small balls and place in the pan. Bake the naked wontons in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Flip the wontons half way through the baking.

Spinach Nectarine Salad with Naked Veggie Wontons

  • 8 oz Fresh Spinach leaves
  • 2 nectarines, sliced
  • 2 packages ramen noodles cooked without seasoning
  • 16 pieces naked veggie wontons (recipe above)
  • Orange sesame dressing (recipe below)

Distribute the ingredients in four bowls and pour dressing before serving.

Orange Sesame Dressing 

  • 2 cups orange juice
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 8 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp ginger powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a jar and cover with lid.  Shake till well blended.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Peas and Bow Tie Pasta Salad with Baden Dressing





I love this simple salad with a delicious homemade dressing I named the Baden Dressing after Baden, PA where the Mother House of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph-Baden is located.  I frequent this Mother House to attend meetings since I am an associate of this congregation.  I love eating some of the prepared salads with their delicious dressing served at their cafeteria.  The proportion of the ingredients in one of the dressings they used was shared with me by Fred the head chef of the Mother House cafeteria.  It is 1 part apple cider vinegar (not white vinegar), 1 part oil and 1 part sugar.  I refer to this as the basic Baden dressing.

They had served Peas and Bow Tie Salad at one of the special occasions at Baden.  In the recipe they shared with me they used store bought Italian dressing. They also used fresh red onions and shredded cheddar cheese as part of the ingredients. I wanted a version of this salad where the ingredients for the dressing is from scratch and straight from my spice cabinet and uses the basic Baden dressing I mentioned previously. What I did was follow the 1:1 proportion of the apple cider to sugar and lowered that of the oil to 1/2 part and added the spices found in the store bought Italian dressing to this basic Baden dressing.

I really shouldn't be eating peas and peanuts since my arthritis sometimes flares up on the joints of my fingers when eating either of these foods but I couldn't stop eating a serving instead of just a tablespoon for tasting. It is that good.  And so simple. The saltiness of the peanuts complements the sweetness of the dressing and gives the salad a crunchy texture.  The cooked frozen sweet peas in the salad makes it irresistible. You can add cheese and red onions if you want and also increase the amount of oil but why would you?  This is good enough.  If you are in a hurry you can use store bought Italian Dressing but I tell you this dressing is worth preparing. Enjoy this salad in what seems to be the start of Spring unless this moody weather changes its course once again.

Peas and Bow Tie Pasta Salad with Baden Dressing


  • 6 oz cooked bow tie pasta or farfalle 
  • 6 oz cooked frozen sweet peas
  • 1/4 cup peanuts or nuts of your choice
  • dry parsley flakes or fresh parsley for garnish

Baden Dressing
  • 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tbsp sugar 
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1/2 tbsp dry onion flakes
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the baden dressing in a small jar and shake with the cover on or just mix these ingredients with a fork in a small bowl.  Place the pasta, peas and peanuts in a bowl and pour the dressing over it and toss.  You can garnish with fresh or dried parsley if you like.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Deconstructed Brown Rice Edemame Sushi with Wasabi Hoisin Dressing







I wanted to make Vegan Onigiri which is a triangular shaped sushi but I could not make the brown rice stick together to form the triangle.  I still wanted the taste of sushi particularly the one I buy at the Giant Eagle Grocery Store that is covered with French Fried Onion from a can.  Yes the one you use for your favorite holiday Green Bean Casserole dish.

I decided to make a deconstructed one.  To recreate the sushi taste, I resorted to mixing the wasabi paste I bought in a tube at the Asian Store in Monroeville PA with the Hoisin Sauce.  I wanted a simple preparation that mimics the taste of the sushi without resorting to the use of a mayonnaise based sauce.  I follow the plant based approach in eating which as much as possible avoid even plant oils.

I gave exact measurements of the ratio of wasabi paste to the Hoisin Sauce since the first time I prepared it I did not measure anything and just squeeze an amount of this and that.  My nose really what would you say got overstimulated to put it mildly.  This is a simple rice bowl with a sushi flavor and very versatile.  You can add nuts and other vegetables but the recipe below gives you an idea how to come up with a sushi deconstructed for your convenience.  I highly recommend the edemame.  It gives the rice bowl texture and complements the spiciness of the dressing.  The French Fried Onion gives it an interesting note not found in most rice bowls.

