Hi all:

I try to increase my vegetable / salats intake;
I found that the Hidden Valley's "The Original Ranch" dressing is
my favorite dressing.

BUT its caloric values are TERRIBLE: 130 calories from fat for a total
of 140 calories per serving; That's 130/140 ( = 92.8% ) fat content.

I'm looking for a recipe of a Ranch like dressing with reduced
caloric / fat content.

TIA

diogenes wrote on 13 Mar 2007 in rec.food.cooking

> Hi all:
>
> I try to increase my vegetable / salats intake;
> I found that the Hidden Valley's "The Original Ranch" dressing is
> my favorite dressing.
>
> BUT its caloric values are TERRIBLE: 130 calories from fat for a total
> of 140 calories per serving; That's 130/140 ( = 92.8% ) fat content.
>
> I'm looking for a recipe of a Ranch like dressing with reduced
> caloric / fat content.
>
> TIA
>
>
google is your friend...

http://tinyurl.com/2rc69w

diogenes wrote:

> Hi all:
>
> I try to increase my vegetable / salats intake;
> I found that the Hidden Valley's "The Original Ranch" dressing is
> my favorite dressing.
>
> BUT its caloric values are TERRIBLE: 130 calories from fat for a total
> of 140 calories per serving; That's 130/140 ( = 92.8% ) fat content.

You could get the packets of HV ranch powder, then use something lower
in fat and calories as the base.

For instance, a two-tablespoon serving of reduced-fat sour cream is
about 50 calories. There are also "lite" versions of the HV dressings.



Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

"diogenes" > wrote

> I try to increase my vegetable / salats intake;
> I found that the Hidden Valley's "The Original Ranch" dressing is
> my favorite dressing.
>
> BUT its caloric values are TERRIBLE: 130 calories from fat for a total
> of 140 calories per serving; That's 130/140 ( = 92.8% ) fat content.

> I'm looking for a recipe of a Ranch like dressing with reduced
> caloric / fat content.

This is Joan Lunden's recipe from her Healthy Cooking cookbook.
I've never tried it. A big trick with salad dressing is to use very
little of it.

Low-Fat Ranch Dressing (Joan Lunden)

3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives or scallion greens
1/2 to 1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 to 1 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, whisk all ingredients together.

nancy

In article >,
diogenes > wrote:

> Hi all:
>
> I try to increase my vegetable / salats intake;
> I found that the Hidden Valley's "The Original Ranch" dressing is
> my favorite dressing.
>
> BUT its caloric values are TERRIBLE: 130 calories from fat for a total
> of 140 calories per serving; That's 130/140 ( = 92.8% ) fat content.
>
> I'm looking for a recipe of a Ranch like dressing with reduced
> caloric / fat content.
>
> TIA

Here is how I make mine:

2 16 oz. containers of fat free sour cream
1 packet hidden valley ranch powdered dressing mix

Blend. (I use a whisk)

Serve.

Very simple!

Recommendations are actually 1 packet per pint of carrier, but I find
that to be too strong/salty for my tastes. This comes out really good.
:-)

Cheers!
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

Omelet wrote:
> In article >,
> diogenes > wrote:
>
> > Hi all:
> >
> > I try to increase my vegetable / salats intake;
> > I found that the Hidden Valley's "The Original Ranch" dressing is
> > my favorite dressing.
> >
> > BUT its caloric values are TERRIBLE: 130 calories from fat for a total
> > of 140 calories per serving; That's 130/140 ( = 92.8% ) fat content.
> >
> > I'm looking for a recipe of a Ranch like dressing with reduced
> > caloric / fat content.
> >
> > TIA
>
> Here is how I make mine:
>
> 2 16 oz. containers of fat free sour cream
> 1 packet hidden valley ranch powdered dressing mix
>
> Blend. (I use a whisk)

To what you have written, I add a little milk, a little more of the
dressing mix (I like mine strong), celery seed and freshly ground
black pepper. Tilamook FFsour cream if you can buy it.

-L.

On Mar 13, 6:42 pm, diogenes > wrote:
> Hi all:
>
> I try to increase my vegetable / salats intake;
> I found that the Hidden Valley's "The Original Ranch" dressing is
> my favorite dressing.
>
> BUT its caloric values are TERRIBLE: 130 calories from fat for a total
> of 140 calories per serving; That's 130/140 ( = 92.8% ) fat content.
>
> I'm looking for a recipe of a Ranch like dressing with reduced
> caloric / fat content.

Here's what I remember of the recipe from the Joy of
Cooking, which is what I use:

3/4 C buttermilk
salt & pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1-2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

They call for some mayonnaise or sour cream, but I
usually omit it unless I'm cooking for guests, and then
it's a little sour cream, just to thicken it a bit. I find a
thinner dressing will give you better coverage, thus
enabling you to use less dressing for the same salad.

