Homemade Ranch Dressing

Nothing tastes better than making something at home that you normally buy premade at the shops. This is always the case with dressings, sauces, marinades and flavour mixes. Free from all the preservatives and nasty ingredients hidden by the manufacturer to ensure their product stays edible for what can at times be up the 3 or 4 years. I look at some labels and think to myself that there are more additives in some foods than there is actual real ingredients.

Tonight I decided to make some Ranch Dressing to go with our chicken fillets and salad.  Of course another perfect chance to use some of the wonderfully fresh herbs we have been growing.

This recipe is super easy and seriously you will not believe the difference in taste from it's bottled counterpart.  It will keep well in the fridge in a sealed jar for up to a week - that's if it lasts that long as it honestly tastes so good.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

(Recipe adapted from foodiecrush.com)

Makes: approx. 1 cup

6 tablespoons mayonnaise

6 tablespoons buttermilk

4 tablespoons sour cream

2 teaspoon champagne or white vinegar

2 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced

2 tablespoon chopped chives

2 tablespoon Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Add more buttermilk for desired consistency.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

(home grown Italian Parsley)

Southern Fried Chicken

Comfort food doesn't get any better than eating chicken drumsticks with your fingers, except when the chicken is coated in a blend of spices that make your tastebuds dance.  Southern Fried Chicken is just one of those dishes that not only sounds soulful but sounds inviting and comforting.  It's a dish that is hard to resist... at times one piece is just not enough.

 

The American's have made this a well known dish especially in the Southern States.  The most famous version of this dish of course is Kentucky Fried Chicken.  The original version of this dish required deep frying the coated chicken pieces.  I have made a low fat version "Home Made Kentucky Fried Chicken" which was also delish.

 

The secret to Southern Fried Chicken is that the chicken pieces are marinated in chilli tainted buttermilk and then coated in a seasoned flour what could be easier?  A quick fry to seal and then oven baked which reduces the greasiness.  This recipe was very easy and as always devoured by those sat at our dinner table.

 

 

Southern Fried Chicken

(Recipe sourced from WW Dinner with Friends Cookbook)

 

Serves: 4

ProPoints per serve: 11

 

8 x 70 gram skinless chicken drumsticks

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1 cup plain flour

1 teaspoon mild paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons olive oil

 

Place chicken in a glass or ceramic dish (or large snap lock bag).  Add buttermilk and chilli, and turn to coat.  Cover and place in fridge for 3 hours or longer if time permits.

 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

 

Combine flour, paprika and cumin in a shall bowl.  Remove chicken, one piece at a time, from marinade. Coat chicken in flour mixture.  Transfer to a plate.  Discard marinade.

Heat oil in a large non stick frying pan over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken, turning, in batches,  8 - 10 minutes or until browned.  Transfer to prepared tray. 

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until cooked through. 

Serve with coleslaw mix drizzled with lemon juice (0ppts) and steamed corn on a cob - add 2ppts for 80g corn.  You could also serve with Rosemary and Garlic Potatoes Crispy Potatoes.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)