Versatile Vinaigrette

1/2 c apple cider vinegar
3 heaping tablespoons of dijon mustard
3 tbs garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 c olive oil
~1 c parmesan

Mix the vinegar, mustard, and garlic together.  Slowly whisk in the oil, then add the parmesan, salt and pepper.

Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing

2 tbs dry Ranch mix
1 c olive oil mayo
1 c almond milk
2 tbs white wine vinegar (more to taste or preferred consistency)

Mix this vigourously with a fork.  Add vinegar until its your preferred consistency.

Creamy Mustard Lentils

1 c cooked lentils
1 onion
½ c white wine vinegar
3 tbs mustard
¼ c sour cream

Saute onion for 20 minutes.  Add garlic salt and white wine vinegar.  Mix in mustard and sour cream.  Mix in lentils.  Great with sausages.

Warm Quinoa and Spinach salad

½ c cooked quinoa
½ c feta
1 c cooked spinach
2 tbs garlic-y vinaigrette

Mix ingredients.  This was simple.  And fantastic.

Sauteed Cabbage and Onions

1 head cabbage, sliced
2 onions, diced
3 tbs garlic salt

Saute in olive oil on medium high heat for about 20 minutes. Fantastic with turkey.

Sage Barley Salad

1 c uncooked barley
1 can chicken broth
1 tbs dried sage
½ c dried cranberries
1 tbs apple cider vinegar

Mix barley, sage, and chicken broth in rice cooker and turn on.  When done, toss with cranberries and apple cider vinegar.

Spinach Dip

1 package frozen spinach, thawed
1 package frozen artichoke hearts, cooked according to directions (I got the Bird’s Eye ones and they were fantastic)
3/4 c non-fat Greek yogurt (I used Fage, or Faye, or however you spell it)
1/2 c parmesan
1/4 c mayo
2 tbs garlic salt

Puree with stick blender.  You can bake it at 200 to heat through, but its not necessary. Good on whole grain crackers, turkey slices, or stuffed into tomatoes.

Sun Dried Tomato Mayo

1 c mayo
¼ c sundried tomatoes, from a jar (365 brand) but drained

Process the sundried tomatoes.  Add the mayo and process again.

Great on tilapia or halibut. Also fantastic in turkey sandwiches!

Quick Tomatillo Cream Sauce

1 onion, diced
1 lb diced tomatillos
2 tbs garlic salt
1 tbs oregano
1 c sour cream

Saute onions in large saucepan over medium high heat until soft.  Add tomatillos and garlic salt.  Cook until thickened, puree with stick blender.  Add 1 c sour cream. Great on chicken or turkey, or as a dip.

Cinnamon Butter

One stick of butter, room temperature
1 tsp sugar or Equal
2 tbs cinnamon

Mix well with a fork.  You can roll this in plastic wrap, to give it a stick shape.  I prefer to just scrape it into a wide mouth jar and use liberally on toast.

Remoulade

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 Sri racha
2 tablespoons Coleman’s mustard
1 tablespoon Tabasco
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Garlic Salt and Pepper, to taste

Mix.  Love it on fish and veggies.  Also good on a tilapia sandwich.burger.

Green Goddess Dressing

1 c squished avocado

1/2  c mayo

½ c vinegar

1 tbs tarragon, chopped

3 tbs garlic chives, chopped

Tbs garlic salt

Puree in food processor.  Refrigerate overnight.  Made 23 june, 2010 with Brenna.  We hadn’t cooked all day and she asked to make something.  Well, she asked to make red velvet cake, but we still have ¾ of Liam’s birthday cake left, so we made dressing instead.  The kids even got to use their ‘snissors’ (snipper/scissors) to cut up the fresh chives and tarragon from our yard.  While it was fun to make, I didn't eat much of it.  Maybe more garlic?

Texas Caviar

1 can black eyed peas

1 can corn

1 red onion minced

¼ c olive oil

½  c  apple cider vinegar

Garlic salt

1 tsp chipotle powder

Pepper

Rinse peas.  Transfer the peas to a large bowl and toss gently with the remaining ingredients.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.  Serve the peas as a salad or, if you wish, as an appetizer with tortilla chips for scoops.

Cold Broccoli Salad

24 oz broccoli florets (that’s alot. You can halve this if you’re not as freaky into this salad as I am)
1/2 c raisins
2/3 c dry roasted sunflower seeds
2/3 c low fat turkey bacon
1 c balsamic vinegar onions
Dressing:
2/3 c mayo (Homemade, low fat, whatever you prefer)
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar or sugar substitute (optional - this is between you and your SB choices :)
Mix together. It’s best if it sits in the fridge overnight. The first time I mixed it up, it didn’t seem to have enough dressing but was fine once it sat in the fridge overnight. It’s really good with rotisserie chicken, or baked chicken breast, or other protein of choice.

Mango Hot Mustard Sauce

½ c pureed mango (1 med mango)
3 tbs lime juice
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs Coleman’s mustard
2 tsp rice vinegar
Salt to taste
Mix and`blend with stick blender. Let sit for 2 hours at least.
Had 14 june, 2010 with grilled pork. It was alright, but I think just slathering Coleman’s mustard onto the pork would have had the same effect.

This was adapted from John Ash's Cooking one on one, a favorite cookbook of mine.

Easy Tomato Sauce

1 big can of crushed (or diced) tomatoes
2 cans (6 oz) of tomato paste
1 tbs garlic salt
3 tbs dried oregano, crushed
1/8 c balsamic vinegar
½ c parmesan cheese

Mix and heat through. Blend with stick blender if desired. We’ve made this dozens of times. It’s not as fancy as long simmered sauces, but it’s better than store bought!

Peanut Sauce

1 can light coconut milk
1 c peanut butter (crunchy is more authentic, but I always have creamy on hand)
1 tbs fish sauce
2 tbs red curry paste
1 tbs lime juice
¼ c soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil
1 onion
2 tbs garlic
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
Sri racha sauce (Rooster Sauce) to taste

Saute onion in olive oil until tender. Add ingredients and heat through. Serve on pork or chicken and choice of veggie.

This is a basic I've been making since college. I think the first time I cobbled one together was in a tiny apartment in Oregon.

Crunchy Tomatillo Avocado Salsa

10 tomatillos, chopped
1 yellow onion chopped and sauteed
1 tbs garlic
1 c ‘guacamole’ (it’s basically squished avocado in packages from Costco)
10 jalapenos slices, diced
Dried oregano and salt, to taste
Set aside a handful of the tomatillos and mix the rest of the ingredients with a stick blender until desired texture. Add the tomatillos that were set aside to give a chunkier consistency. Had with chicken on tacos for dinner 7 june 2010. Tasty!