I know this is really simple. That’s what I thought too! But a friend told me I should post it because lots of people use ranch and would love to make it at home. So here it is!

I have a household of dippers. So this dressing/dip is a staple in our refrigerator. It takes minutes to put together, tastes great, and is so much cheaper than buying ranch in the store. (I can’t stand buying salad dressing at the store!) Most dressing are easily duplicated at home, and even taste better! Following the ranch dressing recipe, I’ve also listed the basic ingredients for many other common salad dressings. All of which you can totally make yourself. Have fun!

In a mixing bowl, combine equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream. Thin it with buttermilk to the consistency you prefer. Then stir in lots of dill, either dried or fresh. More if you use dried, less if you use fresh. Next comes garlic salt, granulated garlic, and paprika. Start adding these in and taste as you stir until you have reached the ratio of salty and savory that you like. Then stir in white wine vinegar. Start with a touch, then taste. You can always add more if you like. Finally, add a little squeeze of lemon, a touch of honey, agave nectar or sugar, and fresh ground peppercorns. Don’t be afraid to go back and add a bit more of one or more ingredients until you reach the taste you like.

Experiment: Try basil instead of dill for a creamy pesto ranch. Try pickle juice instead of vinegar. Try smoky paprika, red pepper flakes, or some juice from pickled jalapenos to give it a spicy kick. If you like fresh garlic flavor, try using a couple cloves of fresh pressed garlic instead of granulated garlic. For a low-calorie/low-fat version, use light mayonnaise and fat-free sour cream. For a treat, stir in shredded Parmesan cheese for Parmesan ranch.

Here are the basic ingredients for other common salad dressings that I make…

Thousand Island

Ingredients: Mayonnaise, ketchup, buttermilk, chopped dill pickle, minced onion, white wine vinegar, and sea salt.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients: Two parts olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar, fresh pressed garlic, honey, salt (or anchovy paste if you have it), and fresh ground pepper.

Italian

Ingredients: Two parts olive oil to one part white or red wine vinegar, minced garlic, minced onion, dried thyme, dried oregano, dried basil, sea salt, pepper, sugar, honey, or other sweetener.

Asian Vinaigrette

Ingredients: Four parts seasoned rice vinegar to one part pure sesame oil, soy sauce, peanut butter, minced green onion, cilantro, sugar, honey, or other sweetener.

Honey Mustard

Ingredients: Three parts mayonnaise to one part Dijon mustard, touch of spicy brown mustard, honey, sea salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder.  (Sometimes I put dill in it too.)

Spicy Ranch

Ingredients: Two parts mayonnaise to one part Savory Cilantro Sauce, buttermilk, sea salt, a splash of white wine vinegar.  OR, for Chipotle Ranch: One part sour cream to one part mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, buttermilk, one chopped red chili in adobo sauce, minced garlic, sea salt, sugar, honey, or other sweetener.

Ingredients: Potatoes, onion, olive oil, granulated garlic, sea salt, basil, spinach, dried red pepper flakes, chicken, and chicken stock.

This tasty, slightly spicy, soup is quick and easy to make. It literally took me less than thirty minutes from start to finish. It would make a great lunch with a side salad or served as an appetizer with pasta for dinner.

Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stock pot. Add six peeled and cubed russet potatoes, half of a diced onion, half a teaspoon of granulated garlic, one to two teaspoons of dried red pepper flakes, and half a teaspoon sea salt. Cook this for about eight minutes, stirring often.

Stir in one cup of chopped fresh basil, two cups of chopped fresh spinach, and one cup of chopped, pre-cooked chicken breast.  (I use leftover roasted chicken from the night before.) Pour in just enough chicken stock to cover the potatoes and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover for another fifteen to twenty minutes until the potatoes are soft but not quite falling apart.

Depending on the flavor of your chicken stock, you may need to add more salt to taste.

Experiment: Add fresh red bell peppers. Try kale instead of spinach. Use cooked Italian ground sausage instead of chicken. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end for an added twist. Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients: Ground beef, pesto sauce, garlic, bread crumbs, eggs, pepper, and salt.

In a large bowl, combine 1 to 1½ pounds of quality thawed ground beef with ¾ cup of pesto sauce, a couple cloves of pressed garlic, one egg (whisked), and one cup of bread crumbs. It makes it easier if you use crushed croutons. That way you don’t have to add much salt to the meat. Add fresh ground peppercorns. Mix thoroughly.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Try to roll the meatballs so that they’re all about the same size for even cooking. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes until they’re nice and brown.

Top with a bit of extra pesto sauce if you like. These are delicious with simple pasta, in sub sandwiches, or as an appetizer.

Experiment: Spice them up by adding dried red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. Try adding fresh diced peppers for a different flavor. Add half a cup of grated Parmesan, Asiago, Romano, or even a scoop of Ricotta cheese. Cook the meatballs ahead of time and freeze them for later use.

