Ranch Dressing

The Best Ranch Dressing

In my opinion, a great Ranch Dressing is NOT going to come in a bottle. Mostly because the ingredients are so tweaked and skewed, in comparison to homemade recipes, to create a longer lasting shelf life. So you’re never going to get the flavor that is/was originally intended, if you buy into the preservatives. Fresh dairy is always going to conquer a powdered mix or a mix with just mayo in it. But, if a powdered mix is all you’re using, there’s a better way to make this dressing than just following the package instructions and I’m going to show you how to do that as well.

Ranch Dressing Recipes

First of all there are many different ways to make an amazing Ranch Dressing and, yes, it can be done with a powdered mix. The directions a package usually recommend mixing the ingredients with milk and mayo but I say that’s not enough. The base of my recipe can be applied to this as well and that means using Buttermilk, Sour Cream and Mayonnaise. Trust me. You’re dressing will be twice as good just adding those other two ingredients. But what else can you do?

If you like spicy food or dressings with a little kick to them, try adding some cayenne or dried chili flakes. It doesn’t take much to spice it up. Sometimes I’ll even dice a Jalapeno Pepper and add that, as well. And, if you really want to trick it up and make more of a Mexican Style Ranch Dressing, add an Avocado and squeeze in some lime. You’ll love it.

I while back, I posted a few salad recipes you might be interested in; Taco Salad and P.F. Chang’s Curry Chicken Salad. And if you want to really go pro, try this Dill Havarti with Seared Peppers. All three of these recipes are amazing, so be sure to check them out.

Ranch Dressing Ingredients:

1 cup Mayonnaise
1 cup Sour Cream
1 cup Buttermilk
1 tsp Dill, fresh or dried
1 tsp Parsley, dried
1 tsp Chives, dried
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp White Pepper
1 tbsp Lemon Juice

Caprese Portobellos with Balsamic Glaze

The Best Caprese Portobellos

If you love Mushrooms and you love Caprese, you are absolutely going to love this Caprese Portobellos recipe because it combines the best of both worlds. Using Large Portobello mushroom caps gives a ton of surface area to cram in plenty of Mozzarella, Tomatoes and Fresh Basil. And, if you prepare your dish the way I show you how to do it, you’re whole world will change. So open your mind to other possibilities and I’ll show you how to make the best Mushroom Caprese.

What is Caprese Portobellos

To understand Caprese you must understand, first, that it is a traditional Italian recipe that usually breaks down to 3 basic ingredients: Mozzarella, Tomatoes and Fresh Basil. Many folks consider Caprese Antipasto ingredients and many Caprese Salad recipes exist because of the over all freshness the combination provides. My sources tell me that the real Caprese is just Buffalo Mozzarella, which is made from Buffalo milk and it’s a typical dish served in the Isle of Capri.

Normally, Caprese Portobellos is prepared and served with fresh Tomatoes but I am recommending my Marinated and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, instead, for several reasons. First, because roasted cherry tomatoes are awesome, so that’s just a no brainer, and second because you want to add olive oil to the mushrooms and the olive oil, marinating the cherry tomatoes, has garlic and fresh herbs roasted into it. So it really enhances the flavor, a ton. If you want to use fresh tomatoes, instead, that’s fine too but I highly recommend mixing a 1/4 cup of olive oil with some fresh chopped garlic and a pinch of salt, at the very least, and add that to the mushrooms.

Also, when it comes to the Balsamic Glaze, most recipes recommend a 1 to 4 ratio of Brown Sugar and Balsamic Vinegar. I don’t agree with this at all and I was trained to balance the bitter with more sweet. I would recommend a 1 to 1 ratio, instead but that’s entirely up to you. Bring it to boil and reduce the heat to medium. Cook it for 5 minutes until the sauce reduces and practically caramelizes and you will have a perfect glaze.

Caprese Portobellos Ingredients:

4 to 6 Large Portobello Mushroom Caps
4 oz Cherry Tomatoes, marinated & roasted
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
6 Fresh Basil leaves, chopped
2 tbsp Butter, melted
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
Salt and Pepper, taste

Balsamic Glaze
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp Brown Sugar

Be sure to watch the short video tutorial for this Caprese Portobellos recipe and follow the recommendations in this post for a perfect dish.

Taco Salad

How to make Taco Salad

If you do it right, Taco Salad can be amazing. It’s one of my wife’s all time favorites. And she got really excited, when she heard me say that this was going to be my next video recipe post, because this salad has got it all. I’m talking about, not only, a great selection of salad ingredients but an array of toppings that really make this recipe pop. And it’s the combination of those ingredients that really make a great Taco Salad.

4 Major Taco Salad Ingredients

Unless you want to buy some of these pre-made ingredients, you’re going to need 3 other recipes and it doesn’t matter if you already have your favorite go to recipes or if you want to use mine. Either way, it is essential that you have a nice and thick Chili No Beans, a good Guacamole and of course homemade fresh Salsa. I would highly recommend making all of these, beforehand, yourself because let’s face it, store bought Guacamole, Salsa and Chili, never really measure up. But settling for canned ingredients isn’t the worst thing in the world and if that’s the way you decide to go, your salad will still turn out out pretty good. But I would highly recommend going the extra mile on this one and make everything fresh.

The fourth major ingredient, in my opinion, is of course optional but I think is very necessary; Sour Cream. No all you need is your favorite greens and chopped vegetables to make a salad and you’ll be well on your way.

Taco Salad Ingredients:

1 head Iceberg Lettuce, chopped or torn
1 Red Onion, sliced
4-6 Sweet Peppers, chopped
1 can Black Olives
1 Cucumber
8 oz Cherry Tomatoes
1 can Red Beans

2 cans Chili No Beans, RECIPE
1 pint Guacamole, RECIPE
8 oz Salsa, RECIPE
1 pint Sour Cream
1 lbs Cheddar Cheese

To make this Taco Salad, just follow the instructions in the video tutorial.