Deconstructed Brown Rice Edemame Sushi with Wasabi Hoisin Dressing


1 serving

  • 3/4 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1/4 cup edemame
  • 1/4 cup French Fried Onions (from a can)
  • 1/4 cup tofu, cubed
  • 1 tbsp dried cherries
  • cilantro 
  • Wasabi Hoisin Dressing (recipe below)
Place the rice in a bowl and top with the edemame, French Fried Onions, tofu and dried cherries.  Garnish with cilantro and serve with the wasabi and hoisin dressing.

Wasabi Hoisin Dressing (Note 1)
  • 1/8 tsp wasabi paste
  • 2 tsp hoisin sauce

Mix the wasabi paste and hoisin sauce in a small bowl and mix it with the rice bowl.

Notes:
1.  You can double or triple the amounts but do follow the proportions given or else your nostrils will cry and yes clear up.  

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Tinapa't Tops Salad

                


This recipe was taken from the glossy Filipino food magazine Breakfast Magazine and was prepared by Chef Kalel Chan. This was recreated for me by my talented and beautiful sister-in-law Pinky during my visit to the Philippines last year.

Pinky is on the right with her daughters, Roxanne and Bea and granddaughter, Gelay,  during their recent tour of Japan.  

One can substitute spinach or kale for all three unfamiliar sounding vegetables mentioned in the recipe, kangkong, kamote tops and alugbati. As for the salted eggs one can just use hard boiled eggs and add salt to the dressing. Tinapa is an example of salted fish you can use and is available in Asian stores.

Tinapa't Tops Salad

(Kalel Chan from Breakfast Magazine)

20 grams kangkong, blanched
20 grams kamote tops, blanched
20 grams alugbati, blanched
20 grams tomato, julienned
10 grams red onion, sliced
5 grams smoked fish meat (example tinapa available from Asian stores)

For the dressing
1 piece small salted egg
3/4 cup olive oil
White sugar to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend all the ingredients till smooth

Assembly

Pour a small amount of dressing on a plate.
Arrange blanched leaves in the middle.
Add tomatoes and onions randomly.
Garnish with roasted bits of small fish.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Grilled Salmon over Spinach and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Citrus Dressing





Are you running of ideas for a meatless meal to serve this Lenten Friday? Here is an easy, delicious and healthy alternative to the boxed frozen fish options you have been resorting to.

The grilled salmon has been flavored with the Turkish spice rub I have published previously transforming it to a tasty and a not so overwhelmingly spicy dish. In the picture above, it is served over spinach and roasted butternut salad with citrus dressing, the recipe of which I posted recently.  You can however use any salad you like.

This beautiful meal will surely kick your Lenten Friday meatless meal a notch.

Grilled Salmon over Spinach and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Citrus Dressing


(Inspired by this recipe

4 pieces of salmon
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp turkey spice rub (recipe here)
1 tbsp oil

Place salt and pepper on each salmon.  Coat each salmon with the turkey spice rub.  Heat the oil in a saute pan at medium heat.  Pan fry the salmon in the heated pan.  Serve over the Spinach and Roasted Squash Salad with Citrus Dressing or your favorite salad.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Asian Pineapple Cashew Salad with Oven Fried Quinoa



I always wondered how I could crisp quinoa for a salad without using oil to adhere to my plant based approach to eating.  As I was browsing Oh My Veggies, I spotted a recipe for Baked Fried Brown Rice.  I decided to try their approach to "frying" using the oven in crisping the quinoa of my dreams.  I used a shorter baking time, 25 minutes versus almost an hour in their case.  I really love the resulting Asian flavored quinoa. It was crispy and oh so tasty.  I almost devoured the whole batch I made before I could use it for a salad.

I used 1/4 of the prepared oven fried quinoa per serving.  I am using it more like a topping rather than a stand alone side dish in this recipe but you can.  I also added crushed pineapple to the salad to enhance the Asian twist to the salad.  The cashews and sliced radishes add crunchiness enhancing the taste and texture of the salad as you eat it.  For the dressing, I used the pineapple juice from the drained crushed pineapple in combination with rice wine vinegar and a little sugar, salt and pepper.  This dressing is a keeper and can be used for your other salads.  The salad itself you will devour like I did and you might just have to prepare more.

