~ Kitchen Tip: Melting Small Amounts of Butter or Coconut Oil ~

We don't own a microwave for a number of reasons. (Maybe another post on that subject another day but right now I'm just too tired). So what do you do when your recipe calls for a small amount of melted butter or coconut oil? I have a little sauce pan (the one Rachael Rae says is useless, which I totally disagree with, BTW) and normally I would just use that, but then I have to wash the pan and it seems like when you are only melting two tablespoons of butter or coconut oil you waste a lot on the bottom and sides of the pan. In come stainless steel condiment cups. You know, the ones you get a restaurants filled with not so healthy ketchup or salads dressing. They work great as a little double boiler and because they are stainless they conduct heat well. Put a little water in the bottom of your sauce pan and place the cup in the water. Perfectly melted butter with just a little cleanup and not so much wasted!

~ Creamy Onion Dressing ~

My hubby always takes a salad with him to work so I try and make new dressing so that he doesn't have to have the same thing everyday. This was one of my best if I do say so myself, the onion didn't overpower, it was a bit like a fancy ranch.

1/2 cup of your homemade mayo
1/4 cup plain yogurt, we use Nancy's Whole Milk Plain Yogurt, it is thick like sour cream.
1-2 small green onions, chopped fine
2 tsp coconut aminos or tamari
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp each sea salt, basil, paprika few dashes of cayenne or more if you like a little zip

Mix together and chill if you have time. Even if you don't usually use cayenne, put a dash in there anyway. Cayenne is great for your circulatory system. The advantage to making your own dressings is that they are not filled to the brim with preservative or additives, you save money, and they taste so much better. Citric Acid is used quite a bit in food as a way to preserve naturally, but almost all citric acid comes from China and is made of GMO corn, not something you want to be eating even in moderation. Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper

~ Homemade Mayonnaise ~

The is nothing better than homemade mayo, once you have had it, the stuff in the jar just doesn't cut it. Homemade mayo is also much more cost effective and healthier. This recipe comes from Laurel's Kitchen and makes 1 1/4 cup

1 pasture raised egg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp organic mustard powder
2 tbsp of raw organic apple cider vinegar
1 cup organic sunflower oil

Place egg, salt, mustard powder, apple cider vinegar, and 1/4 cup of oil in blender. Blend on low speed, uncovered and steadily pour the remaining oil in. That's it, simple as can be. If it curdles, remove mayo from blender, add another egg and slowly pour the mayo back into the blender.

Once you get the basic recipe down, try adding fresh herbs and some garlic to it, tuna salad will never be the same with Homemade Herb Mayo. You can also use it in any homemade dressing recipe to get a creamy texture. I am also working on a couple of dressing recipes for those soon to be summer salads, so stay tuned.

*For those of you worried about using raw eggs, please read this article before you dismiss the idea of eating raw eggs.