chives

Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

There’s no need to buy it from the shelves, homemade buttermilk ranch dressing is one of the easiest, and tastiest, dressings to make from scratch.

I have a go-to salad dressing that I have to admit, I’m rather famous in the family for.

It’s a vinaigrette with tarragon and is made in our house on a rotation of at least once a week. Why haven’t I posted it on the blog yet? I’m asking myself that same question. I need to remedy that stat.

This homemade buttermilk ranch dressing isn’t one I make too often, but when I do, it is pretty much drizzled, dipped and guzzled down so there’s never much left over. I’m sharing it today as a preview of what’s coming your way tomorrow, where it is going to lace not a salad, but a sandwich that will leave you wishing for one more handful of potato chips, and just one more drizzle and dip of ranch dressing, because as Smudge declares, “Mom. This. Is. So. Good.”

She’s right, you know.

see more: Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Creamy Ranch Sauce

Ranch Dressing Ingredients

This dressing gets its tang from the combo of mayo, sour cream and buttermilk. I used full-fat ingredients, but if you want to create your own lower calorie versions, you can simply sub low-fat mayo, sour cream or give Greek yogurt a try. Buttermilk is naturally low-fat so you’re in the clear there. I like my dressing on the thicker side (reflected in the amounts in the recipe below), so add more buttermilk to your preference.

Fresh herbs are essential here, but I do like to use dried dill in this recipe as it’s a bit more concentrated in flavor. If you simply don’t have the fresh herbs, go for dried, a much better option than skipping altogether.

You’ll find the recognizable taste of ranch comes from the nugget of garlic in the dressing. I pretty much always prefer pressing my garlic, but if you don’t have a garlic press, simply mash the garlic in 1/8 teaspoon of salt to create a paste then add to the rest of the ingredients.

continue to the recipe… about Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

Mashed Cauliflower With Parmesan and Chives

Cauliflower is having it’s day in the trending sun as a healthy ingredient substitute in many of our favorite recipes—like this one, where we swap mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes in this silky side dish.

At first glance, this dish does indeed appear to be one of lush, creamy mashed potatoes just waiting to be draped with a decadent gravy. Or wiped straight from the serving dish with the swipe of your finger.

But you, my friend, have just had the vegetable wool pulled over your eyes. Because potatoes it isn’t, and healthier it is.

Say hello to your new favorite mash, mashed cauliflower with Parmesan and chives. And guess who’s never going to miss the extra calories that typically come along for the ride with mashed potatoes? That’s right. YOU!continue to the recipe… about Mashed Cauliflower With Parmesan and Chives

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Chive Herb Butter

This is my quick and easy go-to method for grilling chicken. Top it with a homemade lemony herb compound butter and you’ll take it to the next level.

Butter. It’s the secret sauce.

We all know it’s best slathered on freshly baked breads and muffins, hot corn on the cob, or as the essential base for the craziest, cheesiest mac & cheese, but it’s quickly become one of my favorite additions for anything that comes off the grill, too.

I’ve shared my penchant for compound butters before, like in this recipe for lime and chili chicken skewers or my husband’s now famous porcini infused butter atop filet mignon.

With flavored butters there’s no need to wait for a marinade to infuse the meat with flavor and moisture. All that’s required is a hot grill, hot chicken and sliced butter flavor boosters straight from the refrigerator in the form of these chive and herb butter slices. From there, the hot grilled breast meat finishes the job by decadently melting flavor onto each morsel of chicken.

Flavored butters are not only becoming my secret sauce, but like Wonder Woman’s golden cuffs they’re becoming my secret grilling weapon. If only I had the rest of the outfit (ahem…and that bod), imagine the work in the kitchen that could be done.

About the Recipe

I shared my favorite tips for the best grilled chicken breast here. It’s a quick and simple recipe and the building block for any BBQ. But when you’re craving more flavor and time is of the essence, flavored butters are a great option.

During the summer months I make different buttered combinations (truffle butter, garlic butter, sriracha butter) to have on hand to use for meats, chicken, fish, veggies and pretty much anything that comes off the grill. Yes, even fruit—honey, cinnamon and thyme is a favorite. The sky truly is the limit on what flavor combinations you can create.

Simply soften the butter until it’s mixable and add your favorite flavors. Dollop onto a piece of plastic wrap, roll into a log and place in the refrigerator for an hour or up to 1 month. Then, simply slice as needed.

Remember flavored butters aren’t limited to the grill. Use them for slathering on the outside of grilled cheese sandwiches, to season steamed veggies or boost your favorite sauces.

And with that, you’ve just become a grilling super hero.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.

