From scratch things

[Night Elf]

Ugh.. the very idea of making anything from scratch is just so unappealing! I've been ruined by the good old yucky American processed food diet. Someone on this board recommended a good book that I've been reading called Refined to Real Food. I've made changes, but very slowly.

 

On another current thread about healthy eating, two suggestions are making green smoothies and homemade salad dressing. How do I do that?

 

The last time we tried to make smoothies they were really gross. We tried combinations with ingredients like milk, water, and yogurt. They were all horrible. What am I doing wrong?

[kamom]

Did you leave out the frozen or fresh fruit in the smoothies? I add about two cups of frozen fruit, like a tropical blend, or peaches and strawberries. Yummy. Then about a cup of plain or flavored yogurt and a several cups of milk or fruit juice.

 

What kind of salad dressings to you prefer?

[regentrude]

Smoothies- this is how I make them: frozen fruit, fruit juice. Blend. That's it.

Some people like to add yoghurt. If you use fresh fruit, you may have to add ice.

I would guess your problem is that you added water.

 

Home made salad dressing: I make these two very easy ones.

Vinaigrette: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, ground pepper.

Yoghurt dressing: plain yoghurt, herbs (dill, chives), pepper, a few drops of lemon, honey if desired

[Mrs Mungo]

On another current thread about healthy eating, two suggestions are making green smoothies and homemade salad dressing. How do I do that?

 

The last time we tried to make smoothies they were really gross. We tried combinations with ingredients like milk, water, and yogurt. They were all horrible. What am I doing wrong?

 

 

I don't make green smoothies, but I make smoothies with frozen fruit (strawberries and bananas or mixed berries), greek yogurt and a little OJ. They are thick. More the consistency of a milkshake (but more fruity and less milky/ice-creamy) than an orange julius.

 

Here are some green smoothie recipes that look pretty yummy:

from Vitamix

 

Some of these sound good too:

from a raw food site

 

We might try it!

 

Homemade salad dressings are easy. You just need acid, oil, maybe an emulsifier and whatever flavors you want to add. What kind of salad dressing do you like?

[CalicoKat]

:001_smile: I forgot to buy mayo this morning and my recipes this week all need it. I had to make it from scratch. It's the one thing I never ever make right from scratch. But I did.

 

DH's commented at lunch, "That's the BEST coleslaw you've ever made! What's different?"

 

The mayo......

 

Guess it's time to just make the mayo from now on. Don't give up if it doesn't turn out right. Just find another recipe.

[Unicorn.]

Care to share the mayo recipe?

[Dawn in OH]

My smoothies are thick like a milkshake.

 

For instance: 1 banana, 1 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup milk.

 

There's always fruit. There's never water, but maybe some ice if you want thick, frothy, cold smoothie.

[UnsinkableKristen]

I make smoothies for 1 cup OJ, 1 banana, 2 cups frozen fruit, and then add water until desired consistency. Sometimes I want it a little thicker like a shake and others a little easier to drink from a straw.

 

Oh, and sometimes we add a handful of spinach to it, but not always.

[Random]

For a fruit smoothie, we use frozen fruit and whole fat yogurt. Sometimes I need water if it's too thick for the blender to blend. Ours are thick, almost like soft-serve frozen yogurt. Use whatever fruit you like.

 

For a green smoothie, we use a handful of spinach, some pineapple juice and some parsley. I don't measure. If you want it mostly sweet, only add a little spinach. If you want mostly nutritious, add only a little pineapple juice and lots of spinach. Sometimes, I'll add ice.

 

For dressings, you could share what your favorite flavors are. Then others can give you specific recipes.

[myfunnybunch]

If I want to put greens in a smoothie, I try to balance it with frozen fruit and fruit juice. The sweet fruit balances out the more challenging taste of the greens. This morning I made a breakfast smoothie with frozen fruit (peaches, strawberries, blueberries), a little orange juice, Greek yogurt and some leftover pumpkin puree. I thought of throwing in a handful of spinach, but would have had to pick it out of the salad mix and felt too lazy. ;)

 

Homemade salad dressing is easy peasy. And it tastes SO much better than store dressing. Google your favorite kind of salad dressing with the word "recipe" and you'll find what you need. :) You can always fall back on balsamic vinegar and olive oil with s&p and your favorite seasonings.

