House Dressing-Secret Recipe Club

Who could resist a visit to a blog called “Smells Like Brownies.”  This was my assigned blog for this month’s Secret Recipe Club.  Melissa has been blogging since 2011 and is the stay-at-home mom of two little ones.

Of course, cookie lover that I am, I headed straight for the cookie index.  I wasn’t disappointed and found recipes for Brown Sugar Shortbread, Oatmeal Butterscotch Chip Cookies, Gooey Vanilla Bean Tea Cakes and Double Chocolate Buttermilk Cookies which my husband is currently stealing from the cookie jar.  I also found Spicy Tuna Burgers and Pecan Crusted Salmon.  Melissa doesn’t eat meat or poultry, so there are a lot of great veggie and fish recipes on the site also.

Now I was planning to post about one of the cookie recipes, but I came across a post that had a recipe that was so easy, so quick and so versatile that, after I made it,  I just knew that it had to be shared.  Melissa wrote about a dressing that she  loved which was served at a place called The Cheese Shop in Colonial Williamsburg.  Well, move over Ranch, I have a new love.

Now when I say I love this stuff, this is how I have already used it.

I had it on roasted cauliflower.

Then as a dip for chicken fingers.

With roasted potato slices.

And on zucchini patties.

Then actually as a dressing on a wedge of lettuce.
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I have even been guilty of grabbing a spoon and taking a little bite directly from the jar.  From now on, I will always have this in my fridge.  If you like mustard at all, please give this wonderful recipe a try.

It is worth it to buy the mustard seeds for this if you don’t have them on hand.  The dressing does get more kick the longer you keep it.

Make this dressing/dip, then visit Smells Like Brownies, and get some great new cookie recipes.

“Cheese Shop” House Dressing
from It Smells Like Brownies

I c. high-quality regular or light mayonnaise (I used Best Foods)
1 T. high-quality Dijon mustard
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 large clove garlic, minced (I like garlic so may have used a bit more)
1 t. turbinado or light brown sugar (I  used the brown sugar)
pinch salt
pinch fresh ground black pepper
1 t. mustard seeds

Combine all ingredients except the mustard seeds in a food processor or blender.  (I used my mini food chopper).  Process until the garlic is smooth and the mixture is well blended.  Turn into a container with a lid.  Stir in the mustard seeds.  Chill several hours to allow flavors to blend.  Serve with crusty bread, raw or cooked veggies, chicken fingers, over lettuce, just wherever you want.  Makes a little over a cup.

If you would like to join in the fun of Secret Recipe Club, visit this page.

An InLinkz Link-up

BLT Salad with a little O

I rarely repost a recipe from another blog, but sometimes I really have to.  A couple of weeks ago, Lynn from Happier than a Pig in Mud posted the most delicious-looking tomato salad recipe.  I knew that I would have to give it a try.

Just that day, I got called into work during my vacation.  Since I had to drive to town, I stopped at our local produce stand and purchased the very first local tomatoes of the season.  We had been waiting impatiently for them.  All I could think about at work was that tomato salad, but I really wanted a bacon, lettuce and tomato salad also.  So, when I got home from work, I made a BLT salad and used the dressing from Lynn’s recipe.  I cannot begin to tell you how good this was.  There is nothing quite as good as fresh, local tomatoes.

I halved Lynn’s dressing recipe using rice vinegar instead of cider vinegar.  I needed to use only half of the dressing for a salad for one.  The dressing kept well, and I had another salad a day or two later.  Thanks, Lynn, for a great new dressing recipe.

About the “O”, I had some red onion that I needed to use up, and I like onion in my salad, so the addition of “O” it was.  Use freshly cooked bacon in this salad.  It makes a world of difference.

The ingredients listed are for a salad for one.  If it is being made for more people, increase accordingly.

B L T Salad with a Little O
2 slices bacon
1 1 /2 c. lettuce cut into chunks
1 medium fresh tomato
1/4 c. chopped red onion
some croutons to top salad

Lynn’s Dressing (This is half of her recipe and I only used half of this for the salad.)
1/4 c sour cream
1/2 T. sugar
1/2 T.  vinegar (your choice)
1/8 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. onion powder
1/8 t. dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon until very crisp.  Drain, cool and crumble into large pieces.  While bacon is cooking, stir together the sour cream, sugar, vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, salt and pepper.  Mix well and set aside.  Chop and measure lettuce and place in a large individual salad dish.  Slice and chop tomato and add to lettuce.  Add chopped onion and bacon.  Stir to blend.  Pour half of dressing over the salad and mix till salad ingredients are well coated.  Scatter some croutons over the top of the salad, eat and enjoy.  Serves 1.  Place remaining dressing in a small, covered container and refrigerate to enjoy with another salad in a day or so.

