Cherchies Blog

salad dressings

Cilantro Lime Dressing Recipe

glaze marinade & sauce, salad dressingsSheri SpalloneComment

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Sometimes, it takes the perfect sauce to round out a tasty recipe.  This creamy Southwestern-style Cilantro Lime Dressing Recipe is a keeper!

Blended with garlic, jalapeños, fresh herbs, mayonnaise, and Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning, this sauce is a breeze to whip up in your kitchen.  It's a flavor explosion perfect for enhancing salads, tacos, and Southwest dishes, as a dip for fries and vegetables, as a marinade, and more.  Similar to the iconic Cafe Rio Dressing (mainly found in the Western United States), this tangy, refreshing sauce might become your go-to sauce for every meal.

Look no further if you have been searching for the perfect flavorful, zingy sauce to liven up your favorite Southwest dishes, dips, etc., and tantalize your tastebuds with this bright and fresh cilantro lime dressing.  You will not be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have tried this recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Enjoy!

*See below for our Tips and FAQ’s

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp.) Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning (more to taste)

  • 1/4 teaspoon (tsp.) ground pepper

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 1/2 cup sour cream

  • 1 bunch of cilantro, stems included

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1 jalapeno, seeds removed, roughly chopped

  • 1/3 to 1/2 cups half and half

  • Zest of half a lime

  • Juice of half a lime

Preparation

Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend for at least a minute on high or until ingredients are combined and the sauce is smooth.

We recommend refrigerating this sauce for a few hours in a resealable container to enhance the flavors. Enjoy!

TIPS AND FAQ:

How Do You Use Cilantro Lime Dressing?

  • Salads- Substitute your favorite dressing with this Cilantro Lime Dressing for a refreshing twist. Here are a couple of our favorite salads that would work well with this tangy dressing. Wedge Salad, Cobb Salad, and Our Best Darn Coleslaw.

Sauce- Use it as a sauce to drizzle over your favorite Southwest dishes, like our favorites: tacos, chili stuffed peppers, and grilled shrimp.

And so much more!

FAQ’S

Can You Use Substitutions or Add-ins?

Absolutely!

  • Feel free to substitute the mayonnaise and sour cream with Greek Yogurt.

  • Use pickled jalapenos or canned green chilies for the fresh jalapenos.

  • Add one-half of an avocado for extra creaminess.

  • *Add one tomatillo, hulled and cut in half

  • Substitute milk for the half and half.

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Cobb Salad With Brown Derby Dressing Recipe

entrees, lunch, salad dressings, saladsSheri SpalloneComment
Cobb Salad With Derby Dressing Recipe

Cobb Salad With Derby Dressing Recipe

One of my favorite salads in the whole world is The Cobb Salad.  Who can resist crisp greens, creamy avocado, tomatoes, eggs, scallions, bacon, and leftover chicken?  I surely cannot. Did you know this famous salad originated in Hollywood, back in the 1920's?  

Here's some trivia for you:

The Cobb Salad got its name from Robert Cobb, an owner of the once famous Brown Derby Restaurant in Los Angeles. To quote marriedatthemovies.com: “As the story goes, late one night, [Cobb] prepared himself a salad of chopped leftover chicken with some other ingredients.  Four of his pals dropped by the restaurant after a movie preview, just as Bob was enjoying his homemade supper.  One asked what he was eating, and that salad became known as Bob’s ‘Cobb Salad.’ When the Hollywood Brown Derby opened in 1929, The Cobb Salad, with its homemade Derby French Dressing appeared as an official fixture on the menu.  To this day, the salad appears on menus throughout the country" (marriedatthemovies.com).  For the full history and original recipe, check out marriedatthemovies.com.  

Cool, huh?

Now I feel privileged to eat such a prestigious salad!  Our version is close to the original recipe, and surely one you will love. Another great line from marriedatthemovies.com: "At the Brown Derby, the Cobb Salad was presented to the guests with all the toppings lined up vertically over the salad greens, and tossed well with the Old Fashioned French Dressing, tableside." (www.marriedatthemovies.com).  The original Derby French Dressing recipe, according to Sally Cobb, called for English mustard, but we substituted Cherchies® Champagne Mustard and added Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning to the mix.  This recipe serves 6, but feel free to scale it down to your liking.  

We would love to hear your comments on this recipe and as always thank you for visiting our blog!   Enjoy!

Salad Ingredients

  • 6 cups shredded mixed greens

  • 3 cups chopped cooked chicken

  •  1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes

  • 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

  • 6 slices of bacon, cooked, crispy, and crumbled

  • 3 hard-boiled eggs, thinly sliced

  • 1 avocado, seeded, peeled, and diced

  • 2 green onions (green part only), chopped

  • Brown Derby French Dressing

Brown Derby French Dressing

Preparation

Prepare the salad dressing.  Add the salad dressing ingredients to a jar with a lid.  Tightly close the lid and shake the ingredients until combined.  Set aside.

Arrange the lettuce on a large platter.  As true to the original recipe, except for the green onions, place all the ingredients vertically over the salad.   We opted to arrange the ingredients in a star shape.

Garnish with the green onions and serve with The Brown Derby French Dressing.  Toss.