 

Cat

[Night Elf]

Maybe I didn't use enough fruit in my smoothie. I don't remember what kind of yogurt I bought. Could I use strawberry yogurt to add another fruit type taste? Is the amount of fruit, yogurt and/or milk just measured by taste?

 

My favorite salad dressing is peppercorn ranch, but that's not common. I usually go for ranch. I can eat a balsimic type of dressing but the salad isn't as yummy, it's more like a chore to eat it. :)

 

I absolutely love spinich. I only use that in salads. I do not like ice berg or romaine lettuces. I've never heard of putting it in a smoothie.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I love my smoothies. It's 1 cup vanilla activia yogurt, 1 frozen banana, 1/2ish cup frozen strawberries. I top it with homemade granola and it's an ice cream substitute.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

One of my favorite home made salad dressings is delicious and good for you, too. You just have to get used to eating a different kind of dressing.

 

I put 2 parts flax oil, 1 part raw apple cider vinegar, 1 (or more) pressed clove of garlic, salt, pepper and honey to taste.

 

If you have a Trader Joe's nearby, they have a Goddess dressing that is tahini based and is very tasty. It will five you that creamier feel.

 

It took me a while of experimenting with smoothie combos to find what I liked. Just keep trying.

[myfunnybunch]

My favorite salad dressing is peppercorn ranch

 

Homemade Ranch Dressing

 

I've made ranch dressing before (from a recipe in one of my books) and it's super easy! :)

 

And I use fruit yogurt in smoothies all the time.

 

Cat

[Liz CA]

Care to share the mayo recipe?

 

Not Calico obviously but here is mine:

 

2 eggs, room temperature, use one yolk, one whole egg

1 T mustard (whichever you like)

2 T lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

1 T whey (optional but prolongs shelf life of mayo naturally)

1 cup of olive oil

 

Mix all ingreds, then pour olive oil in slowly until it gets to a firm consistency. Add any spices you like, i.e., salt, pepper.

Edited April 21, 2011 by Liz CA

[Jennifer in MI]

Two salad dressings we use a lot:

 

a little oil

a little basalmic vinegar

a splash of soy sauce

 

(sorry - I never measure! Just do it until it tastes right.)

 

Creamy Dill

1/4 c mayo

3/4 c yogurt

dill

 

Both are very easy!!!

[Carol in Cal.]

I've gotten kind of, for want of a better word, artistic in making salad dressings.

 

I mix them in the bottom of the salad bowl, fresh, every time I make salad. It is SO FAST, almost as quick as finding and shaking up the bottle, and as much better as homegrown tomatoes!

 

I keep around lots of dried herbs--basil, oregano, fines herbes, herbes de Provence, tarragon, marjoram, lavendar, etc. I always have dried minced onion, garlic powder, dry mustard, and Beau Monde seasoning salt, as well as black and white peppers and kosher salt. I always have one really good olive oil--the gourmet stuff. I always have vinegars--champagne, rice wine, red wine, balsamic, apple cider--and I usually have lemon juice and/or lime juice as well.

 

When I'm about to make a salad for 3 people, I put about 2 tablespoons of acid--vinegar or citrus juice--in the bottom of the bowl. Then I crumble in some herbs--usually a total of about 2 tsp or so. I add garlic or onion, just a little (1/4 tsp or so), and two pinches of salt. Sometimes I add mustard or pepper or even just a little sugar. I whisk these up and then whisk in the olive oil. I put the cleaned greens into the bowl, and toss just before serving. So so so good!

 

Good combos:

 

Rice wine vinegar, basil, garlic, onion with spinach leaves and citrus chunks.

Lavendar, herbes de Provence, tarragon, balsamic vinegar, white pepper, mustard with mixed baby greens

Fines herbs, garlic, onion, white pepper, basil with romaine lettuce

[BarbecueMom]

After much trial and error, this is my smoothie recipe:

 

2 frozen bananas (I freeze them whole and unpeeled, then peel them with a knife - run them under water first, then hold with a towel to keep your hand from going numb)

2 oranges, peeled (or equivalent frozen/fresh fruit - this morning was cantaloupe)

1/2 c. canned fruit in 100% juice (use both the fruit and juice)

1/2 c. yogurt (I use plain homemade, but any flavor works)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cucumber (optional... it's too watery to use with some fruits, like melon)

 

Blend, then add enough milk to reach desired consistency. Enough to suck through a straw.

