Hi! As promised in yesterday’s post, I’m sharing the recipes for two dressings and one sauce that will provide a major flavor boost to your Whole30 meals! I learned these recipes from three of my favorite food bloggers who share mostly Whole30 recipes. Be sure to explore their blogs/cookbooks for more inspiration! And, whether or not you’re doing the Whole30, I think you’ll love the healthy spin on classic recipes for Ranch Dressing, Green Goddess Dressing, and Thai Peanut Sauce...
Let’s be real…most people can’t/won’t spend hours in the kitchen, cooking every night of the week!
While I love cooking, I definitely don’t! Our activities, work, homework, and daily life keep us pretty busy. But, I do value being able to put healthy, wholesome meals on the table. My strategy is to cook a few times a week, have plenty left over for later, and find simple ways to maximize the flavor of healthy foods!
In my opinion, using an immersion blender is the easiest way to make these!
Clean up is faster, and there’s less chance of a mess-up with dressings (sometimes its hard to get the timing of the blending right with a blender or food processor)! It’s actually easier to get the emulsion right with an immersion blender and you can throw all the ingredients in at once. It just might be the most used appliance in my kitchen! Plus, it’s inexpensive (on sale now for $32) and takes up minimal space..
Two ways I use these recipes:
(1) To amp up what I already have prepped for quick ingredient meals, or
(2) Made ahead of time and ready to go for a specific recipe. As with any dressing or dip, be mindful of portion sizes. I find myself reminding my husband to use them to enhance the food, not drown it, hehe!
I’ve included some of my favorite ways we use each one. See all three recipes below, links to original recipes/creators included…let me know if you have any questions, and ENJOY!!
Whole30 Ranch Dressing
Truthfully, you can use this dreamy Ranch Dressing on almost anything! Here are some of our favorites:
- As a dip for raw veggies…a genius way to get your kids to eat more of them!
- As a side sauce for ingredient meals (Example: chicken, broccoli, sweet potatoes, side of ranch)
- On just about any veggie filled green salad…top with a protein and you’re good to go!
- Drizzled over oven baked potato wedges or other roasted veggies.
- 1 cup "light tasting" olive oil (you can also use avocado or safflower oil, just don't use EVOO!)
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup canned full-fat coconut milk (stirred!). I like Thai Kitchen or Native Forest.
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- Handful of fresh cilantro leaves (you can also use parsley, but I think cilantro tastes better!)
- Add all ingredients as listed to a large measuring cup or mason jar.
- Using an immersion blender, blend starting from the bottom and work your way up to the top as you see it thickening.
- Blend for approx. 1 minute.
- If it isn't as thick as you'd like, cover and refrigerate. It should thicken right up! (Also see my note about whisking or stirring the coconut milk before adding to recipe. It tends to separate in the can. Making sure its smooth before adding it makes a difference!)
- Be sure to stir or whisk the coconut milk before adding it. It tends to separate.
- This recipe can be doubled easily. I almost always make a double batch!
- https://www.whole-sisters.com/dump-ranch/
Whole30 Basil Green Goddess Dressing
I tried Basil Green Goddess Dressing during my most recent Whole30 and it is now in our regular rotation. Everyone loved it! If you love basil, you will be obsessed with this!
- Love this recipe that uses this dressing (also from The Defined Dish): Sheet Pan Green Goddess Salmon with Bacony Brussels Sprouts.
- Great to use on salads and cut up raw veggies
- For more Green Goddess inspiration, click here!
- 1 cup Primal Kitchen Mayo (or your own homemade Whole30 mayo)
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (6 to 7 scallions)
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tsp. anchovy paste
- 3/4 cup canned full-fat coconut milk (Thai Kitchen and Native Forest are my favorites)
- Put all ingredients into a large measuring cup.
- Starting from the bottom, blend until smooth with an immersion blender!
- I adapted this recipe for use with an immersion blender. If you are using a blender or food processor, click on the link for Alex's directions in her original post.
- http://www.thedefineddish.com/basil-green-goddess-dressing/
Whole30 Sunshine Sauce
This was one of the first Whole30 recipes I tried! I made Paleo Pad Thai with this sauce…both are amazing and this sauce became a family favorite!
- Also delicious drizzled on these Seriously Good Asian Lettuce Wraps
- Perfect for dipping other proteins and veggies into as well!
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos (I like the Coconut Secrets brand)
- 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (I use Sunbutter, the organic variety with no sugar added)
- dash ground cayenne pepper (optional, adds extra kick!)
- 1/4 cup canned coconut milk (Thai Kitchen or Native Forest are my faves)
- Place all the ingredients in a large measuring cup or mason jar and whirl until well blended, using an immersion blender.
- Its a thicker sauce so it might take a couple minutes to get all of the ingredients combined and smooth.
- Store covered in the fridge.
- I adapted this recipe for use with an immersion blender. If you are using a blender or food processor, click on the link for Mel's directions in her original post.
- http://meljoulwan.com/2009/07/21/sunshine-sauce/
I typically choose one or two each week and plan our meals/leftovers around those. For example, if I make Sunshine Sauce, more than one asian inspired dish will be on the menu that week. And I will usually prep extra (plain) protein and roasted/raw veggies to go with the sauce.
Wrap these up (and any other special holiday foods you love to give!) with cute custom tags from Joy Creative Shop! See more of my favorites in the previous post…
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a wonderful day and please let me know if you add any of these to your weekly menu…
Photography: Jessica Edmunds
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I can’t wait to try these! How long to they last in your fridge?
Hi Laura! In the original recipes the authors say up to one week…let me know what you think if you try them! xx
can you share where you got those cute jeans?
Hi Sarah! Here is the link for the jeans: http://rstyle.me/n/cuihutuuze
And, they are also linked at the bottom of the post…they are $39.99 and are on sale for 40% off today! I cut the hem myself so they’d have a raw hem…my fave lately!! Let me know if you try them. I think they’re a great fitting jean at a great price. I have them in black too!
Thanks,didn’t see them at the bottom of the post, oops!