5 from 1 vote

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Chive and Herb Butter

There's no marinade involved with this recipe. Instead, this compound butter seeps into the hot grilled chicken to infuse all of the delicious herbed flavor.

Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup 1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
3 chives minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves minced
2 lemons halved, plus zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½ lemon
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

In small bowl, combine butter, herbs, lemon zest and lemon juice until well mixed. Lay out large piece of plastic wrap on clean counter. Spoon butter mixture onto bottom third of plastic wrap then roll into log. Refrigerate for hour or until firm.
Bring grill to high heat and oil it lightly. Brush chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil and season chicken breasts with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
Put chicken on grill along with 4 lemon halves, cut side down. Grill chicken for about 5 minutes per side or until grill marks form and chicken turns golden. Turn off one side of grill and move the chicken breasts to that side, keeping other side of grill on high heat. Remove lemons from grill. Cook chicken for 8-12 minutes or until 185 degrees internal temperature, turning once if needed.
Slice chive and herb butter into 1/2 inch slices.
To serve, squeeze grilled lemon half over chicken breast and top with pat of chive and herb butter.

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Beet, Avocado and Fried Goat Cheese Salad

Creamy avocado, earthy beets and crispy fried goat cheese make up this delicious, leafless salad that’s drizzled with a shallot and white balsamic dressing and topped with delicate micro greens.

If you’re a parent, you know the feeling when you hear someone else is having a baby.

Smiles. There’s always lots of smiles. And hugs. Hugs all around.

And then there’s that 10 second shock from nerve endings going on high alert with your own memories of nervousness, wonderment and anxiety about whether or not you’re ready—or capable—to bring a little bootied being into the world. If you’re a woman, there’s also the little nick in the back of your brain of whether you’ll be able to weather the delivery room drama.

Just as quickly, anxiety gives way to the feeling of excitement as the memories of the first time you nuzzled your own little munchkin in that spot of his or her neck, right behind the ear, breathing in that special scent that only newborns possess.

Love seeps its way into your bloodstream and, suddenly, whether you wanted it, craved it or were apathetic about it, you’re now a parent.

And this baby is all yours.

Today, this recipe is in celebration of a dear friend who is having her own baby. It’s a virtual baby shower for Erin, of Naturally Ella.

continue to the recipe… about Beet, Avocado and Fried Goat Cheese Salad

Beet, Carrot and Pomegranate Salad

Winter brings with it a lot of amazing things. Snowflakes and holiday parties with sparkly shoes are some of the best. Puffy coats that make me feel like Randy in A Christmas Story thanks to ridiculously cold sub-zero temps, not so much. Those freezing temps? They can go find somewhere else to invade while I go shopping for something basic to go with my gold flecked shoes. Or maybe I’ll just wear this Beet, Carrot and Pomegranate Salad. I mean, it’s prettier and more jeweled up than anything I have in my closet.

While I’m snacking a nibble or 83 of cookies, fudge and a waffle here and there, I’m still craving salads in this frigid cold to bring me out of my sugar coma. I crave lettuce-ed leafed salads all summer long but when winter nips the freshness off the local lettuce buds, veggies with girth are what I look for now.

At a recent foray to our winter farmer’s market, I saw these beet beauties carats of carrots and scooped them straight up. Candy striped beets, carrots of red, yellow and purple’d pinks. These things needed a stage, and I knew exactly what to do with them.

continue to the recipe… about Beet, Carrot and Pomegranate Salad

5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

You know that thing about Thanksgiving? That thing that everyone’s talking about? No, not that the 5th Avenue slick thinkers have yet to figure out how to turn T-day into a money making marketing machine like Halloween and Christmas.

No, I’m talking about how everybody is talking about how Thanksgiving conjures up cravings for family favorite recipes. It’s like clockwork. As soon as the jack-o-lantern’s candles are blown out, memories start flooding the salivary glands.

My husband has certainly fallen victim to this pilgrim-inspired condition. But wait, he’s part American-Indian. Either way, whichever side of the table he’s sitting on, as along as this 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamed Corn is on it, he’s going to be one happy harvest feaster.

But only if his favorite Creamed Corn doesn’t turn into Creamed Corn Flambé.

continue to the recipe… about 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

Crab Salad Sweet Potato Chip Bites and a Virtual Baby Shower

There’s nothing in the world that can bring a smile to one’s face like seeing a new mama gaze wonderously at her newborn baby. The cliché is true, each and every one of those nuggets of time are mini miracles.

