Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Gluten/Dairy Free Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing



I am so excited about this recipe! Way too much, so much in fact that I had to post it in green!
One of my favorite places to eat is Cafe Rio, but I have not eaten there since I stopped eating dairy. This recipe is just like the real thing, in my opinion. Thanks to Leigh Anne (http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/dinner-time-cafe-rio-style/) for the recipe! I was able to go to Cafe Rio the other day, and get my favorite Fire Grilled Steak Salad, enjoying it with my own dressing!

Original Recipe:

Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (dry mix)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2- 1/3 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/2 - 1 small jalapeno (remove seed)
1 cup mayo
1 tsp. lime juice
1-2 tomatillos (remove outer papery skin)
1 garlic clove

Blend all ingredients in blender.

My version:

Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing
(Measurements are based on my memory. I will check and correct the recipe I have when I get home)
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 - 1 c milk substitute (I used rice milk, next time I think I will cut it down to about 3/4 c, it was a bit runny)
1 c mayo
1/2 tsp each dill, parsley, cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed (I tried the recipe w/ half, but it wasn't spicy enough).
1 tsp lime juice
1-2 tomatillos (remove papery skin. I couldn't figure out what the tomatillo tasted like - a mix between an apple and a tomato I think. I only added one to mine, but maybe next time I'll try 2)
1 clove garlic

Measure out lemon juice, pour into a 1 c measuring cup. Add milk until full. Let set for about 10 minutes (this is like making a buttermilk substitute).
Pour into blender. Add mayo and seasonings. Blend.
Add additional ingredients, and blend until desired smoothness.
Best served chilled.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

*I used my Vitamix, so I didn't chop anything, except for halving the jalapeno to get the seeds out. You may want to chop the cilantro, jalapeno, and tomatillos if you don't have a Vitamix*
***PS: does anyone know why I can't space these things out???? Whenever I hit enter, to space out the recipes, it goes back to clumping the lines together once I publish :( WEAK!

7 comments:

Simply...Gluten-free said...

I want to make a salad right now and try this - and it is only 7 in the morning!

Stephanie said...

This is so yummy! Great with a spicy chicken or steak salad. It's like a fiesta in your mouth!

Anonymous said...

Hi, I'm living in China and saw on A Year of Crockpotting that you'd made a pre-thanksgiving turkey in your crockpot. Would you share? I'm hoping to do the same at Christmas, when I'm told turkeys will be available locally.

Stephanie said...

Sure! I forgot to take pics of it, was planning on posting recipes post-thanksgiving, but here you are in a nutshell. I took a 5 lb (I think) turkey breast, put it in a 5 qt crockpot, added 1 c chicken broth, a few pieces of bacon draped over the bird (which I will leave out next time, b/c I didn't notice a difference in flavor), some onion powder and pepper. I put the lid on the pot, and cooked it for 2 hrs on low, 2 hrs on high, and 2 more hours on low (was in a hurry, next time will cook for probably 8 hrs on low). I flipped it over halfway through, but I don't know if that was necessary. Try not to open the crock more than that b/c turkeys don't have much moisture to them.
Literally, when I took it out, the meat fell right off the bones. It was very good! Hope you can find a turkey out in China that will fit in your crockpot. Where are you in China? One of my good friends just got back from living over there for a year. I hear it's very different than America. Good luck :)

Stephanie said...

Oh, also, gravy!
There will be a good amount of broth leftover in the crock. I just took about 1/4-1/2 cup of the broth, mixed in a couple tbsp of flour (GF in my case), and whisked that together in a small pot over medium heat. After about a minute or two, I added an addition 1 1/4 c of broth, maybe 1/4 c rice milk, and whisked it for a few minutes, until it got bubbly and thick.
Delicious!

Anonymous said...

YUM! And that bright color is just amazing!

Stephanie said...

Isn't it great? I had it again for lunch today!