I also add 1-2 tablespoons minced parsley. I'm also not
precise about measuring the buttermilk. I buy a pint
bottle, drink a swallow or two to make room for the
herbs and garlic, and then just mix it up right in the
bottle.

If you're reluctant to buy the fresh herbs because you
think you'll only use a tablespoon, I urge you to buy the
whole bunch of herbs, mince it (I do it in the food processor)
and freeze it. Then you can break off a chunk any time
you want to make ranch dressing. Much better than
dried herbs.

This recipe has the advantage of not having any weird
chemicals. Not that I think chemicals are necessarily
evil, mind you (after all, it's what we're made of), but
most of those things with unpronounceable names also
taste horrible.

Cindy Hamilton

In article .com>,
"-L." > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
> > In article >,
> > diogenes > wrote:
> >
> > > Hi all:
> > >
> > > I try to increase my vegetable / salats intake;
> > > I found that the Hidden Valley's "The Original Ranch" dressing is
> > > my favorite dressing.
> > >
> > > BUT its caloric values are TERRIBLE: 130 calories from fat for a total
> > > of 140 calories per serving; That's 130/140 ( = 92.8% ) fat content.
> > >
> > > I'm looking for a recipe of a Ranch like dressing with reduced
> > > caloric / fat content.
> > >
> > > TIA
> >
> > Here is how I make mine:
> >
> > 2 16 oz. containers of fat free sour cream
> > 1 packet hidden valley ranch powdered dressing mix
> >
> > Blend. (I use a whisk)
>
> To what you have written, I add a little milk, a little more of the
> dressing mix (I like mine strong), celery seed and freshly ground
> black pepper. Tilamook FFsour cream if you can buy it.
>
> -L.

Sounds good to me... :-)
I just found the original recipe on the packet to be a bit salty, so
doubled the carrier and skipped the low fat mayo. It IS thick tho'! I
like the idea of thinning it with skim milk.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

"diogenes" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all:
>
> I try to increase my vegetable / salats intake;
> I found that the Hidden Valley's "The Original Ranch" dressing is
> my favorite dressing.
>
> BUT its caloric values are TERRIBLE: 130 calories from fat for a total
> of 140 calories per serving; That's 130/140 ( = 92.8% ) fat content.
>
> I'm looking for a recipe of a Ranch like dressing with reduced
> caloric / fat content.
>
> TIA

The original Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing is made from a seasoning packet,
buttermilk, and mayonnaise.

The cultured buttermilk sold today in inherently low fat, just use the HVRD
packet, buttermilk & lofat Mayonnaise.

Dimitri

On Mar 13, 3:42 pm, diogenes > wrote:
> Hi all:
>
> I try to increase my vegetable / salats intake;
> I found that the Hidden Valley's "The Original Ranch" dressing is
> my favorite dressing.
>
> BUT its caloric values are TERRIBLE: 130 calories from fat for a total
> of 140 calories per serving; That's 130/140 ( = 92.8% ) fat content.
>
> I'm looking for a recipe of a Ranch like dressing with reduced
> caloric / fat content.
>
> TIA

I wonder how plain, non fat or low fat yogurt might taste in place of
sour cream and/or mayo. I imagine it would be healthier (particularly
if it's a healthy yogurt, void of the all the chemicals/additives and
has the probiotics/etc.) but maybe not necesarily taste as good. I've
not tried it.

diogenes wrote:
>
> I found the Hidden Valley's "The Original Ranch".

I think you meant to write "Low Calgary Ranch Dressing" as averse to
"High Calgary Ranch Dressing".

Notice their dressing: http://www.homeplaceranch.com

Sheldon

In article > ,
"Dimitri" > wrote:

> "diogenes" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi all:
> >
> > I try to increase my vegetable / salats intake;
> > I found that the Hidden Valley's "The Original Ranch" dressing is
> > my favorite dressing.
> >
> > BUT its caloric values are TERRIBLE: 130 calories from fat for a total
> > of 140 calories per serving; That's 130/140 ( = 92.8% ) fat content.
> >
> > I'm looking for a recipe of a Ranch like dressing with reduced
> > caloric / fat content.
> >
> > TIA
>
> The original Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing is made from a seasoning packet,
> buttermilk, and mayonnaise.
>
> The cultured buttermilk sold today in inherently low fat, just use the HVRD
> packet, buttermilk & lofat Mayonnaise.
>
> Dimitri

But there is NO SIN in making substitutions!

That is why I used fat free sour cream.

Works for me anyhoo. :-)
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson