Actually It Is Easy Being Green {Recipes: Green Goddess Dressing and Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing}

Wedge Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Summer is almost here, so that means salad season is almost here! Over the next few weeks I will be gathering up our favorite salad dressing recipes to post. Some of the dressing recipes are from my mother's old recipe file and some are our family favorites. The recipes from my mother's file need to be tested first. When I was a kid I refused to eat salad dressing, so I don't know what my mother's recipes taste like. Side note: not eating salad dressing didn't get me out of eating them, my mother made me eat them plain. I didn't know what I was missing! It may have been healthier, but certainly not as tasty.

Homemade salad dressings are so easy to make. In addition, they usually tastes better. The Green Goddess Dressing and the Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressings are two of our family's favorite creamy dressings. Soon I'll post our favorite vinaigrette dressing recipes.

Green Goddess Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup yogurt (I use Greek)
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove 
watercress leaves (original recipe does not specify, I use scant 1/2 cup)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing

This recipe is adapted from one found at: https://ourbestbites.com, and it is a family favorite! Not only is it good on salad, it is also good on tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. 

1 pack (2 tablespoons) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk or milk 
juice from 1 lime
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup green salsa (I use La Victoria)
hot sauce, optional

Instructions for both dressings are the same and could not be easier. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a pint sized salad dressing container or mason jar; refrigerate. Dressing can be refrigerated for up to a week. 

Veggie Quesadilla with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Enjoy!

It Will Be Here Before We Know It {Recipe: Sheet Pan Pancakes}

This blog started with the intention of teaching my daughter to cook, but of course I soon realized that my son, Bryce, needs to learn to cook as well. Now that he is about to be a senior in high school it is even more essential that he learns to cook a few things before he ventures out on his own.

One of Bryce's favorite meals is weekend breakfast pancakes. One of the early recipes posted on the blog is Bryce's Back-to-School Pancakes. These Sheet Pan Pancakes are even easier. Either recipe would work in a sheet pan, but this recipe has ingredients that would easily be kept on hand when Bryce moves out on his own. 

Sheet Pan Pancakes

This recipe uses SACO Buttermilk Blend powdered buttermilk because it is easier to have on hand. For a single person with limited time to bake, it is not likely a quart of buttermilk would get used up before it goes bad.

Preheat oven to 425°F

Line a 10"x15" baking sheet with parchment and spray lightly with cooking spray; set aside. A 13"x 18" sheet pan or a  9"x 13" pan will work as well. The former will be thinner and the latter will be very fluffy. 

In large mixing bowl, whisk together:

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons SACO Buttermilk Blend*

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together:

2 1/2 cups water

3 eggs

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture until well combined. Be careful not to over mix, it is okay if the batter is a bit lumpy. Over mixing can cause the pancakes to be tough. Spread batter into the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until gold brown and cooked through (center will bounce back). If using a 9"x13" pan, bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove pancakes from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Slice into squares and serve with your favorite pancake toppings. 

Note: batter can be sprinkled with blueberries or chocolate chips before baking, if desired.

*2 1/2 cups buttermilk would work as well, instead of using the SACO Buttermilk Blend.

Enjoy!