Linking to these great parties:

Tuesday Trivia

Tasteful Tuesday

Totally Tasteful Tuesday

Show Me What You Got

Two Cup Tuesday

Show Me What Ya Got

Tasty Tuesday

Cast Party Wednesday

Show and Share Wednesday

What's Cookin' Wednesday

What'sIn Your Kitchen Wednesday

Whimsy Wednesday

Create and Share Wednesday

Wicked Good Wednesday

 

Kale, Leek, Lettuce and Tomato Salad with Bacon Dressing

One of the reasons that I joined the Eating the Alphabet Challenge hosted by Brenda over at Meal Planning Magic was to force myself to try new veggies and fruits.  Since this month’s letters are K and L, I decided to combine kale and leeks with the ingredients of a B, L, T sandwich in a salad.

I am not sure that I am now on the kale bandwagon, but it was an interesting salad to eat.  I will be making the bacon dressing again to used with other salads.

I am listing the ingredients and amounts that I used for the salad.  As with most salads, of course, everything is adjustable.

Be sure to rinse the chopped leeks well to remove any dirt and grit.

Kale, Leek, Lettuce and Tomato Salad with Bacon Dressing
8 cups, chopped kale
4 c. chopped iceberg lettuce
1 medium leek, thinly sliced and centers chopped
20 grape tomatoes, quartered
20 pitted black olives, quartered
8 slices bacon
2 T. olive oil
1 T. vinegar
1/2 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. salt
1/2 T. sugar
1/4 t. pepper, coarse ground if possible
2 T.  bacon drippings
1/2 c. mayonnaise

Remove spines from kale leaves and roughly chop.  Place in a large bowl and add the iceberg lettuce, leeks, tomatoes and black olives.  Toss to blend.  Fry bacon slices until crisp.  Do this in more than one batch if necessary.  Pour drippings into a small bowl and reserve.  Combine olive oil, vinegar, dry mustard, salt, sugar and pepper and mix well.  Slowly stir in bacon drippings.  Stir in mayonnaise until well blended.  Pour over salad ingredients in a bowl and toss well.  Crumble bacon slices and mix into salad.  Serves 4 to 6.

You can join the Eating the Alphabet Challenge anytime.  All the details are here. 

Linking to these great parties:
Tasteful Tuesday
Show Me What You Got
Totally Tasty Tuesday
Tuesday Talent Show
Show Me What Ya Got
Take-a-Look Tuesday
Two cup Tuesday

Stuffed Iceberg Lettuce Salad-Eating the Alphabet

I will not be posting a Saturday Sweet today as this is the day to post for this month's Eating the Alphabet Challenge hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic.  You can, however, find a recipe for a Double Berry Giant Eclair in Thursday's post.

The letters for June are I and J, and they are, indeed, a challenge.  The only two vegetables I could think of were iceberg lettuce and jicama.

Although it is somewhat looked down upon now, when I was growing up in the late 40’s and 50’s, iceberg lettuce was the most common lettuce found at the grocery store so people ate a lot of it. Creative cooks dreamed up many ways to serve it.  After all, this was the era of peach and pear halves made into faces and bananas made into candles.

In my area of the country, a popular “ladies’ lunch” dish was Stuffed Iceberg Lettuce Salad.  This dish consisted of cream cheese and other ingredients that were combined and stuffed into a cored head of lettuce.  The whole thing was tightly wrapped, chilled for several hours or overnight, then sliced for serving.  Generally, the slice of lettuce was smeared with a mayonnaise-based red dressing.  Because the slice of lettuce was cut up and everything mixed together to eat it,  this was also sometimes called a Knife and Fork Salad.

In the spirit of reviving an old favorite, today I am sharing a recipe for Stuffed Iceberg Lettuce Salad.  I have included two dressing choices, one for vegetable salad and one for fruit salad.

When selecting a head of lettuce to stuff, look for one that is heavy for its size and that has the core centered as much as possible.

