When Stephen took me out on our date to see Third Day in concert, we decided to stop in at Tumbleweed and eat dinner. I opted for a salad since I had eaten Mexican earlier that day. Since it was a Tex Mex salad, I chose their Cilantro Lime Dressing. First bite of that salad with THAT dressing on it was phenomenal. I knew right then and there I was going to have to recreate that dressing.
This dressing tastes great on salad, on grilled chicken, beef, and even goes great as a dip for pitas or tortilla chips.
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup lime juice (about 3 limes)
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- Puree all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Chill until ready to serve.
What is your favorite homemade dressing for salads?
I love Olive Garden Salad — don’t you? It’s not the salad so much as it is the dressing. I have been all over the Internet comparing recipes and finally combining a few have come up with the perfect Olive Garden Salad Dressing.
This dressing tastes exactly like what you would get if you went to Olive Garden and had their salad. I now can have this delicious and yummy treat with my dinner anytime I want without leaving the comfort of my own home.
- 8 ounces of any vinegar and oil dressing mix (you can use Paul Newman, Kraft, etc)
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon of dried basil
- ½ teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- Put all ingredients into a bowl or bottle and mix together.
- Refrigerate for 24 hours before using
If you want to create a salad like Olive Garden’s, simply use a bagged American blend salad and add in black olives, croutons, tomatoes, red onions, and pepperoncini peppers.
Salads are a great filler when you don’t want to over eat and the best part is, if you put your dressing to the side and just dip your fork in your dressing, you will cut down on the calories majorly (because the dressing is where a lot of your salad calories come from.)
So what is your favorite salad and dressing?
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I found a new product a few weeks ago and I am in heaven. Liquid Stevia that is flavored — and it has ZERO calories people!! (Can you hear the angels singing yet?). NuNaturals is my hero lately!
I got a big box of flavors in to try and to be honest, it’s been sitting in my cabinet the last few days because I honestly wasn’t sure what I was going to make with it. I recently discovered a recipe that sounded scrumptious over at Elana’s Pantry for Green Goddess Dressing, so that got me to thinking about Avocados and how to use her recipe but create my own using the flavored Stevias that I got in.
Success!
I received a ton of Stevia products to try out and use and for the first time in a long time, I am loving sweets again. Processed sugar makes my stomach ache, but with Stevia, it does not bother me at all.
The Stevia packets are wonderful, and it only takes one to flavor my coffee, so I have went from using heavy fattening creamers to just one pack of zero calorie Stevia and a splash of milk. My coffee tastes delicious and I don’t have the added calories. Total score in my book!
- 1 avocado
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon herbes de provence (parsley, basil, and oregano)
- ½ kosher salt
- 3-5 drops Lemon Flavored NuNu Naturals stevia
- ¼ cup water
- Place all ingredients in your food processor.
- Process on high speed until smooth and creamy
- Pour over your favorite salad greens
- Store remaining dressing in a glass jar in fridge
- Keeps for up to 3 days
- (If dressing is a bit thick to your liking, you can add more water to thin it out. I like to use mine as a dip sometimes, so I omit the water all together)
About NuNaturals
I was sent the following:
- Pure Liquid Orange NuStevia Alcohol Free 2 oz. bottle
- Pure Liquid Vanilla NuStevia Alcohol Free 2 oz. bottle
- Pure Liquid Peppermint NuStevia Alcohol Free 2 oz. bottle
- Pure Liquid Lemon NuStevia Alcohol Free 2 oz. bottle
- Pure Liquid Alcohol Free NuStevia 2 oz. bottle
- NuStevia White Stevia Powder 100 packets
- NuStevia Prebiotic blend
- NuStevia No Carb blend
- PreSweet Tagatose 1 pound bag
In addition to the liquid Stevia line, NuNaturals also offers products like Pre-Sweet Tagatose and Stevia powder for your baking and cooking needs. The NuNaturals PreBiotic blend is a dietary suppliment that can be added to your food or drink. The Pre-Sweet Tagalose and the NuNaturals PreBiotic Blend have no effect on blood sugar, so it’s safe for diabetics. Once I’m feeling up to baking again, I will be trying out the Gluten Free Thin Mints recipe as well as several others. Yum!