Asian Pineapple Cashew Salad with Oven Fried Quinoa

4 servings
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 stalk green onions, sliced and the white and green parts separated
  • 2 tbsp cashew
  • 1/4 cup sliced radishes
  • 1 bag salad greens
  • 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained but save juice for dressing
  • 1/4 cup crushed pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar or to taste
  • salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a pan with aluminum foil and spray with non cooking spray.

Preparing the oven fried quinoa.  Add the white part of the green onions to the quinoa.  Add the soy sauce to the mixture and mix with a fork.  Add to the prepared pan and bake at the preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Preparing the dressing.  Mix the pineapple juice, rice wine vinegar and sugar in a small dish.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Preparing the salad.  Place the salad greens in a bowl and top with the oven fried quinoa, cashew, radishes, the green part of the green onions and crushed pineapple.  Douse with the prepared dressing before eating.  Enjoy.  


Monday, February 22, 2016

Spinach and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Citrus Dressing





I like butternut squash for two reasons, oh make it three.  It is delicious, nutritious and I do not have to store it in the refrigerator.  It keeps for weeks on my kitchen table without me worrying if it will rot.  I can microwave, boil or roast them in the oven.  Not a prima donna of a vegetable this butternut squash.  

Not only are they convenient to have and prepare, butternut squash has many poly-phenolic antioxidants and vitamins.  It has more vitamin A than that found in a pumpkin.  It is rich in B-complex of vitamins like folates, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-2, thiamine and pantothenic acid.  Knowing this makes me buy this squash every time I go to Aldis Grocery store where they cost less than 2 dollars each.  

 For this salad, I decided to roast the neck of the squash and used the main body for another dish.  This part of the squash is easy to peel and has no seeds at all.  I actually used the Turkish spice rub I posted previously in a past post to flavor the squash and roasted it in the oven even without any oil to adhere to my plant based approach to eating.  I used the roasted butternut squash for my spinach salad which I doused with a plant based citrus dressing.  With walnuts, cranberries and red onions, the resulting salad was very satisfying in itself.  It is equally good in complementing the grilled salmon we had that night as a side salad.

Spinach and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Citrus Dressing

4 servings

Roasted Butternut Squash  


  • the neck part of the butternut squash, peeled, cut in half and then to pieces
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tsp Turkish Spice Rub (optional)
Citrus Dressing
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp chopped dry thyme leaves
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

Salad
  • 1 small bag of spinach, prewashed
  • 1/2 small red onion, sliced
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • Roasted Butternut Squash
    To roast the butternut squash.  Place salt and pepper on both sides of the butternut slices.  Then sprinkle on both sides of the butternut slices the Turkish Spice Rub if using.  Roast in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes.

    To prepare the citrus dressing.  Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a small jar with a lid.  Shake with the lid on till the mixture is thoroughly mixed.

    To assemble the salad.  Place a bed of spinach on the plate top with the red onion slices, walnuts, dried cranberries and roasted butternut squash.  Douse the citrus dressing over the salad when ready to eat it.  Enjoy!


                          

    Friday, February 5, 2016

    Kale Salad with Thai Sweet Chili Peanut Dressing




    Simple. Easy. Refreshing. Delicious.  Sweet.  Tangy. Nutty. Crunchy. Healthy.

    I can go on and on enumerating more adjectives.  I really like this salad because it is easy to prepare. Just four ingredients are needed for the dressing plus water.  It is a flexible recipe also. You can use any combination of vegetables you might have on hand for the salad part. You can use any nut butter for the dressing like almond butter instead of the peanut butter.  For the topping you can use any nuts and even seeds instead of the peanuts. Almond, cashew, sesame seeds, pepita seeds.

    I would like to point out that this is also plant based.  I skipped using any oil to thin out the consistency of the dressing and opted for water.  I used sweet kale which I bought at Aldis Grocery Store.  The Thai Sweet Chili Sauce is readily available in any grocery chain and I even saw it sold in the Dollar Store.  I have posted a similar dressing in a past blog if you do not want to buy the Thai Sweet Chili Sauce.

    Here is the recipe.  Have it for your super bowl party.  Have a nice weekend.

    Kale Salad with Thai Sweet Chili Peanut Dressing 

    2 servings (Note 1)

    Ingredients

    Dressing
    • 1 tbsp Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
    • 1 tbsp peanut butter
    • 1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
    • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
    • water
    Salad


    • 2 cups kale, stem removed and cut into bite pieces (Note 2)
    • 1 cup napa cabbage, cut into one inch thin strips
    • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
    • 1/4 cup crushed peanuts

    Instructions

    1.  To prepare the dressing.  Place all ingredients except the water in a bowl and mix with a fork or whisk.  Add the water gradually until the consistency that you desire is reached.