The stuffing mixture is very flexible so if I have an 8-oz. package of cream cheese on hand, I use half of it.  If I have to buy cream cheese, I sometimes just buy the 3-oz. package.  Either can be used.

Almost any ingredient that one wants can be mixed in with the cream cheese.  Vegetables such as grated carrot, minced onion, peppers, tomatoes, radishes, celery, cucumber are common.  For a fruit salad chopped fresh or canned fruit such as apples, cherries, peaches, pears, pineapple, mandarin oranges or strawberries can be used.  Usually nuts are added to this.  Chopped cooked chicken, ham, tuna, salmon or bacon can be added for a more main-dish salad.  Consider the recipe below just a basic guide.

Stuffed Iceberg Lettuce Salad
1 medium head Iceberg Lettuce
3-4 oz. cream cheese, softened (regular, low fat or fat-free)

2 T. shredded Cheddar
2 T. minced onion, regular or green
2 T. minced red pepper
2 T. chopped black olives
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. dill weed
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except lettuce in a small bowl and mix until well blended.  Set aside.  Smack core of lettuce against the edge of a counter to dislodge it.  Twist and remove the core.  If cavity does not seem big enough to hold all the cream cheese mixture, reach in and remove additional lettuce with a clean hand.  Stuff the cream cheese mixture tightly into the lettuce cavity.  Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill several hours or overnight.  At serving time, remove from refrigerator.  Cut into thick slices with a very sharp knife.  Lay on serving plates and smear lettuce with a thick red dressing such as the ones below.  Makes about 4 servings.

Quick Red Dressing (for vegetable or main-dish salad.
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. chili sauce or ketchup
2 T. pickle relish
1 t. lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a small bowl until well blended.  Chill to blend flavors.  Makes about 3/4 c.

Cranberry Dressing (for fruit salad)
1 c. jellied cranberry sauce
1 c. mayonnaise
2 T. lemon juice
1 c. whipped cream (opt.)

Beat cranberry sauce and mayonnaise with an electric mixer until well blended.  Stir in lemon juice.  Chill to blend flavors.  For a richer dressing, fold in whipped cream.  Makes 2 -3 c.

There is still time to join in the fun and help us finish up the rest of the alphabet.  You can find all the necessary details on Brenda's Eating the Alphabet page.

Click on the links below to see what other bloggers have dreamed up for the letters I and J.

Linking to these great parties:
Weekend Potluck
Weekend Bloggy Reading
Party Junk
Strut Your Stuff
Share Your Creativity
I'm Lovin' It
What'd You Do this Weekend
Marvelous Monday
Mix It Up Monday
Recipe Sharing Monday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
On the Menu Monday
Make the Scene Monday
Mop It Up Monday
Manic Monday
Sweet Sharing Monday
Monday Funday

Crazy Cooking Challenge-Dilled Ranch Dressing/Dip Mix

I am so glad that Tina over at Mom’s Crazy Cooking is continuing to host Crazy Cooking Challenge.  I have so much fun with this every month.  If you would like to join in the fun, just click on over to get the details and to see what the challenges are for the next several months.

This month’s challenge is Ranch Dressing /Dip.  I suspect that most cooks have their own special recipe for this, and I am sharing a variation that is one of my favorites.  I wanted to change my basic Ranch Dressing Mix recipe up a bit; so, since I really like dill, I decided to add dried dill to the rest of the ingredients.  I guess I could say it turned out well, I am tempted to eat it by the spoonful.

To vary this when using it as a dip, I sometimes add some finely chopped dill pickle, some finely chopped black olives and some finely chopped red pepper just because I like them.

The dry mix ingredients can be kept tightly sealed for a long time if stored in a cool, dry place. Because of the paprika, the dressing/dip is a light pink color and not white like most ranch dressings.

Dilled Ranch Dressing/Dip Mix
3 T. dried minced onion
1 T. dried parsley
1 T. dried minced garlic
2 t. paprika
2 t. sugar
1 t. coarsely ground pepper
1 t. tarragon
1 T. dried dill
1 t. salt

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Store in a tightly covered container in a cool, dry place.  Makes about 7 to 8 tablespoons of mix, enough for 7 to 8 batches of dressing/dip.

To Make Dressing/Dip
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 c. buttermilk or regular milk (add more for dressing, less for dip)
2 T. dill pickle juice
1 T. Dilled Ranch Dressing/Dip Mix

In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk or milk and the dill pickle juice.  Mix well.  Add dip mix and mix until well combined.  Place in a covered container and chill at least a few hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.  Makes 1 3/4 to 2 c. dressing or dip.  Serve as a salad dressing or as a dip with crackers, pita chips, or veggies for dippers.  I like to put this on baked potatoes, too.

