the best ranch dip recipe for summer

 

Summer Crudité with Home-Made Ranch Dressing

The warmer summer weather calls for something cool and refreshing to eat, that’s why I love indulging in fresh veggies and salads this time of year.

 

My favorite salad dressing has got to be Ranch. So today I’m sharing my favorite version of this delicious and luxuriously cool Ranch Dressing recipe.

 

It just so happens to be paleo as well, which simply means there’s no dairy in this version of Ranch Dressing. What I love about it, besides its yummy taste, is how versatile it is.

 

This weekend I put together a small platter of veggies on my new Arthur Court Chip and Dip Bowl. 

It’s called the Oyster with Pearl Chip and Dip, and it’s not only perfect for chips and salsa, but it’s also just stunning as a crudité server. And it's large. These are full sized carrots pictured.

 

I simply choose some of my favorite veggies, scrubbed them really well, and arranged them by variety on the chip and dip bowl. The smaller “pearl” bowl is just the right size for holding my favorite Ranch Dip.

 

By the way, this Ranch Dip is so easy to put together in the food processor or blender, and the best part is it’s loaded with fresh herbs, garlic and lemon, which are full of vitamins and goodness, not to mention flavor!

Bacon, Egg, Lettuce and Tomato Salad

I love this dressing so much that I also used it for my impromptu breakfast-lunch salad yesterday. I’m calling this my B.E.L.T. salad: Bacon, egg, lettuce and tomato. Avocado could also be thrown in as another yummy ingredient.

 

This cute vintage McCoy mixing bowl with the pink and blue stripes is a recent find, and I realized it’s the perfect size for my “loaded” salads.

 

My Ranch Dressing recipe is adapted from one by Danielle Walker, and I substituted some of the herbs for ones that I prefer and grow in my garden.

HERBY RANCH DRESSING

 

½ cup avocado oil mayonnaise  (or regular mayo for non paleo)

3 tablespoons coconut milk

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 tablespoon chopped basil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon onion powder

a pinch of sea salt

black pepper is optional

 

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend. Keep ranch dressing nice and cold in the refrigerator.

 

Waldorf Salad photo via Danielle Walker

What's great about this recipe is that you can customize the herbs for herbs of your choice. Tender herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil, chives, dill and tarragon are all good options.

I originally found this Ranch Dressing recipe when it accompanied this Waldorf Salad recipe that I LOVE! You can find it here. 

Zucchini Fritters

It's also really tasty with these Paleo Zucchini Fritters.

If you’re interested in the gorgeous Arthur Court Oyster with Pearl Chip and Dip Bowl seen in the first picture, it’s available on the Arthur Court website, as well as on Amazon.

 

Not only is this a gorgeous piece for summer gatherings, it also would make and amazing wedding gift for a lucky bride and groom.

 

 

Wishing you a very lovely Sunday.

 

 

 

ciao! fabiana

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

 

one amazing pasta recipe and more!

Over the last week, I’ve really had an inkling for cooking and baking, so when I came across this recipe for Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, I thought I’d give it a go for dinner.

 

I just received this beautiful Pyrex Baking Dish with Shell Lid from Arthur Court, so it was the perfect time for trying out this Martha Stewart pasta casserole recipe.

 

It’s basically a creamy, cheesy, and utterly delicious sauce that whips up easily on the stove, and then you just add cooked chicken, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes. Pop it in the oven, and let it cook for 25 minutes or so.

 

My family was head over heels about it, and one of my sons even rated it as a 10 out 10 in terms of taste out of all the pasta dishes I make, and I make a lot!

 

And even though pasta and cheese are out of my dietary realm, I couldn't help but have two tiny little bites, and I’m telling you… it was AH-mazing!

 

It’s not that hard to make, either. In fact, this recipe is enough to make two 3-quart casseroles. 

I halved the recipe, so I only made one, but next time I’ll be sure to make the whole recipe and freeze the extra one or bring it to a friend.

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

 

A recipe from Martha Stewart

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound penne rigate

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), halved horizontally

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups whole milk

10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)

1 cup finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces)

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.

 

Step 2

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

 

Step 3

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

 

Step 4

Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Step 5

Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I garnished this with fresh cherry tomatoes that I cut in half and a few little sprigs of basil.

In addition to the Chicken & Penne dish, I also prepared a little antipasto of Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, Marinated Mini Mozzarella, and Marinated Olives, served with Italian breadsticks.

 

Can we talk about this gorgeous 3-Bowl Clam Server? Isn’t it so cute for summer? This is one of three beautiful coastal themed items I recently got from Arthur Court.

 

I’m calling this trio my “Summer Entertaining Essentials”. I’ll share the third piece with you very soon. It’s called the Oyster with Pearl Chip and Dip, and it’s just as pretty as these two serving pieces I’m sharing with you here today.

