Homemade Light Ranch Dressing

I’ve never made my own dressing. I’ve always wanted to but have just never got around to it. Until recently that is. A few weeks ago I was contacted by the folks at Stonyfield Farms asking if I’d be interested in trying some of their new Greek Yogurt line, Oikos. I’ve been using Stonyfield for years so I jumped at the chance! I buy almost all organic dairy. In fact I buy almost all organic, natural products when possible so I was glad to see an Organic Greek Yogurt on the market. Well I’m sure there are probably others, but I don’t live in a big city with fancy stores like Whole Foods who would be likely to carry the stuff. So I’m glad its readily available to me now

Some of you might be asking what Greek Yogurt even is! Well I’ll tell ya… its really not all that different than regular yogurt except its creamier and has a richer flavor. This is a result of the straining process which is used to create Greek Yogurt. Its a great substitute for things like sour cream, cream cheese, ricotta, or even heavy cream. Its also less likely to curdle (compared to regular yogurt) when heated so it can be a great substitute in cooking! I even got hubby to try it instead of his usual dollop of sour cream on his baked potato. He claims he can taste a different but said “it works” which really means he couldn’t tell but didn’t want to admit it. I know I know… you’re thinking yea right (unless you’ve tried it of course)! I know I did when my mother-in-law told me she was using yogurt instead of sour cream?! But really, Greek yogurt is so rich and creamy that it really is a great substitute! Want to give it a try? You can get your own coupons to save on Stonyfield’s yogurt by going here.

This dressing was one of the first things we whipped up using the yogurt… Absolutely fab! Hubby loves it and so do I. We especially love that its not high in calories or fat but tastes fabulous! Its a staple in our fridge now! Its also good with a sprinkling of your favorite cajun seasoning for a little spice!

Have some Greek yogurt you’d like to use up? Try these Big Beautiful Muffins or this Lemon Yogurt Cake.

Light Ranch Dressing

1/3 cup nonfat Greek style yogurt
1/3 cup low fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Season with salt & pepper to taste (use lots of freshly cracked black pepper)!

Source: Adapted from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger, 2007.

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Lettuce Wraps

Since starting weight watchers, we’ve eliminated a lot of carbs from our diet. I don’t think I really realized just quite how many carbs we were consuming. Oh I’ve always known I was a carb lover and don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there is anything “wrong” with carbs but like most things in life… its all about moderation! This was one of the first carb-less meals I created that hubby loved. We’ve eaten them almost every week! They’re really quick & easy to throw together and I love it that I can get some veggies in that hubby wouldn’t normally eat (the bell peppers)! I’ve tried the recipe with beef & turkey and they’re both good, although I use turkey more than I do beef. But even ground chicken or pork would work perfectly well!

We usually have these served up with some egg drop soup (made with egg substitute cause eggs make me sick!) or wonton soup. Its a quick, easy delicious meal. The leftovers are also fabulous for lunch!

Looking for some other fab dishes to pair with this? Try some Veggie Fried Rice or Veggie Lo Mein.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

3/4 lb lean ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken)
4 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp srirachi sauce
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
3 oz mushrooms, diced

butter lettuce leaves, washed & dried

In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium when thoroughly browned. Add diced onions & bell peppers. Stir frequently until softened. Add the garlic, soy sauce, srirachi sauce, ginger, and white pepper. Stir occassionally adding mushrooms. Cook a few more minutes until mushrooms are softened. Remove from heat. Serve hot in lettuce leaves.

POM Wonderful

This is a LONG over due post. Back in oh February(?) I was approached by the folks at POM Wonderful to see if I’d be interested in trying out a sample of their Pomegranate juice. Who says no to free samples?? I’m always up for trying new things although I haven’t actually blogged about any of them to date. A few days later an entire case of POM showed up on my doorstep!

I’d heard before that pomegranate juice is good for you but had no idea just how good it was for you until I read all about it in the flier they sent me along with my fabulous bottles of POM juice. Check it out for yourself on their website. It really is super juice!

So I had these grand ideas to make a bunch of different recipes with the POM juice and do a whole series on Pomegranate juice since they sent me a whole case of the stuff! The husband had a different idea though… before I knew it, he’d consumed almost the entire I case! I had one lone bottle left! haha. Is that an endorsement or what?

POM Fizz

8 oz Pomegranate Juice
2 cans (24 oz) of Lemon-Lime Soda
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
Crushed Ice

Combine juices & soda in a pitcher. Stir. Serve over crushed ice. Serves 4.

Easy Black Beans

I’m not sure why it is… but I stink at making black beans. Really. I can never seem to get the seasoning combo just right. Or I do and I forgot to measure so I can’t recreate it.  My combination of seasonings always seems to result in black beans that are simply underwhelming. That is until I discovered roasted salsa. Since I started making roasted salsa last month, it has become a weekend staple. I have been whipping up batches left and right and putting it in and on everything! The roasted goodness of the veggies is great with a can of black beans! I’ve tried using regular jarred salsa and the results were just not the same. The roasted salsa really did make a difference.

Soo easy to whip up and a delicious side dish! I’m not kidding you… its ridiculously easy that its almost a joke that I’m sharing it with you. But maybe there are some others out there who have an inability to make tasty black beans, so this is for you too Have a favorite black bean recipe using canned black beans? Please share them here! I’d love to try some reader faves!

These are a great side dish for Creamy Green Chile Enchiladas or Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas.

Easy Black Beans

15 oz can black beans
1/4 cup roasted salsa
salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Heat over medium-low heat until warm throughout. Serve hot.

Roasted Lemon Pepper Broccoli

I first blogged about Roasted Broccoli two years ago! I’m shocked it was that long ago; where does the time go?? I’m still just as thrilled today as I was back then to have discovered the goodness of roasted veggies. I love the stuff. I can eat cups and cups of broccoli when its roasted. The roasting brings out all the fabulous flavors. Probably one of my favorite side dishes ever. I seriously can’t get enough. Its good stuff (I hope you’ve gotten the point by now… I really do love it!)

Oh and fyi – you can use frozen broccoli florets. You don’t want to use a variety where the pieces are tiny chopped bits, but larger florets. Well I suppose you could use tiny bits just keep a close eye on them cause burned broccoli is not tasty. I’ve done that… more than once. And its definitely not edible.

Roasted Lemon Pepper Broccoli

2 cups broccoli florets, bite size pieces
extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp lemon pepper
2 cloves garlic, sliced
salt & pepper, if desired*

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a bowl, toss the broccoli florets with the olive oil, garlic, lemon pepper & salt (if desired). Spread broccoli out on baking sheet in a single layer and then roast, without stirring, until the edges are crispy and the stems are crisp tender, about 15-20 minutes.

* the lemon pepper I purchase does not include salt, however some varieties do so don’t over salt by adding too much extra if your lemon pepper variety already has some.