Keeping it healthy as well as delicious is always the general rule of thumb. Avoiding things like mayonnaise, sour cream and heavy creams can be done easily by simply switching to a good organic whole Greek yogurt.
Another great base that our family loves is creaming up some fresh avocados. I first got the idea with the avocados from a recipe that our garden friend Mike Lieberman was using on his Urban Organic Gardener blog. He was preparing a healthy garlic dressing that packed a powerful punch!
By using your culinary herbs with a healthy base you can create some wonderful combinations. Adding things like garlic, onions, lemons and limes will add plenty of zest.
Whether you are going for a dressing or a dip is really just a matter of thickness. Thinning may just be a matter of adding a little extra virgin olive oil and perhaps a little extra lemon or lime juice. Depending on what I’m aiming for I might even add a little squirt of organic milk.
By using your culinary herbs with a healthy base you can create some wonderful combinations. Adding things like garlic, onions, lemons and limes will add plenty of zest.
Whether you are going for a dressing or a dip is really just a matter of thickness. Thinning may just be a matter of adding a little extra virgin olive oil and perhaps a little extra lemon or lime juice. Depending on what I’m aiming for I might even add a little squirt of organic milk.
The herbs used for my Avocado based dressing were Cinnamon Basil, Cuban Oregano, Lemon Grass and Rosemary. The amount of herbs you use will vary on your own personal tastes. Just have fun and experiment a little.
The same will hold true for how many garlic cloves you use, but you really don’t want to leave the garlic out. It seems to pull the whole recipe together. Try starting out with at least 2 cloves, because you can always add more during your taste test.
It’s a wonderful and exciting world of herbs! Once you have the basics down you really should try some of the other varieties. Oregano comes in several forms, each with a little different flavor. There is Greek Oregano, Mexican Oregano and Cuban Oregano just to name a few.
Herbs with lemon flavors are always a great addition to salad dressings and dips. Keep in mind herbs such as Lemon Basil, Lemon Thyme, Lemon Grass, Lemon Verbena and Lemon Balm.
Aside from salad dressing, try this recipe as a dip with some of your favorite fresh vegetables. We found it extremely delicious with some sticks of zucchini and patty-pan squash and even mushrooms rolled in a little batter and fried as an appetizer.
The same will hold true for how many garlic cloves you use, but you really don’t want to leave the garlic out. It seems to pull the whole recipe together. Try starting out with at least 2 cloves, because you can always add more during your taste test.
It’s a wonderful and exciting world of herbs! Once you have the basics down you really should try some of the other varieties. Oregano comes in several forms, each with a little different flavor. There is Greek Oregano, Mexican Oregano and Cuban Oregano just to name a few.
Herbs with lemon flavors are always a great addition to salad dressings and dips. Keep in mind herbs such as Lemon Basil, Lemon Thyme, Lemon Grass, Lemon Verbena and Lemon Balm.
Aside from salad dressing, try this recipe as a dip with some of your favorite fresh vegetables. We found it extremely delicious with some sticks of zucchini and patty-pan squash and even mushrooms rolled in a little batter and fried as an appetizer.
Ingredients
2 Avocados
2 or 3 Garlic Cloves
2 to 3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large Juicy Lemon, squeezed (Lime may be substituted)
Fresh Herbs (Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary)
Sea Salt or Kosher Salt to taste
Organic Milk (Optional)
Whole Greek Yogurt (Optional)
Instructions
- Scoop out the avocado and add to the food processor. Drizzle in the Olive Oil. Peel and diced garlic, toss it in. For the herbs remove leaves from stems. Squeeze in lemon juice and add your herbs and salt. Whip it all together and taste it for adjusting to your personal preferences. To thin it down simply add a little milk or thinned yogurt a little at a time until you get the desired consistency. You may enjoy a little extra lemon juice for thinning or additional yogurt for extra creaminess.
Happy Gardening!
Pammy
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