Garlic Greek Ranch Dip

When is the last time you picked up a book of poetry? Maybe in this day and age you need to Google poetry, or download poetry on your kindle, nook, e-reader, ipad, or whatever tickles your fancy. I like to open my Oxford Book of English Verse and read. There is something that gets me opening that old book with worn pages. Thinking about all the others who have read it before and what it meant to them. I would suggest reading a romantic poem or two with your love. It makes you think and automatically sets a romantic mood.

Romantic Tip: Read poetry together. Talk about the poem after and what you each got from it. 

Now for today's recipe...I send my hubby off with fresh cut veggies every single day for work. I am blessed to have a man that loves his raw veggies! I like to change up his dip varieties so that he doesn't get bored. If he had it his way, he would eat jalapeno ranch dip every single day. More often than not, he comes home and admits that the "new dip" was good. This was one of them. I was quite pleased because it is much healthier than the traditional ranch because there is no mayo in it. 

Garlic Greek Ranch Dip

adapted from Kitchen Treaty

1 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, smashed and finely minced (about 2 heaping teaspoons)
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped chives
¼ cup minced Italian parsley
½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Dash Tabasco sauce (optional)

Mix together. Chill until you serve.

Lower Calorie Garlic-Parmesan Salad Dressing

 
Here is a topic that I am sure to get a lot of controversial emails over. PDA, or Public Display of Attention. Now I am not talking about crazy making out or inappropriate touching. I am talking about a gentle kiss, hand holding, hugging. These are all pure honest displays of love. I am sorry, but I think it is healthy for people to see that there are healthy relationships out there. Don't be afraid to be romantic and affectionate in public. A lot of people need to be reassured, even in public, that you love them. Affection is a great way to show your love.

Romantic Tip: Public Display of Attention (the other PDA). Proudly and sincerely compliment, dote over and affirm your significant other in front of others.

Now on to todays recipe... I love garlic parmesan dressing. Unfortunately I do not like store bought dressing. I also am trying to cut back on calories and bad fats in my husbands diet. So I set out to make a healthier creamy dressing that we both enjoy.  So simple to make and so great on salads, veggies, sandwiches and wraps. 

Lower Calorie Garlic-Parmesan Salad Dressing

3 cloves Fresh Garlic

4 tablespoons White Vinegar

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

5 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

½ cup greek yogurt

1/2 tsp  Sea Salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh, coarsely-ground Black Pepper

Squeeze the garlic through a garlic press and into a small bowl. Measure and add in the vinegar, cheese, salt and pepper.

Drizzle in a steady stream of olive oil while whisking. Next, add in the Greek yogurt and stir to combine. Check for seasoning before pouring the salad dressing into an airtight container and refrigerating for a few hours.

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Buttermilk Green Goddess Dressing

The mind is a powerful thing. I make a point each day to spend a few minutes dwelling on my love for my husband. I put everything else out of my mind and focus on how much I love him, all he does for me, plans we have together, and his positive traits. Call it daydreaming, meditating, whatever you will. It works. It puts my mind in a positive frame and makes me eager for the time we will have later in the evening. 

Romantic Tip: Spend a few minutes daydreaming about your love and the romantic things you want to do together.

Now on to today's recipe!

I have been talking on here a lot about my husband and the lunches I pack for him. So why not continue? One thing I always pack is fresh veggies. I am one of the fortunate people that have a husband that loves all vegetables, especially raw. Unfortunately he likes a dipping sauce. Added fat and calories. So I lightened up a dressing/dipping sauce for him that he loves. I added anchovies for flavor and protein. Cut down the mayonnaise with greek yogurt and buttermilk. Fresh herbs are the key here. The more the merrier!

Buttermilk Green Goddess Dressing

slightly adapted from The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup greek yogurt

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 anchovy fillets packed in oil (drained, chopped)

2 minced garlic cloves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a blender, blend all the ingredients until smooth.  Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

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Roasted Garlic Compound Butter

Happy Valentine's day everyone! 

My hunny is taking me out for Valentines day to a very nice dinner with Jazz at Croce's. I am excited. Because he is doing that, I wanted to do something special for him. I like to add subtle decorations that say "I love you" to him. 