NuNaturals does offer samples of some of their products. You can find out how to receive some here. To find out more about NuNaturals and stay up-to-date on their latest product offerings (like their new Chocolate Stevia), you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
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I received a free copy of this book/Ebook/Product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew
I love homemade dressings. They are absolutely fabulous! Not only are they delicious, but they are better for you too. Our challenge this month with the Crazy Cooking Challenge was to create a ranch dressing or dip. Here is my recipe for Homemade Rance Dressing.
It literally took me just around 3-4 minutes to whip this up. Coming straight from the food processor it tastes delicious! I can only imagine how yummy it will taste after it has had time to sit in the fridge overnight 
Here is how you can make this dressing too! You will definitely want to try this one. Not joking at all. It is SCRUMPTIOUS!
- 2 scallions, trimmed
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ cup of mayonaisse
- ⅓ cup of buttermilk
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lettuce of your choice
- Chop up one scallion and add it to the food processor with the garlic. Pulse until garlic is minced. Add the mayonnaise, buttermilk, and salt and pepper to taste and pulse until well combined and smooth.
- Drizzle over your salad. Thinly slice in a diagonal the other scallion and place on top. Eat up! YUM!
 
This post is linked to:
Foodie Friday
I’m Lovin’ It
Food-tastic Friday
Fusion Fridays
Friday Favorites
Show Your Stuff
Foodie Friday
Weekend Potluck
Aloha Friday Blog Hop
I was watching Food Network yesterday and 5 Ingredient Fix came on. Have you ever seen that show? If not, YOU are missing out! The host does a fabulous job of creating meals using only 5 ingredients.
Anyway, Claire (that’s the host) made this delicious looking homemade ranch dressing–without a seasoning packet from the grocery store! I was instantly hooked because I was dying for a salad, but was out of dressing–and let’s face it, I ain’t eatin’ dry lettuce!
I thought as I watched her make this, surely it is not that easy to make buttermilk ranch dressing for a salad? It has got to be more complicated than that! Guess what? It was THAT easy!
excuse the pic. I took with my Iphone and the lighting in my kitchen is terrible in the afternoons.
It literally took me just around 3-4 minutes to whip this up. Coming straight from the food processor it tastes delicious! I can only imagine how yummy it will taste after it has had time to sit in the fridge overnight
Here is how you can make this dressing too! You will definitely want to try this one. Not joking at all. It is SCRUMPTIOUS!
Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
2 scallions, trimmed
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup of mayonaisse
1/3 cup of buttermilk
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lettuce of your choice
Directions
Chop up one scallion and add it to the food processor with the garlic. Pulse until garlic is minced. Add the mayonnaise, buttermilk, and salt and pepper to taste and pulse until well combined and smooth.
Drizzle over your salad. Thinly slice in a diagonal the other scallion and place on top. Eat up! YUM!
This post is linked to Wander Food Wednesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Another What’s Cooking Wednesday, What’s On Your Plate, Real Food Wednesday, Deals and Dishes, Sugar and Spice, and What I Whipped Up Wednesday.
Rafferty’s has always been mine and Stephen’s date night restaurant. It is a little on the pricey side, so we use it as a special place to go for just the two of us when we want to be alone and enjoy a fabulous steak dinner.
With my steak dinner, I get a salad with this dressing that will cause you to blow your top! No. . .it’s not hot with spices, but it is warm, gooey, and filled with bacon. I am telling you, it is the ultimate salad dressing. It’s not very healthy because it is full of sugar, but drizzled over a plate of greens, it becomes pure heaven!
Here is my version and believe me, it taste even better than the dressing at Rafferty’s!
Hot Bacon Dressing
Ingredients:
8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
1 and 1/2 cups of sugar
3 teaspoons of cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
Directions:
In a saucepan, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, and vinegar. Bring all the items to a boil until it thickens.
Mix in cooked and crumbled bacon. Drizzle over salad greens and enjoy!
This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.
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Hi! I am Jen--a wife to the most amazing man ever and a homeschool mom to one teenager. I just graduated my oldest.
I have been blogging since 2007. I love to watch movies, spend time in the kitchen, crochet, dance, drink coffee, and lay on the beach. Between recipes, reviews, and hilarious life story moments you'll find many helpful posts on this blog. Welcome, pull up a chair and stay for a while!
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