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Milk and Honey Cookbook
Looking for cookbooks? Jennifer Cote's cookbook
and devotional,
From the Land of Milk and Honey, is available online at
Winepress Christian Books. $13.95
I always feel better when there's a few healthy things to munch on at parties. When I bring the Veggie Tray with the Ranch Dressing, plenty of others are happy too.
You don't have to be an artist to assemble a striking veggie tray. There's a few simple secrets, like putting swaths of color in sections, half on one side, half on the other. Carrots, red peppers, and cucumbers (or your personal favorites) are good to use, and broccoli nestles up to the dip container (or cabbage "container", if you have time to hollow one out).
Martha Stewart has some beautiful veggie trays pictured in her "Entertaining" cookbook; very inspirational! But I don't like the idea of blanching the veggies. Plus, if you overcook them, the color and flavor are lost. With the carrots, I found that giving them a quick "salt/vinegar" bath really brought out the color, and kept them moist-looking. And with the broccoli, I rubbed the tops in olive oil. It really added to the flavor, and it's especially healthy that way too. And I got to skip that whole blanching process.
Ranch Dressing Recipe- Perfect for a Veggie Tray
The Veggie Tray with
Ranch Dressing is a healthy recipe to serve at parties. The homemade Ranch
Dressing below improves on the grocery store version, flavorful and
chemical-free. Salad dressing recipes made from scratch are bound to be
healthier than store-bought.
For extra color,
hollow out a red cabbage to serve the dip in. The leftover cabbage can be
sliced up and mixed with any leftover Ranch Dip for a great side dish the next
day. The Ranch Dressing recipe makes enough to serve a large crowd (50 or
more), with plenty of veggies on the side. Or use it in salads; it will keep
weeks in the refrigerator. Makes 1 quart.
Ingredients:
- 2 c. mayonnaise
- 1 pt. sour cream
- 1 TBS. dill weed
- 1 TBS. rubbed Italian herbs
- 1/2 TBS. black pepper
- 1 1/2 TBS. VegeSal (found at health food stores)
- 2 TBS. sugar
- 1/4 c. lemon juice
- Green leaf lettuce (to line veggie tray)
- 2 lb. or so carrots (approx. 6 large)
- 1 lb. or so broccoli crowns
- 1-2 cucumbers
- 1 lb. or so red peppers (approx. 3 large)
- 1 red cabbage for holding the dressing
Mix the following in a bowl: > 2 c. mayonnaise > 1 pt. sour cream > 1 TBS. dill weed > 1
TBS. rubbed Italian herbs > 1/2 TBS. black pepper > 1 1/2 TBS. �VegeSal�
(found at health food stores) > 2 TBS. sugar > 1/4 c. lemon juice
To assemble veggie tray, line a platter with some green-leaf lettuce (or ornamental kale). Set the hollowed-out cabbage in the center, filling with the dip just before serving, if transporting the tray. Arrange the following veggies on the platter. The broccoli looks especially appetizing added last, nestled around the edge of the cabbage-dip-bowl. Use the following:
> Carrots: Peel, slice, and add to a jar, with a splash of white vinegar and salt. Shake thoroughly, drain. You can prep the carrots the day before, draining the vinegar mix off and refrigerating until ready to assemble. This process really brings out the color.
> Broccoli: Rub the tops in a bit of olive oil. Again, this brings out the color, tastes great, and is easier than blanching them. Also, they won't have that dry look.
> Cucumbers: Score lengthwise with tines of a fork; cut into 1/4" thick slices.