I don’t know about your house, but we are always trying to eat more vegetables. One of the easiest ways I have found is to snack on raw veggies & dip or add a green salad to a meal. Of course this will require a great tasting dip or dressing.

Salad dressings and dip are really simple to make from scratch. Not only do they taste much better than the store bought variety, but you can customize the ingredients to accommodate food issues and taste preferences. If you or your kids really hate an ingredient you can omit it or substitute it with something else. And if you really love a flavor you can add extra.

This a great recipe for Buttermilk Ranch Dip. It is pretty thick, so if you want to use it as a salad dressing I would recommend adding a little more buttermilk or milk to get the desired consistency. It has quite a few dried herbs, but it isn’t a bold dip. I think it is great as written, but you might find that it needs a dash of your favorite hot sauce or some more herbs to suit your taste. I used dried herbs, just to keep it simple and kid-friendly; but of course fresh herbs could be used and would really pack a lot of flavor.

We used a vegan mayonnaise to make it egg-free, but any mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, even light, could be used. I also used a light sour cream. If you are really looking for a low-fat Ranch Dip, you could use all low-fat or non-fat dairy products in this recipe and I doubt anyone would know.

Buttermilk Ranch Dip with vegetables.

Buttermilk Ranch Dip

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp dried chives
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dried celery
• salt & pepper to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp of each)

1. In a medium bowl, add all ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled; about two hours.

Cooking With Kids, lunch box, Sauces & Dressings egg-free ranch recipe, gluten-free ranch

This is a really easy and delicious peanut dipping sauce. It’s quick to make and if you cook Asian food you most likely have all the ingredients on hand already.

We use it for a dipping sauce for summer rolls/salad rolls, but it would also be great over rice noodles or a salad.

Although it is flavorful, it isn’t spicy. If you want it to have “heat” you’ll want to make sure and add some chili garlic paste or spicy chile sauce (Thai Kitchen makes some gluten free ones that are at most well-stocked grocery stores).

Peanut Dipping Sauce with a salad roll.

Peanut Dipping Sauce

• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce ( Premier Japan makes a gf/cf one)
• 2 tsp tomato sauce
• 1 cup water

1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

quick and easy, Sauces & Dressings gluten free dipping sauce

Homemade salsa is so good. Although I do purchase the jarred variety for cooking, if we want to eat salsa on chips or tacos I usually make it fresh. It doesn’t take a lot of time and it really does taste a lot better. And it is extremely nice to be able to adjust the spices and salt to suit your taste.

One of our favorite salsa is made made with tomatillos. They look like small green tomatoes with papery husks, that need removed before eating. They have a unique, almost citrus flavor and the key ingredient in Salsa Verde or green salsa.

This simple, but really great salsa is based on recipe from Rick Bayless. If you love authentic Mexican food, he is a great source with numerous cookbooks and a series on Public Television.

Shredded Beef Tacos & Tomatillo Salsa

Tomatillo Salsa (aka Salsa Verde)

• 1/2 pound fresh tomatillos (about 5-6)
• 1-2 Serrano chiles (or use jalapeno chiles if you like it hotter)
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
• 10 sprigs fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup water
• salt to taste
• 1/2 small onion, peeled diced, and rinsed under cold water

1. Adjust oven rack to highest position and turn on the broiler. Peel husk off tomatillos and discard. Rinse tomatillos and lay on a rimmed baking sheet. Place under broiler and broil for 5 minutes or until they appear darkened in spots; remove from oven and turn each tomatillo over. Return to broiler and cook an additional 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
2. Scrap tomatillos and any accumulated juices into a blender or food processor. Stem chiles and roughly chop. Pull leaves from cilantro and discard the stems. Add chile, garlic, cilantro leaves and 1/4 cup water to blender or food processor. Cover and process until nearly smooth. Pour into small bowl and taste, add salt if needed. Add onions and stir to combine.

Sauces & Dressings easy salsa verde

When you get tired of turkey, here is a great steak recipe to try.

