If you run across a post where the photo's aren't showing please contact me so I can fix the links!


Thursday, April 21, 2011

In love with Ranch...

Ranch Dip

From the first time I remember tasting something with "Ranch" flavoring on it, I've been in love with Ranch! I was going to the cabin in Minnesota with my Uncle one summer, and he had several different kinds of snacks along so we didn't have to stop to eat...we usually always had grapes, and some kind of chip along with other things. This time he bought a bag of Doritos that were ranch flavored...which I'd never had before. (I didn't get out much, even then. *giggle*)

When we opened that bag of chips, and I tasted the wonderful mix of flavors that make up "Ranch flavor" I knew I had found a new love. Course, I didn't always get ranch chips, or dip or anything after that, it's just not something we have a lot of.

Now that I've been able to play with milk a lot, I've been trying to come up with my own ranch dip...and/or dressing. It's so fun being able to play, and not worry about wasting the stuff, if it doesn't turn out...we have plenty of milk coming in, and the chickens will eat it if we won't...it's not like we are out much money if we toss it, since the cows give us most of what I'm playing with.

First I tried it in my homemade sour cream...yummmmm, that was pretty darn good. However, the major problem with that was, it used up our precious cream, so then I didn't have it for butter...and since we aren't swimming in butter, I'm not ready to give it up to have sour cream a lot...some...just not a lot. :)

Then since the culture I got to make sour cream with, said we could make it with milk...I tried that. That was ok, but wasn't near as thick or creamy (duh...no cream!) so I decided that wasn't going to work either.

It was shoved to the back burner, till a couple days ago I remembered I had some homemade Chevre cheese in the freezer...and maybe I could somehow use THAT for dip! I got the cheese out to thaw, and set to work, trying this and that to see what would work, and what wouldn't. What should I mix the Chevre with to thin it down some...Cream, (no that uses to much cream)...kefir....maybe....milk...maybe. After trying several different ways, I think I have it narrowed down to Chevre with...Kefir (for the tang & good probiotics) & Milk (so it's not TO tangy and a little thinner).

How much you thin it down, depends on what you are going to use it for...dip...or dressing. The following recipe is what I've come up with so far...we really like it, but if you think of some improvements feel free to tell me, I'd love to try them out! :)

Ranch Dip &/or Dressing

Base:

1 1/2 to 2 cups Sour Cream

OR

1 cup Chevre Cheese
1/2 cup Kefir
1/2 cup milk (more if you are making dressing)

Spices:

2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (more or less depending on how you like it)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (I made my own.)
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon dill
1/4 teaspoon salt

Put the base ingredient(s) in a bowl, add the spices on top and mix well. Refrigerate for several hours, so the flavors mix together then serve with your favorite vegetables...or however you usually serve Ranch Dip.

Please note: I added that last little bit of salt, because I used homemade seasoned salt, that was made with salt with minerals in it...which means it wasn't as salty, and it seemed to need a little more.

1 comment:

  1. Mmmmmm! I love ranch too! So do my kids. In fact, we all even love to dip our fries into ranch, when we eat at the bowling alley. :) ... Carrots in ranch is another favorite around here.

    http://scrapgrrl.com/

    ReplyDelete

I'd LOVE to hear from you!