Enjoy!

Cobb Salad With Brown Derby Dressing Recipe

Cobb Salad With Brown Derby Dressing Recipe

 

 

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Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

snacks, salads, salad dressingsSheri SpalloneComment
Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

One condiment you will find abundantly stocked in our home is Ranch Dressing. Since our second child was young (by far the pickiest of our three children), Ranch dressing was the quintessential condiment and the only way we could entice him to eat vegetables, chicken tenders, burgers, and pretty much anything. Whenever our children stayed at their grandparents' homes, we forewarned them to keep Ranch dressing on hand or suffer the consequences. 

To this day, Ranch is still our son's preferred condiment, but he's hardly the picky eater he was in the past. He considers himself "The Master Taster Tester" of the family (something he coined when he was younger). I had never made Homemade Ranch before until our son asked, "Mom, what is in ranch dressing?" I was stumped. So, we looked up the ingredients, and as it turns out, I had everything on hand, including fresh herbs from our garden. I sensed a method to his madness, so after playing with a few ingredients, I surprised him later with homemade ranch dressing. His smile said it all.

From The "Master Taster Tester's" lips, "Mom, this is the best darn ranch dressing ever!", It only seemed fitting to share this recipe with the world and label it The Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe. Embodied in creamy buttermilk, Cherchies® Lem'n DillCherchies® Garlic 'n Herbs, and other fresh herbs, this tasty ranch dressing recipe will appease even the most discerning ranch lover; but beware, you may never go back to the bottled ranch dressing again! Use this dressing in all your favorite recipes: a dip for vegetables, chicken tenders, fries, a spread on sandwiches, and a salad dressing.

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have made this recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mayo

  • 1/2 cup sour cream (could substitute Greek yogurt)

  • 1/2 cup half and half

  • 1 teaspoon (tsp) white vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon (tsp) lemon juice

  • 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) coarsely chopped fresh chives

  • 1 teaspoon (tsp) chopped fresh parsley (3/4 teaspoon dried)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Lem'n Dill Seasoning

  • 1/4 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic 'n Herbs No-Salt Seasoning

  • 1/4 teaspoon (tsp) ground black pepper

Preparation

Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender.  Pulse to combine.  If the recipe is too thick, add more half-and-half or milk to the mixture.  

Refrigerate and chill for at least an hour, but overnight is preferable, as the flavors will marry. Serve over your favorite salad or as a dipping sauce for fries, chicken tenders, pretzels, vegetables, or whatever your heart desires.

Enjoy!

**Note: In the post, I mentioned buttermilk. I rarely have buttermilk on hand, so I use half and half and a teaspoon of white vinegar to simulate buttermilk. It is a quick and easy substitution.

Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

Best Darn Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

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Lemony Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

salad dressings, salads, side dishesSheri SpalloneComment

This tasty, tangy, colorful Greek-style pasta salad is the perfect side dish to bring to your next party or potluck.

I love making this easy, flavorful, refreshing salad, especially in the summer. It is the perfect excuse to take full advantage of summer's bounty without spending much time in the kitchen. Your family or guests will devour this dish, as it has garden fresh vegetables, orzo pasta, creamy feta cheese, and a tangy champagne honey lemon vinaigrette (featuring Cherchies® award-winning Champagne Mustard), bringing this dish from great to extraordinary. To make this pasta salad heartier, add some leftover protein, like chicken or shrimp, for an easy, refreshing summer meal. This recipe is best made the day before the event, as the flavors intensify, but making it the day of, earlier in the day, would be perfectly fine.

So grab some vegetables from your garden or your favorite farmer’s market, and make this delightful Greek pasta salad today. You will not be disappointed.

Comment below and let us know if you made this recipe. Thank you for visiting. Come back and revisit us for more delicious recipes, cooking tips, and entertaining ideas.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups cooked orzo pasta

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped seedless cucumbers

  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes (can use cherry tomatoes cut in half if you'd prefer)

  • 1/2 cup heaping cup crumbled feta cheese

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced purple onion

  • 1 teaspoon Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

  • 1/2 cup Cherchies® Pretty Peppers, drained

  • Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

  • Champagne Honey Lemon Vinaigrette (below)

  • Chopped parsley to garnish (optional)

Ingredients for champagne honey vinaigrette

  • 1 Lemon, (zest, and juice)

  • 1/2 tsp thyme

  • 1 1/2 tsp. (teaspoon) Dijon mustard

  • 1 1/2 tsp. (teaspoon) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 1 Salt and pepper

  • 1/2 cup Olive oil

  • 1/4 cup White wine vinegar

Preparation

Chop the onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and place them in a large bowl.  Season with Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and set aside. Whisk all ingredients of vinaigrette in a small bowl. Set aside. Cook orzo pasta according to package directions.  Drain Pasta.  

Add the drained orzo to the salad.  Then add Cherchies® Pretty Peppers and lightly season with pepper. Right before serving, add the vinaigrette.

Next add the Feta cheese and mix to combine.  Add more dressing to taste.  Serve immediately. (*The flavors intensify if made a day ahead).

Tangy, refreshing Lemon Greek Salad.  Enjoy!

Lemony Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

Lemony Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

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