 

Now here’s the lowdown on the antipasti:

 

Cherry Tomato Bruschetta – Place halved cherry tomatoes in a bowl and generously drizzle with olive oil. Add a clove or two of minced garlic, chopped basil and finish off with salt and pepper.

 

Marinated Mini Mozzarella- Mozzarella balls can be enhanced with the addition of a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs. I used a little rosemary, thyme and oregano on these. Be sure to drain the mozzarella first. 

 

Marinated Olives – Bottled Greek, Italian or Spanish olives are the best to use for this. Drain all the liquid from the olives and then add flavorings of your choice. I used olive oil, ground fennel seeds, chopped oregano, minced garlic and little bit of lemon zest.

 

I hope you’ll check back again soon because I’ll have another yummy recipe to share with you, in addition to a few beautiful summer tablescapes that are easy to duplicate.

 

 

 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

Shopping info:

 

Pyrex Baking Dish with Shell Lid

3-Bowl Clam Server

Maison d’Hermine Napkins

Best Italian Breadsticks

Really Good Olives

White Starfish

 

 

 

 

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Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

farmhouse style magazine for summer

 

Have you picked up the summer issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style magazine yet? It’s jam-packed with great décor, farmhouse inspiration, DIY projects and recipes.

 

I have a few projects and recipes featured in this issue, and this one is my favorite. It’s Dugan’s Drawer Bed!

 

The assignment was to create an interesting DIY transformation using a discarded wooden drawer. After a few little tweaks to a dresser drawer, some cheery paint and a comfy cushion, Dugan’s all set for a life of leisure.

 

Another easy transformation was this happy marriage between a wrought iron table base that had a broken glass top and a round herringbone wooden tabletop that had an ugly base.

 

We just combined the two better halves of each project and created this lovely table that now sits proudly in my living room.

Also in my living room is this furniture transformation. This antique card catalog cabinet was found at a local second-hand shop.

 

I elevated it with a set of black iron hairpin legs. It’s got 18 little drawers that hold so much!

 

Some easy summer fixings are also featured in this pretty summer issue, and two are my favorite recipes for potluck gatherings. 

First is the quick Triple Berry Dump Cake. It's one dessert that has lots of healthy ingredients, and still tastes so good. 

It literally takes minutes to prepare and then you just pop it in the oven and then serve with ice cream or whipped cream. 

 

I’m a recent converter to the love for deviled eggs, and now I have to say I’m officially a super-fan!

 

This recipe is one that I’ve made dozens of times for friends and family recently, and these little egg treats seem to just disappear within minutes of serving.

 

You can find both of these recipes in the back of this Country Sampler Farmhouse Style issue in a section called “Potluck Favorites”, where you’ll also find several other delicious recipes that are so great for summer.

 

This issue is THE perfect reading for a summer’s day. Take a few minutes to relax, kick up your feet and soak up some real inspiration!

 

 

 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

appetizers will never be the same

It’s the weekend, so a little noshing is more than welcome around here. And I got to show off my beautiful new Olive Baguette Tray and matching wood bowls from Vagabond House. (To my family, of course!) 

I whipped up my favorite tomato bruschetta and just zhushed up some store-bought olives and hummus. Our local bakery, C’est si Bon had the perfect French baguette to go with these kinds of goodies, but crusty sourdough is my personal favorite. 

I love how versatile this set is. You can use it with the bowls on the tray and then arrange bread slices around that, or the bowls can be place around the tray freeing up more room for bread in the tray, and you could even add some nuts, cheese and salami. Yum!

Those little bowls are really the perfect size! Each of the four pieces can also be used separately and individually. The pewter detail on the tray is really special, so I mirrored that detail with some freshly-cut olive branches from my backyard.

Just for fun, little chamomile flowers from the garden brighten everything up! 

Summer is the best time to enjoy bruschetta when it's made with fresh-picked garden tomatoes, but the grocery store had some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, so I couldn’t resist making some for the weekend.  

 

Here’s how I make this easy bruschetta. I do love garlic, so you can reduce the amount if you’d like.  

Easy Tomato Bruschetta 

 

Serves 4-6 people as a light antipasto 

Ingredients 

4 medium sized tomatoes, de-seeded and cut into rough cubes 

A handful of fresh basil, chiffonade or roughly chop 

A good pour of olive oil 

2 cloves of grated garlic 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Toasted slices of Italian, French or Sourdough bread 

 

Directions 

Mix tomatoes and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Then add garlic and basil. Finish off with the olive oil. Make sure there’s enough olive oil to cover the tomatoes and so there's a little extra liquid in the bowl. (This can be made ahead of time for the flavors to meld. Half an hour to an hour is perfect.)   

Toast bread slices until they are nicely toasted on both sides. Top toasted bread with desired amount of bruschetta mixture.  

(BTW, it's pronounced    broo · skeh · tuh) 

 

Cheers to the weekend! What are you up to? 

ciao! fabiana 

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram! 

 

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Shopping info:

Olive Baguette Tray with Wood Bowls from Vagabond House