And today we have a little celebrating to do: TA-DA! We’re welcoming a new baby that one of our favorite bloggers will soon be smiling sweetly upon. Thanks to Maria, Marla, Gaby and Brian for hosting a virtual baby shower for Lisa of the popular food blog With Style and Grace.continue to the recipe… about Crab Salad Sweet Potato Chip Bites and a Virtual Baby Shower

Friday Faves and Smokey Corn with Bacon

The farmer’s markets in my neck of the woods are at their peak, harvesting all sorts of goodies and selling out to long lines of anxious customers waiting with baited breath to succumb to their favorite fall flavors.

Last week I made the voyage to the Wednesday Park City Farmer’s Market—’cause I can do that now that I work for myself—with my friend Kelley of Mountain Mama Cooks. It is exactly the type of market I absolutely love: Plenty of local vendors showcasing the very best in food that Utah has to offer with the emphasis on fresh farmed goods while keeping the homemade good vendors at respectable ratio.

Kelley led the charge sharing all of her favorite vendors and pointing out the good ones: “This guy has THE BEST peaches and nectarines in the state”—to the shysters: “He says he’s selling you sorrel, and its a premium price, but its mostly mixed greens.” Buyer beware.

As we strolled past freshly canned jams, fresh pacific seafood (in Utah? YES!) and loads of tomatoes, we came across “the best corn ever.” Needless to say I loaded my canvas bag with a half dozen ears for my corn obsessed husband. And Kelley was right, it was sweet, tender and delish and I instantly had a plan for the dinner table.continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves and Smokey Corn with Bacon

Craving > 5 Twists on Comforting Chicken Stew

Goodbye grill. Oh well helllllooolo braise.

It’s the first day of fall and we’re all about comforting, stew-ey goodness and going back to the basics with chicken, carrots and mushrooms. Over rice? No way. Noodles. That’s right, egg noodles, just like mom used to make, slithering in butter with a touch of salt and pepper.

photo > foodiecrush

Whoa, but wait! What’s that pungent smell perfuming the entire house with an almost wrinkle-your-nose-I’ve-been-cleaning-the-house-from-top-to-bottom smell?

Vinegar. Cider vinegar. It reminds me of most Saturday mornings when mom would clean the wood floors with her secret combination of “just a tablespoon or so to a gallon of water” that made the whole house smell clean and fresh.

Except tonight its for dinner. And it tastes nothing like wood floors.

photo > foodiecrush

Get the recipe from one of my favorite food mags, and you SERIOUSLY have to try it. It’s a keeper. One for the archives, to hand down from generation to generation. You’ll thank us later. And your house will smell clean and fresh, whether it is or not.

Do you have a favorite home cooked meal that reminds you of mom’s cookin’ (not neccesarily her cleaning like this post). Join a bunch of us foodie bloggers on Wednesday, October 5, when we’ll each be posting our own Family Food Flashback recipes. Join us with your story, your recipe and your memories.

Send me a link to your recipe by Monday, October 3 and we’ll add your link to our list of recipes for post on Wednesday, October 5 and we’ll share memories of dinner time before Ipods and microwaves. Well, some of us will anyway.

And of course, here are some hold-the-phone, home-cookin’ chicken recipes to add to your “Welcome Fall” repertoire.

photo > Mirch Masala

One thing that brings me to my cooking knees is the combo of chicken and coconut milk. Manju creates a coco stew-ey goodness with Mirch Masala’s Kerala Chicken Stew with potatoes, ginger and garlic deliciousness. And a beauty shot bonus too.

photo > La Fuji Mama

Quote from Rachael: her Chicken Gohan Stew is “ It’s what might happen if chicken noodle soup took a little trip to Japan and had a layover in Mexico on the way home.” La Fuji Mama also suggests using a shorter grain rice for max chew after thickening the comforting tang of the ginger-flavored, slow-cooker stew.

photo > Bev Cooks

Putting on her craz-ee hat and asking the rest of us to join her, Bev of Bev Cooks pulls together swiss chard, potatoes and chicken chunks in her Crazy Chicken with Skillet Potatoes and Swiss Chard. Choose your amount of your fav spice blend and cook at your own risk.

photo > My Cooking Hut

Two little love birds sittin’ in a tree, c-h-i-c-k-e-n k-o-r-m-a I love thee. Curry, coriander and creamy yogurt lovingly envelop tender chicken nuggets in My Cooking Hut’s Chicken Korma where Leemei serves this stew-ey comfort dish with a hint of spice from green chiles, cumin and chili powder.

photo > Food and the Fabulous

A pestle and peppercorns walk into a bar and…oh wait, wrong blog. There’s no punchline because this recipe isn’t funny, it’s lux. Isahy takes the de riguer simple ingredients of carrots, chicken and stock to create Food and the Fabulous’s Pink Pepper Chicken Stew, to create a spicy and bold one pot meal.

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