Ingredients: Chicken thighs, shallots, garlic, brown rice, celery, apple, green onion, carrot, peanuts, butternut squash, shredded cabbage, mayonnaise, buttermilk, curry, cumin, ginger, garlic powder, honey, and salt.

Start by cooking four boneless skinless chicken thighs with two minced shallots and six minced cloves of garlic in a heavy bottom skillet. Chicken thighs take longer to cook than white meat, which is good because it gives the shallots and garlic time to caramelize into a savory paste. Remove the chicken and reserve the yummy shallots and garlic to use with the dressing later.

In a large bowl stir together half a cup of cooked brown rice (I like basmati because it is light and flaky), two chopped celery stalks, one chopped apple, three chopped green onions, one shredded carrot, one cup of cubed roasted butternut squash, one cup of shredded white or red cabbage, a quarter cup of unsalted roasted peanuts, and the cooled chicken thighs cut into small pieces.

For the sauce, combine half a cup of mayonnaise, one tablespoon of buttermilk, 2½ teaspoons of Indian curry powder, half a teaspoon of garlic powder, half a teaspoon of ground cumin, half a teaspoon of ground ginger, one teaspoon of salt, fresh ground peppercorns, a quarter cup of honey, and the reserved caramelized shallots and garlic.

Pour the sauce over the salad and mix it in.

This flavorful salad is great served cold all by itself, over a bed of fresh greens, or warm with pita, tortillas or naan.

Experiment: Try adding golden raisins and walnuts. Make it vegan by stir frying firm tofu instead of chicken and using vegan mayonnaise and soy milk in the sauce. Spice up the salad with cayenne, red pepper flakes, chili sauce, or another favorite hot sauce.

Ingredients: Butter, banana, raw cane sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, honey, crunchy unsweetened peanut butter, unsweetened applesauce, spelt flour, almond pulp, rolled oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar-free chocolate melt away candies.

This recipe makes a big pan of moist, delicious bars! Love, love, love, them with a hot cup of coffee!

In one mixing bowl, stir together all of the following wet ingredients: One stick of semi-melted butter, two mashed ripe bananas, two eggs, one teaspoon of vanilla, ½ cup crunchy unsweetened peanut butter, ¼ cup organic no sugar added applesauce, ¼ cup buttermilk, and ¼ cup honey.

In a second mixing bowl, blend together two cups spelt flour, one cup almond pulp, ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, one teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup organic raw cane sugar, and ½ teaspoon of baking powder.

Now, combine the wet and dry ingredients into one bowl. The batter will be thick but don’t over mix it. At the very end of stirring, add in two cups of sugar-free chocolate melt away candies.

Use whatever you like to grease a nine by thirteen cake pan. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the top with a touch more organic raw cane sugar and then bake it for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Experiment: Make oatmeal raisin bars instead by adding raisins instead of chocolate, taking out the almond pulp, and increasing the oats to 1¼ cups. Try adding nuts if you like. For a lower fat version, cut the butter in half and increase the applesauce by a ¼ cup.

This pizza was inspired by my friend Elisabeth after she served something very similar and super tasty to my family.  Thanks, E!

Ingredients: Butternut squash, bacon, goat cheese, mozzarella, sweet onion, olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and pizza crust.

Start off by roasting about half of a Butternut squash in one inch cubes at 425 degrees until browned and softened (about twenty minutes).  Set them aside.

Cook ten slices of bacon and set aside to crumble once cooled.

In a heavy bottom skillet, caramelize one whole sweet onion. Set this aside.

Take your pizza crust (I use Boboli pizza crust if I don’t have time to make my own) and drizzle about two tablespoons of olive oil over the top. Evenly spread it over the surface of the crust. Take four to six minced cloves of garlic and sprinkle it evenly on the crust. Add about two cups of grated mozzarella cheese then the caramelized onions. Next, sprinkle about 1 to 1½ cups of baked squash followed by the crumbled bacon. Lastly, add another few tablespoons of mozzarella.

Bake for about ten minutes or for however long your pizza crust suggests as the best time. During the last two minutes of baking, add a ¼ cup of crumbled goat cheese and finish baking. Add one to two teaspoons of fresh dried red pepper flakes after baking if you like it spicy!

Experiment: Try adding a red sauce instead of the garlic and olive oil sauce. Top with fresh slices of cold tomato once the pizza comes out of the oven. Add thin slices of zucchini or mushroom. Hmmm… What else do you like on your pizza? Serve with baby spinach and arugula.

Ingredients: Yukon Gold potatoes, garlic, carrots, a sweet onion, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salsa verde, acorn squash, Savory Cilantro Sauce, half and half milk, sea salt, dry ground mixed hot chili peppers, and mild cheddar cheese.

This smooth, rich, and spicy soup warms the body through and through. It is excellent served alongside your favorite Mexican dishes or as a meal in itself. The following makes a very large pot of soup. Halve the ingredients listed or make it as is and have a party! It will also freeze well.

Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees to roast the squash. I use one dark green acorn squash and one white acorn squash. These have a delicate sweet flavor and smooth creamy texture. Cut each in half and place them cut side down on a cookie sheet. Roast them for an hour and then turn the oven off. Leave them to rest in the oven for another thirty minutes or so. Note that the time may vary depending on the size of the squash. Remove them and let them cool completely for easy handling later.

Next, sauté seven chopped cloves of garlic and one chopped whole sweet onion with a touch of olive oil in a large stew pot. As they begin to soften and brown, add three chopped carrots and three peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes. Continue sautéing for another ten minutes or so. Then add one eight ounce can of organic tomato sauce, one cup of salsa verde, ¾ cup of Savory Cilantro Sauce and 32 ounces of organic free range chicken broth. Now, working with the roasted cooled squash, remove the seeds with a spoon and peel the skin from each piece. It should come off quite easily. Cut it into chunks and put it in the stew pot. Next, bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover, allowing the lid to still vent a little. Allow the vegetables to cook until they fall apart easily when poked at. Now remove it from the burner and allow it to cool.

Using a blender or food processor, puree the cooked vegetables in batches to the consistency that you desire. Then add it all back into the stew pot. Turn the heat on low and stir in one cup of half and half milk, one cup of organic free range chicken stock, 1½ teaspoon of sea salt, ¼ to ½ teaspoon of dry ground mixed hot chili peppers and ¼ cup of mild cheddar cheese. Heat through and serve!

Experiment: Try different types of squash, add different peppers or chilies to the mix, use vegetable stock for a vegetarian alternative, add cooked rice for a different texture, top with fresh cilantro or green onion for added color, stir in cooked black beans or corn at the end for an even heartier soup, add shredded chicken or beef.

Ingredients:  Spelt flour, unbleached flour, flax seeds, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, organic cane sugar, honey, butter, plain yogurt, vanilla, fresh blackberries, and applesauce.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1½ cups spelt flour, 1½ cups all-purpose unbleached flour, two tablespoons of flax seeds, three tablespoons of old fashioned rolled oats, two teaspoons of baking powder, one teaspoon of baking soda, half a teaspoon of salt, and half a teaspoon of nutmeg.

In another bowl, whisk together half a cup of organic cane sugar, half a cup of honey, half a cup of melted butter, one egg, 1¼ cup of plain yogurt, one teaspoon of vanilla, a quarter cup of unsweetened applesauce, and one to two cups of fresh blackberries. I stir the blackberries in at the very end so that there are whole berries still intact.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin tin cups with non stick cooking spray. Fill each cup two-thirds full. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow them to cool for at least five minutes before removing from the tin.

Experiment: Try using a flavored yogurt and omitting the honey. Add nuts or a mix of other berries. Try adding minced lemon or orange rind for zest. Use cinnamon instead of nutmeg.  Sprinkle tops with raw sugar before baking for a special, sweet touch.

Ingredients: Basmati brown rice, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, soy, honey, lime, ketchup, fish sauce, seasoned rice vinegar, barbecued pork, egg, scallions, and sesame seeds.

Cook the rice ahead of time and then let it cool to, at most. room temperature.

The ratio for cooking the rice is two parts water to one part rice. In a medium size soup pan, I like to sauté the rice in a bit of coconut oil before adding the water. Add warm water and let it come to a boil with the rice. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a tight lid. One cup of rice takes about 20 to 25 minutes.

For the sauce, stir together a quarter cup of soy sauce, a tablespoon of honey, juice from half a lime, one teaspoon ketchup or hot red chili sauce, half teaspoon fish sauce, and one tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar. Set this aside. (If you are making a large amount you may want to double the amount of sauce.)

In a heated wok, stir fry one chopped onion and six cloves of chopped garlic in about a tablespoon of oil for several minutes. Then add three chopped carrots, and three chopped celery stalks. Stir fry until the vegetables just begin to soften. Then remove them from the wok.

Add another teaspoon of oil and stir fry six eggs with a teaspoon of soy sauce. When they’re done, set them aside.

Now turn the heat up on the wok and add another teaspoon of oil. Start with two to four cups of cooked cold or room temperature Basmati brown rice. Stir fry the rice for about five minutes tossing it often so as not to burn. Then add in the vegetables and eggs and cook for another few minutes. Now slowly add the sauce and cook it for another several minutes so the sauce is worked through it all. Lastly, add about half a pound of Chinese style barbecued pork, three chopped scallions, and a tablespoon of sesame seeds.

This is very hearty, tasty, and can stand alone. But you could also serve it with Asian Coleslaw on the side.

Experiment: Try using other vegetables: Peppers, snap peas, string beans, asparagus, etc. Spice up the sauce with red chili oil, Chinese mustard, or spicy black bean paste. Try serving it with Savory Cilantro Sauce. It’s so yummy with it!