Thursday, July 17, 2008

Raw and Probiotic Ranch Dressing

In keeping with my determination of cleaning out my kitchen (and menu) of all natural flavors which is one of the many guise words for MSG, I have discovered and developed a raw ranch dressing and one that is a probiotic feast as well. "Discovered and developed" simply means that I found the recipe in a book and then adapted it to make it truly raw, and added probiotic benefits, and in this particular case adjusted the seasonings to make it just right, AND it passed the Mikey test!

Awesome Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup purchased mayonnaise* (unless you have time to make your own) recipe given at bottom of post)
1/4 c or less raw milk (pasteurized only if you have to) , used to thin out the dressing so don't add too much
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t dried marjoram leaves
1/2 t celery salt (optional because I didnt have any and it was good without)
1/2 t dried savory leaves (optional because I didn't have any and it was great without)
1/2 t or more dried parsley
1-2 t liquid whey.

Blend till smooth and leave out on the counter for 4-6 hours to develop the probiotic benefits and then refrigerate or serve. Will keep for 1 week or more - if it lasts that long.

IF you do not have whey, that's OK. It will not affect the flavor much with or without but will help to promote healthy intestinal flora and aid in digestibility of itself and anything that you eat with that meal if you add it. However, if you use only raw milk there will still be some probiotic benefit.

To make your own whey from raw milk (very easy) see my new post, called "Curds and Whey") ..oops... to be published in a few days.

* Follow your Heart mayonnaise or vegennaise is raw and is found in the refrigerated section of your health food store. Any mayonnaise not found in the cooler is not to be trusted, and is certainly not raw, nor healthy at all!

Oh, and here is the raw mayonnaise recipe as well. This is great.

Raw Mayonnaise, taken almost directly from Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats

1 whole egg
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 t dijon mustard
1 1/2 t lemon juice
1 t whey (optional)
3/4 - 1 c expeller pressed sunflower oil, or grape seed oil or other natural but mild oil
generous pinch of Celtic or Himalayan salt.

In your food processor, place the egg, yolk, mustard, salt and lemon juice and optional whey. Process till well blended, about 30 seconds. Using the attachment that allows you to add liquids drop by drop, add oil while motor is running. Taste and check seasonings. You may want to add more salt and seasonings. If you have added whey, let the mayonnaise sit at room temperature, well covered, for 7 hours before refrigerating. With whey added, mayonnaise will keep several months and will be firmer with time. Without whey, mayonnaise will keep 2 weeks.

Living a Lifestyle of Learning Daily

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Janet!
I know you have said in the past that the number one thing you try to avoid is rancid oils. Dehydrated &/or powdered onion and garlic are full of rancid oils. It is what makes the garlic so extra offensive once eaten, as compared to eating the fresh. In fact we can tell by smell if a recipe has used fresh garlic or the powdered, the powdered garlic has a 'brass doorknob' smell and taste. Have you made this with fresh ingredients and if so, how was the flavor, and what adjustments might be needed??
Blessings,
Mrs. Evelyn Mae R

Anonymous said...

Hi Janet,
I made this dressing but used fresh onion and fresh garlic. I also did not have the savory or the whey but I actually did have the celery salt! I used a very small sweet onion and chopped it up very fine. I then pressed it with a paper towel until the moisture was gone. The onion and garlic were too strong and I cut it by doubling the mayonnaise portion. I did not add the milk because I wanted a dip consistency. This was great with our carrot sticks at lunch and then on my baked potato at dinner. I am actually going to buy some savory to try it out in! This is the Ranch Dressing taste I have been hunting for!! It is very similar in flavor to Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing. Thanks for another great recipe.
Blessings,
~Evelyn Mae