I typically grill steak, but it has been really wet and windy here, and now that it is dark so early, it really isn’t fun to cook outside anymore. Also, I bought a new pan I really wanted to try out, so I made a last minute decision to make steaks with a red wine pan sauce.

It was so good and so easy. Start with a good-quality steak and within a matter of minutes you have a company worthy meal on the table. I served it alongside some sauteed garlic green beans and leftover mashed potatoes for a quick and impressive weeknight meal.

If you prefer your steaks more than medium-rare, I find it best to sear them well and then finish cooking them in a 350-375 degree oven; so you’ll need to make sure you have an oven-safe skillet. It takes about 5-10 minutes in the oven (after browning well in the pan) to get medium to medium-well in my experience.

And home made pan sauces are such a beautiful thing. This recipe has you deglaze the pan with red wine, which creates a super quick and flavorful sauce.

We aren’t wine drinkers, so I keep the really small, individual size wine bottles on hand (Sutter Home, Robert Mondavi Wines, and Stone Cellars are popular brands that offer small bottles). Depending on the store, they can be purchased individually or in a 4-pack. They are really reasonably priced, typically in the $1-3 dollar range.

Although I threw in some Boursin cheese, it wasn’t in the original recipe from Gourmet Magazine. But it does taste great! If you have never tried it, you really should. It is almost like cream cheese, but it is somewhat crumbly. It really is great on crackers, eggs, mashed potatoes, and, of course, a pan sauce.

Rib-Eyes with Red Wine Pan sauce on the side for dipping.

Rib-Eye Steaks with Red Wine Pan Sauce

This recipe can easily be halved. 

• 4 (1/2 inch thick) boneless rib-eye steaks (about 2 pounds total)
• 2 TB vegetable oil, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce (I use San-J’s gf one)
• 2 TB butter
• 1 TB Boursin Garlic and Herb cheese, optional

1. Pat steaks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over high until it shimmers. Add steaks, in two batches, sauteing for about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. (If you prefer you steaks more well-done I would transfer them to a hot oven to finish cooking, 5-10 minutes). Transfer steaks to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
3. Pour off any fat that is in skillet and saute garlic in remaining tablespoon oil, over medium-high heat, about 30 seconds. Add wine and boil, scraping up the brown bits, until the wine is reduced by half; this takes 2-3 minutes. Add water, soy sauce, and the meat juices that accumulated on the plate, and boil another 3-4 minutes or until reduced by half.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add butter and Boursin, if using, and stir until smooth and thickened. Pour over steaks or serve in individual dishes for dipping.

Main Dishes, Sauces & Dressings gluten free red wine steak sauce

I know making gravy is one of those things that stresses out many home cooks. But making gravy can be very simple, and in fact, gluten free gravy is super easy.

This recipe is my take on the Argo recipe, which I believe has been on their cornstarch packages for years. It is quick, easy and really good.

The trick to using cornstarch is to make a “slurry” before you add to the hot liquid. That simply means you have to dissolve the cornstarch in a small amount of liquid and stir til it’s completely smooth. Also, cornstarch reaches it’s thickening potential after it has boiled, so you have to turn up the heat and stir!

Although many people prefer to use the roasting pan they cooked the meat in, I find it easier to use a non-stick skillet to make gravy. I think it gets smoother and, of course, doesn’t stick.

Turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, broccolini, and wild rice spoon bread are pictured below.

A great gluten free holiday meal!

Easy Cornstarch Gravy

If you prefer, you can increase the amount of drippings and use less or no broth (that is what I do to make a richer tasting gravy).

• 2 tablespoons turkey (or other meat) drippings
• 2 cups broth or water + bouillon
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/4 cup cold milk or water
• poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper, or other herbs, optional

1. In a pan combine dripping and broth (if using the roasting pan, be sure to scrape up all the browned bits. They add lots of flavor) and cook over medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and milk and stir until smooth. Using a whisk, whisk the cornstarch slurry into broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 1 minute.
3. Taste, and season if desired.

Holidays & Special Occasions, Sauces & Dressings gltuen free gravy