 

As far as salad dressings, we buy Ott's brand ranch dressing (which gets used more as a dipping sauce than a salad dressing), so no help on the ranch, but I alternate making honey mustard, honey mustard vinaigrette, creamy Italian, and French dressings. I make my French dressing using homemade pizza sauce. I can't do the "oil/vinegar/S&P" thing... blech.

[CalicoKat]

Care to share the mayo recipe?

2 eggs, room temperature

1 t mustard powder

2 T lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)

1/4 t salt

1 1/4 cup of oil

 

Mix first 4 ingreds. in blender on high for 1 minute. Then add the oil slowly with the blender still on high.

 

The oil the biggest thing. We don't like the olive oil. Today I used peanut oil.

[Mejane]

Maybe I didn't use enough fruit in my smoothie. I don't remember what kind of yogurt I bought. Could I use strawberry yogurt to add another fruit type taste? Is the amount of fruit, yogurt and/or milk just measured by taste?

 

 

 

I make the fruit and vegs my base, then add a bit of yogurt for creaminess and extra flavor, and just enough liquid (usually just water) to loosen. You will probably have to experiment with amounts to find what appeals to you. :)

[Twilight Woods]

green smoothies are so easy to make and are soooooo good! My kids love them too and it's the only way I can get them to eat a veggie without them knowing it.

 

here is a good site for them:

 

http://greenmonstermovement.com/

[Carol in Cal.]

How I make smoothies, but not the green kind:

 

1 banana, overripe is fine, or just yellowish.

About 2 cups of frozen strawberries

About 1/4 cup of frozen orange juice concentrate

 

That's the basic recipe--blend it and it's just the right temperature because of the frozen fruit.

 

You can add frozen peaches OR frozen blueberries. You can put in some plain yogurt, although I never do. If you want it a little sweeter, adding about 2 T of honey is fine, although I think it's plenty sweet and very refreshing without this.

 

If it's too thick add just a little tiny bit of water.

[Truscifi]

We also make fruit smoothies - just add frozen fruit and low fat milk, and blend. If we get fancy we add a little vanilla extract and cinnamon. If I have made yogurt, we might add half a cup of plain yogurt.

 

I dress my salads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It took a while to adjust from thick creamy salad dressings, but now that I have the creamy ones taste to heavy.

 

As for the processed stuff, it is a hard transition. I have had some success making things myself - for example my guys love Hamburger Helper. I finally put my foot down and refused to buy the stuff anymore, but as a compromise I make a homemade version once a month or so. I do put velveeta along with real cheese to give it the flavor they like, but at least there are no preservatives in the rest of it, and I use whole wheat pasta. Oh, and I have always added beans and fresh veggies anyway. They have gotten used to it, so I think I am going to start decreasing the amount of velveeta a little at a time. You could use the same general principle with most processed foods, just gradually sub healthier options.

[Julie in Austin]

For salad dressing, buy one of these:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Salad-Dressing-Maker-by-Norpro/dp/B000E3DTGA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303577667&sr=8-1

 

Super easy and super yummy.

 

For smoothies: when yogurt is marked down, I buy them and freeze them. When I want to make smoothies, I nuke the yogurt for 20 seconds and then put it in the blender with dry milk powder, milk, and bananas. Very yummy!

[Snickerdoodle]

How about this? We have never made a smoothie, nor have my kids ever had a smoothie before.

 

And I make almost everything from scratch.

 

i.e. Smoothies are not a requirement of healthy eating. ;)

[Mergath]

You have to keep in mind, too, that if you're used to "smoothies" from places like Orange Julius (which are more milkshake than smoothie) a real smoothie with fruit and healthy ingredients is going to taste gross at first no matter what you do. Your palate is probably used to insane amounts of sugar, and it takes awhile to get used to the taste of fruit. If you cut down on sugar in all your food, you'll soon get used to whole foods, and fruit will start to taste better.