Cooking with the Journal-Peanut Butter Salad Dressing/Dip

I meant to post this wonderful little recipe with the salad dressings posts and forgot.  That is OK as this one deserves its own special post.  Since this is a recipe from a Farm Journal book it is getting just that.

This is so quick, so easy and so good that I keep it around all the time.  As you can see from the photo, I dip celery, carrots, apple slices and bananas in it.  I put it on fruit salads.  I spread it on slices of bread (I prefer 12-grain), add slices of banana and have a banana and peanut butter sandwich.  It is also very good on chicken salad made with diced chicken, onion, celery, red pepper, pineapple tidbits and topped with fried wontons or chow mien noodles.

It can be made with mayonnaise or salad dressing (Miracle Whip).   It will be a little sweeter if made with the salad dressing.  I sometimes add a couple of tablespoons of chopped peanuts to this, especially if I am topping the chicken salad.

Peanut Butter Salad Dressing/Dip
Busy Woman’s Cookbook
Farm Journal Books, 1961,1971

2 T. chunky peanut butter
2 T. honey (grease the measuring spoon and the honey will slide right out)
1/2 c.  mayonnaise or salad dressing

Combine ingredients and mix with a fork until well blended.  Keep covered in refrigerator.  Makes about 2/3 c.  Keeps at least 1 month (Who am I kidding, it is NEVER around that long.)

Linking to:
These Chicks Cooked
Cast Party Wednesday 
Foodie Wednesday
Tasty Tuesday

DIY Groceries-Salad Dressings 2

Good Monday morning.  Welcome to my new followers and thanks again to all for following my blog.  I hope that you find the information here useful.

Don’t hold the mayo.  The homemade dressings that I am sharing today either start with a base of mayonnaise or have mayonnaise as an ingredient in them.  There are both familiar and unusual flavors in these dressings.  There is a simple Thousand Island Dressing, a Honey Mustard Dressing, a Sesame-Soy Dressing, a Ripe Olive Dressing, and an Applesauce Dressing.  All are quick and easy to make, but most require some chilling time.  All recipes can be doubled or halved as needed.  Half amounts of most of the recipes will fill a 6 oz. jelly jar.  A group of salad dressing in the jelly jars are a very nice Christmas gift for local people to whom gifts can be delivered.  These dressing also make very good sandwich spreads.

Many Thousand Island Dressing recipes include a chopped, hard-cooked egg.  This one does not and will keep longer than one with egg in it.

Thousand Islands Dressing

1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. chili sauce
1/4 c. ketchup
1 T. pickle relish

Combine ingredients together in a small bowl, blend well with a wire whisk.  Transfer to a covered container and chill at least several hours.  Makes 1 3/4 c.

This Honey-Mustard recipe actually came with a Chicken Finger recipe that I use, but we like it as a salad dressing also.

Honey Mustard Sauce

1/2 c. honey (grease the measuring cup and the honey will slide right out)
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. Dijon-style mustard
1 t. Worcestershire Sauce

Mix together honey, mustard, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl using a wire whisk.  Transfer to a covered container and  chill at least several hours (1 day is better) before using.  Makes about 3/4 c.

It was not included in the original recipe, but I like to add just a pinch of Chinese 5-Spice to this Sesame-Soy Dressing.  Be sure that you keep the sesame oil in the refrigerator.  It can become rancid rather quickly if left at room temperature.  This is a great dressing for chicken salad, and I like it on fruit.

Sesame-Soy Dressing

1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. plus 2 T. rice or white wine vinegar
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. sesame oil
2 T. soy sauce (I use low sodium)
1/2 t. garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well with a wire whisk until sugar is dissolved.  Chill several hours before using.  Makes about 3 c.

I like ripe olives, but hubby does not so I usually halve the next dressing.  I often buy small cans of sliced ripe olives, drain the can, chop the olives in a mini food processor and just use that amount of olives.

Ripe Olive Salad Dressing

1 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. chili sauce or ketchup
1/2 c. pitted ripe olives chopped
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. celery salt
1/4 t. dried basil leaves, crushed
1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped (I usually leave this out as the dressing keeps longer without it)

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and beat with a wire whisk until well blended.  Transfer to a covered container and chill several hours before serving.  This is nice served on lettuce wedges.  Makes 1 3/4 c. 

