Gluten Free Buttermilk Ranch Salad Dressing - Recipe

You can find prepared gluten free buttermilk ranch dressing on the shelves of any supermarket, but in my opinion it can't hold a candle to the full, fresh flavor of homemade gluten free buttermilk ranch salad dressing. I used to avoid making my own salad dressing because I thought it would be too time consuming. The fact is, you can whip up homemade made salad dressing in just a few minutes. I am happy to share this delicious recipe for Gluten Free Buttermilk Ranch Salad Dressing with you! It is my families very favorite creamy salad dressing. We make a fresh batch every week (if it lasts that long!). If you have little ones with an aversion to the herbs or "green things" as my kids used to say, simply omit the green herbs and the dressing is still delicious.

Gluten Free Buttermilk Ranch Salad Dressing

1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
pepper to taste

Whisk the buttermilk and mayonnaise in a small bowl until well blended. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Keep refrigerated. Yield: 2 cups

Enjoy!

Classic Macaroni Salad - Gluten Free

If you are looking for a crowd pleasing side dish, my gluten free Classic Macaroni Salad is just the answer. The simple, fresh ingredients in this creamy salad add wonderful flavor and texture. This is the comforting, sweet macaroni salad you may remember eating at your mother or grandma's house growing up (minus the gluten!). The addition of a sliced hard-boiled egg and paprika as garnish make for a lovely presentation. Prepare some tonight to enjoy with your loved ones!

Classic Macaroni Salad - Gluten Free

2 cups uncooked gluten free elbow macaroni (I always use Tinkyada brand)

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

1/3 cup chopped carrot

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 hard-boiled egg, sliced

Dash Paprika

Cook macaroni until al dente; drain and rinse with cold water. Cool completely.

For Dressing: in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pickle relish, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. In a large bowl, gently combine the macaroni. celery, carrot and onion. Add dressing and toss gently to coat.

Refrigerate until serving. Garnish with egg and paprika. Yield: 8 servings.

*Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Magazine

Enjoy!

Creamy Mustard Thyme Potato Salad - Gluten Free

Potato salad has the amazing ability to transport me back to the simpler days of my childhood. One creamy bite is all it takes to invoke cherished memories of family reunions in the park, summer time pool parties, church potlucks and my Grandmother's busy kitchen. Not just any potato salad has this effect on me, in fact store bought potato salad is at the top of my least favorite foods list. Potato salad must be homemade to be glorious. I love how every home-cook puts their own unique spin on their potato salad recipe. I am known for my Creamy Mustard Thyme Potato Salad in my family, although I do make a more traditional potato salad at times which is also delicious. It's the simplicity of my Creamy Mustard Thyme Potato Salad that allows each of the individual ingredients to shine through. No summer BBQ is complete with out a big bowl of creamy potato salad, so why not give my Creamy Mustard Thyme Potato Salad a try?



Creamy Mustard Thyme Potato Salad - Gluten Free



2 large baking potatoes, baked until fork tender



Red wine vinegar



1 cup mayonnaise



2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard



1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves)



2 thyme sprigs for garnish (optional)



Fresh ground black pepper, to taste



When potatoes are still warm but cool enough to handle, peel off skins (discard skins or save for another use). Cut potatoes into large bite size chunks. Gently transfer potato chunks to a medium sized glass mixing bowl (do not use metal, it reacts with vinegar). While potatoes are still warm, lightly drizzle with red wine vinegar. VERY GENTLY fold potatoes over and lightly drizzle newly exposed potatoes with red wine vinegar. Gently fold potatoes once more; set aside. In a small mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, minced thyme, and fresh ground pepper. Pour dressing over potatoes. VERY GENTLY fold dressing into potatoes until evenly coated. Transfer potato salad to a serving bowl and top with fresh thyme sprigs to garnish if desired. Serve immediately to enjoy it warm (my favorite way!) or chill if desired. Yield: 4-6 servings


*For more great menu ideas visit The Gluten Free Homemaker and check out the What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free? feature.

