Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

cilantro lime dressing

I have been on a search for a salad dressing that is clean and doesn’t have a bunch of additives and dairy in it. I FOUND ONE! This recipe for creamy cilantro lime salad dressing is definitely a KEEPER.

It is creamy and there is no dairy. It is flavorful, without any MSG. The ingredients include simple things, most likely you have in your kitchen right now.

I seriously could drink the stuff.

Cilantro Lime Dressing Ingredients

  • 1/2 ripe avocado
  • 1 lime (juiced)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 1-2 TB olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove (minced)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

 

Cilantro Lime Dressing Instructions

  • Place all the ingredients into blender or food processor and mix until well blended

This cilantro lime salad dressing is so yummy over salads, as a dip, with tacos, fish, and chicken.

cilantro lime dressing

This is cilantro lime dressing is VERY GOOD on pizza!

Let me know in the comments what you think of it, and what you have tried it on.

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

cilantro lime dressing
This recipe for creamy cilantro lime salad dressing is definitely a KEEPER. It is creamy and there is no dairy. It is flavorful, without any MSG. This dressing is yummy on salads, as a dip, with tacos, fish and chicken.
  • Prep Time5 min
  • Cook Time50 min
  • Total Time55 min
  • Yieldapprox. 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

    • 1/2 ripe avocado
    • 1 lime (juiced)
    • 1/2 cup cilantro
    • 1-2 TB olive oil
    • 1 garlic clove (minced)
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

INSTUCTIONS

1

Place all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and mix until well blended

 

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Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

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PEPPERMINT: How To Grow, Use and Enjoy

peppermint tub youmakeitsimple.com

How To Grow

Peppermint is very easy to grow.  In fact, it grows so aggressively that most garden books advise you to enclose the roots of peppermint in a pot to prevent it from taking over your garden bed. I have mine planted in an old fashioned tin bath tub.

 

Peppermint is part of the mint family, of which there are many varieties. It will hybridize easily.

So if you grow several mint plants side by side, over time their flavors will mingle and they will lose their distinctive tastes.

Chocolate mint, pear mint, spearmint, and even apple mint varieties are available.

 

Peppermint is easy to find in most plant nurseries and even in common variety stores where plants are sold.

Herbs seem to sell out quickly in the spring, so don’t hesitate in purchasing early.

It is easier to grow from a start or cutting than to grow by seed.

If you know someone with a peppermint plant, you can take a cutting or divide the plant to start your own patch.

 

Peppermint likes water, so plant it where you will remember to water it.

It will begin to droop if it becomes thirsty. To keep the plant growing all summer, keep it trimmed.

This will inhibit the plant from forming blossoms. Once it forms flowers, the plant will slow down.

You may have to do this once a week or so.

Divide already established plants in spring or fall, or take cuttings during the growing season and root them in water.

 

Peppermint roots easily from cuttings. Take a 4-inch cutting and strip the last inch of its leaves.

Soak it overnight in water and then just place it in a growing medium.

It will root in two weeks and start sending up new growth.

How To Harvest

  • Cut: If you are going to use the peppermint for teas or other uses, you will want to cut down before it flowers. Cut the stems down to 4-5 inches from the ground. Don’t worry, it will grow back very quickly.
  • Wash: Run the stems under running water to remove any dust or dirt.
  • Dry: Take the stems and either place them in a dehydrator, tie with twine and hang to dry, or if you live in a hot, dry climate like I do, you can simply lay them on the counter top or table for a few days.
  • Strip leaves: To remove the dried leaves from the center stem, pull your fingers from the top of the stem down. Do this over a big bowl. Your house is going to smell fabulous! By storing the leaves whole and crushing them right before use, you retain the volatile oils in the leaves, until you need them.
  • Store: Store the dried herb in glass mason jars with a tight fitting lid. It will stay strong and fragrant for at least a year if protected from heat, light, air, and moisture.

How To Use

What do you do with it? Peppermint has many benefits, whether you use it fresh, dried or as an essential oil.