It doesn't cost money. It just takes some time and little actions like this, make him smile. 

I have little ceramic hearts I got a long time ago that I place around the house too. If you don't have those go to the store and buy the $0.99 candy. Little love affirmations are always nice. 

Romantic Tip: Decorate on special occasions. Use craft paper, or buy heart doilies and hang them all over the house. It is a cute romantic gesture that is sure to make your partner smile. 

My husbands absolute favorite meal is Filet Mignon cooked rare. He loves it when I amp it up and put a dollup of roasted garlic butter on top. So that is what I did for him. I love this compound butter. I use it on baked potatoes, toast, top of meats, and veggies. It keeps in your fridge as long as regular butter as long as you keep it wrapped. Here is how I make it: 

Roasted Garlic Compound Butter

1 tsp olive oil

1 whole head garlic, papery skins removed and about 1/2-inch cut off the top to expose cloves

8 tablespoons Butter,  at room temperature

Sea Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400º. 

Place the head of garlic on a square of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap tightly and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft to the touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Press each clove into a small mixing bowl and smash with a fork. 

Add the butter, minced garlic, parsley and black pepper. 

Stir to combine. 

Scrape butter onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Roll into a log, and wrap to seal. 

Refrigerate until just firm enough to slice. 

I want to close this post with a cute picture of the moon smiling. I took this from our bedroom and thought it was perfect. Happy Valentines day everyone! 

Dry Rub Jenga Ribs

 

So what have you done lately to spark your sex life? I know it can be a shy subject for some people. The truth is, if you don't work on it, it won't go anywhere. Men and Women both want to feel needed. They need reminders. Sure it is great to just do fun romantic things, but EVERYONE wants a healthy sex life with the one they love. So what can you do to let your loved one know you are ready and willing tonight? Think back to your first encounter with love. Love notes were huge. I know the days have changed now and it is all about instant messaging and social media, but nothing is better than a hand written note. It is personal. 

Romantic Tip: Write your partner a note about your most memorable sexual encounter or time together. It will spark your memory and theirs and get the creative juices flowing, you can even spray the note with your favorite perfume or cologne. 

Now on to the food. My husband loves a good set of baby back ribs. Most people like to just smother them in barbeque sauce, but my man loves them with a good dry rub, then he dips them in the sauce. This recipe is amazing. You won't believe how flavorful they are!

Dry Rub Jenga Ribs
adapted from Bon Appétit  | February 2013

1/2 tablespoon  garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 rack Baby Back Pork Ribs

Whisk garlic powder, salt, brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, pepper, cumin, onion powder, cinnamon, and coriander in a small bowl to blend.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Rub ribs all over with spice blend.

Wrap rack in foil, crimping seams to seal tightly. Place rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake ribs until fork-tender, about 3 hours. Serve with your favorite barbeque sauce for dipping. I served mine with steamed white rice and Spicy Bok Choy.

Truffle Risotto for two

Romantic Tip: Picnic at home. You don't have to leave the house to have a delicious picnic! Try having one on the living room floor, the bedroom, or even in your own backyard or balcony! Make sure you have the rug, the picnic basket and all the right foods. Food is just a start to your romantic day for two!

My husband loves my Mushroom Truffle Risotto. Anything truffle tends to be his favorite. Truffles are the key to this dish. That may seem out of reach for some, but you can get them from O&CO, I love their O&CO Black truffle oil. 

It just happens to be O&CO's 16th anniversary, so everything is 16% off. Great time to try their fabulous oils! 

Their website has some fabulous recipes to go with their high quality oils, seasonings, vinegars and more!

You can like their facebook page for more information about their promotion.

 Mushroom Truffle Risotto for two

adapted from all recipes

3 cups chicken broth, divided

1 TBSP olive oil, divided

1/2 TBSP O&CO Black truffle oil

1/2 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 shallots, diced
1 clove of garlic minced

3/4 cups Arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

sea salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, warm the broth over low heat.

Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon O&CO Black truffle oil

to skillet, and stir in the shallots and garlic. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color,

pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed.

Add 1/2 cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, and parmesan.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This sponsorship is brought to you by O&CO. who we have partnered with for this promotion.

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