Nectarine Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans and Pineapple Thyme Dressing - Gluten Free

I love summer for it's fragrant, beautiful fruits. In my opinion nectarines and peaches are at the top of the list. The scent of a ripe nectarine or peach is like no other on earth. Their juices are like nectar from the gods. Because I like these fruits so much, I try to use them in more diverse ways than simply snacking on them whole, or cutting them up to top my morning cereal. My gluten free Nectarine Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Pecan and Pineapple Thyme Dressing is a perfect example of how you can creatively incorporate these special summer fruits into a fantastic light meal. I love this salad for it's natural fruity sweetness and for the unbeatable combination of creamy and crunchy textures. This refreshing gluten free salad contains plenty of protein from the goat cheese and the nuts so I often serve it as a main dish when nectarines are in season. Served in smaller portions it also makes a unique side salad for your favorite entrees. The candied pecans in this recipe are so mind-blowingly good that you may want to make extra to munch on as an indulgent snack the next day (trust me on this one!). Enjoy!

Nectarine Goat Cheese Salad with Candied Pecans and Pineapple Thyme Dressing - Gluten Free

1 bag spring mix salad greens

1 cup pecan halves

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

pinch of salt (or to taste)

4 ripe nectarines

1 log of goat cheese (Plain or flavored goat cheese can be used. I used a flavor called Peppadew which was infused with red piquante peppers; it added a bit of heat to the dish which complimented the sweetness.)

Pineapple Thyme Dressing (recipe to follow)

fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Toast pecans in a small skillet over medium-low heat stirring constantly until just fragrant but not browned (be careful, once they are fragrant nuts can burn quickly!). Reduce heat to low. Add butter, stirring constantly until melted. Add brown sugar and a pinch of salt, stirring constantly until dissolved and slightly thickened. Immediately remove nuts from skillet and spread on a dinner plate to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the Pineapple Thyme Dressing (recipe to follow) and set aside. Chop the nectarines into bite size pieces. Divide salad greens evenly amongst 4 salad plates. Top with chopped nectarines. Slice the goat cheese into 1/4 inch rounds and distribute evenly on the tops of the salad, slightly overlapping slices. Sprinkle candied pecans over the salads. Drizzle Pineapple Thyme Dressing over each salad. Season salads with fresh ground pepper to taste. Yield: 4 servings

Pineapple Thyme Dressing - Gluten Free

1/4 cup agave nectar

1 1/2 tablespoons crushed pineapple

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme OR 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced

3/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Put the agave nectar, pineapple and lemon juice in a blender. Process for 15 seconds or until well blended. With the blender running, SLOWLY pour the olive oil in a THIN stream into the pineapple mixture until dressing emulsifies (it will appear well blended and slightly thickened). Add thyme, salt and pepper. Blend briefly to combine. Yield: approximately 3/4 cup dressing.

Enjoy!

Grilled Marinated Portobello Mushroom Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing - Gluten Free

This colorful salad is bursting with textures and flavors. It is so satisfying that it is a meal in itself. Portobello mushrooms have a magical way of making any dish extra special. When they are marinated they are out of this world, especially if you toss them on the grill to intensify their flavor. The perfect marriage of grilled and raw veggies really come to life in this dish when drizzled generously with the homemade herb dressing. The thread that ties all of these tasty elements together is the feta cheese. It adds just the right amount of saltiness. Think your kids wont eat this? You might be surprised! My daughter used to profess her disdain for mushrooms until I talked her into trying a bite of this salad. She surprised me (and herself) by eating the entire thing. She now requests this salad regularly, and I am happy to oblige. This is the perfect meal for warm summer days when you don't want to heat up the house by using the oven. It is both beautiful and special enough to serve when entertaining. I'm happy that I found this recipe on Gluten Freeda last year, it is definitely a keeper. I adjusted the ingredient quantities to suit my personal taste and to make the salad a main course. Go ahead; grill yourself some delectable portobello mushrooms this week. You won't be sorry!

Too see more delicious dinner ideas check out What's for Dinner?Wednesday at the Gluten Free Homemaker.



Grilled Marinated Portobello Mushroom Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing - Gluten Free

2 Portobello Mushrooms, stemmed and gently rubbed clean

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped (and ground with a mortar and pestle if desired)

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste

2 slices red onion

2 slices beefsteak tomato

4 cups mixed salad greens

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Place portobello mushrooms in a glass baking dish, gills up. Drizzle each equally with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Allow mushrooms to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl combine thyme, rosemary, parsley, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat grill to medium.

Place mushrooms on grill, gills up, for 5 minutes. Flip and continue to grill for 5 more minutes. Remove from grill and transfer to a dinner plate.

To assemble, place 2 cups mixed greens on a large salad plate. Top each salad with a portobello mushroom, a tomato slice, and an onion slice. Drizzle generously with Herb Dressing and sprinkle with feta cheese. Yield: 2 main dish salads

Enjoy!