  • Analgesic
  • Anti-parasitic
  • Antiseptic
  • Digestive
  • Expectorant
  • Insecticidal
  • Sedative
  • Stimulant
  • Stomachic
  • Vasoconstrictor

Peppermint is most famed for its use in relieving stomach problems. Peppermint can help disorders of the digestive system including gas, bloating, nausea, indigestion and cramps.

peppermint

One of my favorite ways to use dried peppermint is to make an infusion, a TEA.

It can be very soothing to the stomach, give you a little energy boost, (without the caffeine) and add flavor to other teas that are not so tasty.

I usually throw a little peppermint in with my yarrow tea to make it more palatable.

To make a tea:

  1. Add 1-2 teaspoons of dried herb to your mug. You can use a teabag, a tea straw, or I LOVE my Aberdeen PERFECT TEA MAKER.
    This makes steeping a mug of tea a SNAP! Everyone in my family has their own.
  2. Pour boiling water over the tea, cover and infuse for 1- 3 minutes. Covering the tea while steeping will keep the delicate oils from evaporating.
  3.  Enjoy!

Another way to get the benefits of peppermint is to use the essential oil.

  • Use a drop of Peppermint essential oil in water for a healthy, refreshing mouth rinse.
  • Take one to two drops in a Veggie Capsule to alleviate occasional stomach upset.
  • Add two to three drops to your favorite smoothie recipe for a refreshing twist.
  • Place one drop in the palm of your hand and inhale for a mid-day pick-me-up.
  • Add a sprig of peppermint to desserts, smoothies, or drinks as a garnish.

If you don’t have a patch or bucket of peppermint growing in your garden yet, I hope you will. Not only is it useful, smells, divine, but it is also a beautiful addition to any garden.

What is your favorite way to use peppermint?

jan3

Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

Read More

Quick And Simple Baked Potatoes In The Instant Pot

Do you ever find yourself staring into the refrigerator at 5:00 hoping some great idea will come to you as what to fix for dinner? I was doing that the other day. I could see all this food but nothing was coming to me. Then I remembered how yummy the baked potatoes tasted when I was on my detox, and how quick they were to make up in.So I pulled out my trusty pressure cooker and gathered some produce I had kicking around in the fridge. This is what I came up with. Quick and easy baked potatoes in the Instant Pot, steamed mixed vegetables, sliced cucumbers with lemon, bell pepper slices, a little green salad and sauteed mushrooms.

Just so you know, all of my meals do not turn out this vegetably. I am working on eating more vegetables and sometimes I do good and other times not so great. This was a pleasant meal, even with all the veggies. The best part was that I didn’t have to spend the whole night cooking. I know you have heard this before, but I am going to tell you again. I LOVE MY INSTANT POT!

I am sure you can do this in a regular pressure cooker, but the Instant Pot makes it so much easier. I don’t have to sit and baby sit it. I used it two times while cooking this meal. I will show you what I did.

HOW TO USE THE INSTANT POT TO MAKE BAKED POTATOES

1- Wash potatoes

2- Place 1 cup water in the bottom of the Instant Pot pan

3- Put a steamer basket in

4- Place the potatoes in the pan

5- Close the lid and flip the pressure valve to steam

6- Turn it on and press MANUAL

7- Manually adjust time down to 14 minutes

It takes 20-25 minutes total with the natural pressure release.

8-Leave it alone and go start working on something else

9- When the timer beeps, just leave it alone and let the pressure release naturally. (about 10 minutes)

After the potatoes were finished, I took them out and placed them in a casserole dish and covered them with tinfoil to keep them warm while I steamed the mixed vegetables.

I like the frozen organic mixed vegetables and the frozen broccoli that Costco sales.

I used the instant pot again to steam the mixed veggies.

1-Make sure you have at least 1 cup of water in the bottom and set to steam.

2-Adjust timer to 3-4 minutes depending on how cooked you like them.

3-When the timer goes off, flip the pressure valve to quick release and wait till steam has stopped.

4-Remove the lid. The pressure cooker will stay on a warm setting until you turn it off.

There you have it, a QUICK, EASY, TASTY, and HEALTHY meal.

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