But What To Put The Ranch Dressing ON???

I recently obtained a Paderno 3-Blade Spiralizer, and despite my usual disdain for large, one-use kitchen gadgets, I LOVE IT.

In case you don't spend a lot of time on Paleo blogs, spiralizers quickly cut vegetables into twisty, curly-fry like strands. An oft-recommended use is to turn zucchini into spaghetti-shaped "zoodles," which sounds great but is misleading: nothing can make zucchini taste like pasta. However, the spiralizer does make vegetables very easy to prepare, and has encouraged me and Dan to eat a bit healthier.

For instance, by snacking on spiralized carrots with copious amounts of hippe-dippie fake ranch dressing:

The minutes this gadget saves in veggie prep = I am way more willing to cook dinner = we order less takeout = I am finally chipping away at the baby weight! Eight pounds to go.

Ranch Dressing

I love ranch dressing. LOVE it. Specifically the super-processed Hidden Valley kind. And of course, it's terrible for you. I guess ranch dressing encourages me to eat more vegetables, but otherwise there's nothing outside of the (heavenly, addictive) taste to recommend it. I've tried "natural" versions, which have all sucked, and recipes that say things like "this is how ranch dressing is supposed to taste!" in the header and then taste nothing like Hidden Valley, which is EXACTLY how ranch is supposed to taste.

However, I've found a pretty good homemade version from a highly unlikely source: vegans. This recipe is from Salad Samurai, and it's genius: the miso supplies some funk and umami, while the garlic powder and herbs give it that ranch-y flavor base. And the cashew base makes the dressing creamy without being too thick, which can happen with mayo or yogurt.

I didn't have onion powder, so I just grated in a tablespoon or so of fresh onion, and used basil, oregano, and thyme, because those are the plants I have in my kitchen. I bet dill would be even better.

Back At The Ranch Dressing
From Salad Samurai by Terry Hope Romero

½ cup unroasted cashews
¾ cup hot water
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 tsp white (shiro) miso
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
3 tbsp chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, basil, or tarragon

Soak the cashews in the hot water for a half hour and then blend together until very smooth (you can skip the soaking step if you have a Vitamix). Blend in everything else. Let sit at least twenty minutes. Boom.