This dressing doesn’t have a lot of mayonnaise in it, but I am including it because it is an unusual and tasty dressing.

Applesauce Salad Dressing
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup sour cream
2 T. mayonnaise
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. prepared mustard
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic, minced
1/8 t. white pepper

In a small bowl, stir all ingredients until thoroughly blended using a wire whisk.  Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate at least 2 hours for flavors to blend. May be refrigerated up to 1 week.   Makes about 1 1/2 c.

Linking to Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Newbie Party
Sharing Monday
Recipe Sharing Monday

DIY Groceries-Salad Dressings 1

Good Monday morning to all my followers and welcome to the new ones.  I hope that you find the information here useful.

Because it is summer, because it is sweltering hot in some places, because you can save a lot of money and avoid additives,  because they are some of the easiest DIY recipes to make, salad dressings are going to be my focus over the next two or three weeks.

The first recipe is for Bob Evan’s Colonial Dressing with variations.  Now I have never eaten at a Bob Evan’s restaurant, and I don’t know where the recipe came from (maybe the Recipe Detective), so I don’t know how authentic it is.  It is, however, a very good sweet/sour celery seed dressing all by itself, and the variations make the recipe very versatile.

I am on the lazy side and easily bored when it comes to salad dressings. So, over the years, I have doubled the recipe which I then divide up 4 ways.  I keep one as-is and make whatever variations I am feeling like having with the other 3.  Therefore, the recipe makes a lot-about a quart and the additions for the variations are for 1 cup of dressing.  The ingredient amount for the variations will need to be quadrupled if you want to vary the whole recipe.  I hope that makes sense.  If not, just ask.


One other thing I love about DIY salad dressing is you can make them “your own.”  This dressing is definitely sweet/sour so won’t appeal to all.  I like it the way it is and have never played around with the amount of the ingredients in the basic recipe, but I’m sure it could be done.  I have played with the ingredients in the variations, and they are no longer the original ones.  One way I like to use the dressings is drizzled over wedges of lettuce.  The basic dressing, the Catalina, and the Slaw dressing are good drizzled over fruit salads.

From Left Basic Dressing, Creamy Italian Colonial, Catalina Colonial, Creamy Onion

Bob Evan’s Colonial Dressing

2 c. water
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 c. vinegar, light or dark
2 c. sugar
2 t. onion powder
1 T. salt
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter (sliced)
1 t. pepper
2 t. celery salt
2 T. celery seeds

Combine water and cornstarch in a large saucepan and mix well with a whisk until well blended.  Set mixture over a medium high heat, add remaining ingredients individually, stirring constantly and mixing well after each addition.  Cook and continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.  Boil, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes until mixture has thickened.  Remove from heat and let cool.  (I divide the mixture up evenly into bowls to hasten cooling).  Let cool completely.  Stir in ingredients for variations, if desired.  Transfer to a tightly covered container.  Store in refrigerator.  Basic dressing keeps for about 6 weeks.  Makes about 1 quart.

Note: the variations made with sour cream should keep until the expiration date on the sour cream.

Creamy Italian Colonial Dressing

1/2 T. prepared mustard, any kind
1/2 T. light corn syrup
1 T. Italian herbs
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 c. mayonnaise

Add above ingredients to 1 c. of  the basic dressing.  Stir with a whisk to combine.  Store in refrigerator.  Keeps for about 6 weeks.  Makes about 1 1/4 c.

Catalina Colonial Dressing

1/2 c. catsup
1/4 c.  pickle relish, any kind

Add above ingredients to 1 c. of the basic dressing.  Stir well to combine.  Store in refrigerator.  Keeps for about 6 weeks.  Makes about 1 3/4 c.

Creamy Onion or Garlic Dressing

2 T. dried minced onion or garlic
1/2 c. sour cream, regular or low-fat

Add above ingredients to 1 c. of the basic dressing.  Stir with a whisk to combine.  Refrigerate overnight before using.  Store in refrigerator.   Makes 1 1/2 c.

Slaw Dressing

1/4 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise

Add above ingredients to 1 c. of the basic dressing.  Stir with a whisk to combine.  Store in refrigerator.  Makes 1 1/2 c.

Linking to Newbie Party,
Sharing Monday