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homemade tomatillo ranch salad dressing (like cafe rio, but no cilantro!)

homemade tomatillo ranch- like cafe rio (but without cilantro!)We love Cafe Rio so much around here. So much. And best of all, their tomatillo ranch salad dressing. But since there are no Cafe Rios near me, I have to make my own. And in January, we usually do a “reset” where we pray about the year to come, and fast both processed carbs and sugar to remind us to pray. Which means we are making SALAD (and all-the-salad-dressings! And especially THIS salad dressing!) a ton right now.

homemade tomatillo ranch- like cafe rio (but without cilantro!)Also, since we both hate cilantro, I figured out how to make the tomatillo ranch salad dressing minus the cilantro.

homemade tomatillo ranch- like cafe rio (but without cilantro!)To make the (slightly improved) tomatillo ranch like Cafe Rio- gather-

INGREDIENTS

1 (1 ounce) package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup Mayo

1 large or 2 small tomatillos

1 clove garlic , minced

1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 to 1 small jalapeno , seeds removed

DIRECTIONS

Combine ingredients in a food processor. Serve over fajita salad. Or eat with a spoon.

homemade tomatillo ranch- like cafe rio (but without cilantro!)YUM. Happy January!

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warm root vegetable salad

I don’t know if I mentioned this on the blog or not, but last year my husband and I did the whole 30. It was a challenging and gratifying month of finding new and healthier ways to enjoy cooking and food. And if for no other reason I am thankful we did it because we […]

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rosemary candied walnuts (the perfect salad topper)

I always think of salads as summer fare, even though I eat them for dinner pretty much year ‘round (and I’m sure you do too!). Lately, I’ve been getting creative with my salad toppings and rediscovered an old kojo recipe for rosemary brown sugar walnuts. I am smitten with these yummies and, really, it’d be […]

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kale salad with tart cherries and pine nuts

I kind of can’t believe I haven’t shared this salad with y’all yet. Given my affinity for kale salads. And tart cherries (I loooooooove them, y’all). And pine nuts. And goat cheese. Seriously, it’s like a Kirstin’s Favorite Things salad grand slam. This salad not a Whole30 compliant (because of the goat cheese and the […]

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super salads- peach pecan & goat cheese salad

One thing I have been loving this summer as we make our rounds in the USA is all the simple al fresco meals we have been able to share with friends. Grill some chicken and veggies, make a salad, pour some ice tea and enjoy time with friends chatting and laughing and just enjoying summer. […]

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super salads- southwestern black bean salad

Since June is the perfect month for al fresco dining, we thought we’d round up our favorite salad recipes and share them this month! And this Southwestern Blackbean Salad (some people call it ‘cowboy caviar’) is summer perfection. In fact,  this salad wasn’t even on my original Super Salad lineup, but we have been hanging […]

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arugula and watermelon salad with citrus vinaigrette

I love summer so much. So much. And this little blip at the end of May is just fabulous- everything coming back to life, produce on sale, grilling weather. Just fabulous. And this watermelon-basil-arugula salad with goat cheese pretty much sums up everything I love about May (and summer in general). You need to make […]

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fabulous tuscan kale salad

This is my go-to at one of our favorite restaurants here in Denver, True Food. Don’t let the raw kale scare you- it’s seriously delicious. Tuscan Kale Salad (recipe modified from this one) INGREDIENTS 1 bunch kale, ribs removed 2 Tbs olive oil 1/2 lemon, juiced 1 clove garlic, minced pinch garlic salt pinch chili […]

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from good to gourmet: rosemary candied walnut salad topper

Thanks to the garden goodness of summer, we’ve been eating fresh-from-the-garden salads almost every night with dinner… which has led into a great experiment searching for fabulous salad toppers. Our favorite so far? Rosemary candied walnuts. It makes my mouth water just typing that… mmmmm…. They’re so good, in fact, that I thought y’all might […]