    2. To prepare the salad.  Layer the kale, cabbage and carrots in a bowl.  Top with crushed peanuts.  You can serve the dressing on the side or drizzled on top of the salad.

    Note
    1.  You can double, triple etc this recipe.

    2. You can massage the kale with your hands to tenderize it.  To massage the kale, you knead it like you would bread dough till it wilts.  




    Thursday, February 4, 2016

    Tofu Steak Salad with Easy Vegan Caesar Dressing


    A wonderful Easy Vegan Caesar Dressing enhances the taste of this beautiful and healthy salad.  This was inspired by the salad I found in Bloglovin which used beef steak and a lemon yogurt dressing.  I wanted a vegan version so instead of beef steak, I used an equally flavorful Tofu steak prepared easily in a pan with only three ingredients, soy sauce, garlic and black pepper. The resulting tofu is so delicious you would not miss the beef.  Instead of putting everything in my pantry and fridge in the salad, which they did in the one featured in Bloglovin, I observed restraint and stuck to cucumber, tomatoes, avocado and croutons.  

    The dressing uses no cheese and anchovies and yet it can compete with the very best Caesar dressing.  The secret is the Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard added plus the lemon and garlic to give the saltiness and tang one obtains from the traditional Parmesan cheese and anchovies.  This is irresistible.  .  

    Tofu Steak Salad with Easy Vegan Caesar Dressing

    Serves 4

    Ingredients:

    Tofu Steak

    • 1 block firm tofu (previously pressed off its liquid and cut into 2 inch x 1/4 inch strips)
    • 2 tbsp soy sauce
    • 2 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp black pepper

    The Easy Vegan Caesar Dressing

    • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice
    • 4 tbsp vegan mayo, low fat
    • 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 tbsp water
    • 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Salad

    • 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce or the greens of your choice
    • 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
    • 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and cubed
    • 1 avocado, pitted and diced
    • 1/2 cup bread croutons
    1.  To prepare the Tofu Steak:  Mix the soy sauce, garlic powder and black pepper in the saute pan.  Place the tofu strips in the mixture. Allow the liquid to gradually evaporate using medium heat while stirring the tofu until the strips are browned but not burnt. You can adjust the seasoning by adding more garlic powder or soy sauce if you like.

    2.  To prepare the dressing: Mix all the ingredients in a small food processor or blender and blend till mixture is homogeneous.

    3.  To assemble the salad:  Place a bed of greens on the bottom of a large shallow bowl.  Place the Tofu steak in the middle of the greens.  Arrange the tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and bread croutons around the tofu steak. Serve the salad with the dressing on the side.





    Friday, November 6, 2015

    Vegan Ranch Dressing





    I am now a believer in using tofu in recipes calling for cheese.  It gives this recipe the texture which I rate as just as important as taste especially when it comes to the well loved ranch dressing.  I adapted this from a recipe by Elie Krieger which uses nonfat plain yogurt.  I substituted tofu for the yogurt in this vegan version.This is so good I kept on licking the cover and the container of the blender before I did the photo shoot early in the morning.  I just grabbed my bag of baby carrots and ate them after I wiped the container with them.  This is a dead ringer for the original Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing.



    Vegan Ranch Dressing


    8 servings (around 2 tbsp per serving)

    1/2 cup soft tofu
    1/3 cup nondairy milk
    1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
    3 tbsp vegan mayo
    2 tsp Dijon mustard
    1/2 tsp onion powder
    1 clove garlic
    1/2 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp pepper
    1 tsp dry dill lemon or fresh dill

    Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix till completely creamy.


    Nutrition Facts
    Serving Size 19 g
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories
    12
    Calories from Fat
    6
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fat
    0.6g
    1%
    Trans Fat
    0.0g
    Cholesterol
    0mg
    0%
    Sodium
    163mg
    7%
    Potassium
    26mg
    1%
    Total Carbohydrates
    0.7g
    0%
    Protein
    1.1g
    Vitamin A 0%Vitamin C 1%
    Calcium 2%Iron 1%
    Nutrition Grade A-
    * Based on a 2000 calorie diet

    Nutritional Analysis

    Good points