Ranch dressing is a basic staple in most homes, and as many parents know, it can play an integral role in enticing kids to happily embrace their fresh veggies, adults too! Making your own dressings, such as this one, offers numerous advantages. For starters, you save on money, as well as packaging, for which the Earth thanks you. They are also significantly better for you than most commercial dressings, which often contain cheap inflammatory oils, especially GMO-laced canola oil, and other additives, like sugar in many forms, disodium guanylate, disodium Inosinate and monosodium glutamate (MSG) and calcium disodium EDTA, plus various chemicals to retard spoilage and render the product shelf stable. Who needs it? If you’re new to making your own dressings, this enlightened version of the ever popular crowd-pleaser is a wonderful (and easy!) place to start:
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked and drained
1 cup distilled water
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 clove fresh garlic
1 teaspoon liquid sweetener of choice
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Pink Himalayan sea salt, or other high-quality raw salt
Directions:
Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender and process until creamy and smooth. Enjoy in salads, with a colorful raw crudité platter, or anywhere else you would use traditional Ranch dressing. Keeps well in the fridge for several days. It will thicken as it chills, so thin as needed. Enjoy in good health!