Ranch Dressing

When I made cashew mayonnaise a few weeks ago, I couldn't wait to try some dips and dressings with it. The first thing I made, with the leftovers after making coleslaw, was chipotle mayonnaise. Chipotle mayonnaise is simple: puree a can of chipotles in adobo and add about a teaspoon of the puree to a 1/2 cup mayo, then add more chipotle puree to taste. I did notice that, despite the heat, the flavors in my homemade version were a bit muted, so this time I added some smoked paprika and a bit of cumin.  It was delicious.

Next, I tackled ranch dressing. I make a quick version all the time as part of Little House of Veggies' Buffalo seitan wraps recipe, so I had an idea where to start. First, I added extra garlic, lots of dill, and some black pepper to a batch of mayonnaise. Then I added lots of fresh chives and a bit more salt. My dressing was good, but it was missing something - I felt like it needed a bit more tang. I had read a bunch of other ranch dressing recipes before I started making this, and noticed that quite a few of them called for Worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire sauce typically isn't vegetarian because it has anchovies in it. There are vegetarian versions available, but it's not something I usually keep on hand. However, I do have Pickapeppa sauce, which, like Worcestershire, owes its tang to tamarind. I've found that 1 part Pickapeppa sauce works for 2 parts Worcestershire (with maybe a bit more salt, too.) I added a half teaspoon Pickapeppa and it was just right.

We had this with the Buffalo wraps I mentioned earlier, I gave some away, and the rest I used in pasta salad. I'll post the pasta salad recipe tomorrow.

Cashew Mayonnaise

3/4 cup raw cashew nuts, soaked for 2 hours or longer and drained

1/2 cup water

2 or 3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoons white vinegar (I used rice vinegar)

1-1/2 teaspoons dried dill or 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon Pickapeppa sauce or 1 teaspoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

Tiny pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

1/3 cup neutral tasting oil (I used canola)

2 tablespoons snipped chives

Puree the cashews, water, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, dill, sugar, pepper, mustard, Pickapeppa sauce, salt, and cayenne pepper in a blender until creamy. Remove the center piece of the blender jar lid, and with the motor running, drizzle the oil in a the thinnest possible stream. Stir in the chives by hand (or blend, if you don't mind the dressing being green.)

Makes 1-1/4 cups.  Use as a dip or thin with a bit of water or non-dairy milk for a dressing for a leafy salad.