Pesto Ranch Dressing

I love everything that has pesto included in it. The herbs give such a fresh taste to food and the scent is heavenly. A while ago I tried a pesto ranch dressing at a restaurant and I fell in love with itl. So I tried making some myself. Easy peasy!

Pesto Ranch Dressing:

1 cup light mayo
1 cup skim milk
1 pkg. of Hidden Valley Ranch Mix
2 TBL basil pesto

Whisk all the ingredients together and refrigerate until it thickens.

For 2 tablespoons of dressing: 54 calories, 2g fat, 3.8g carbs, 1g protein

This dressing is so yummy on salad, but that's not the only use I have for it. Tomorrow I'll share another use for this deliciousness...

Low Carb Teriyaki Sauce

I'm starting to get excited when I can come up with a substitute condiment, like the low carb barbecue sauce. It's great to have it in the fridge and handy for when I need to throw a quick meal together.

And now I have another good one!

YAY!!

Sweet with a subtle kick...mmm...

Teriyaki Sauce: (LOW CARB/LOW FAT)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar

1/2 tsp. crushed garlic (I use Christopher Ranch brand bottled crushed garlic. It's handy to have on...hand)

1/2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger (I keep peeled fresh garlic in my freezer because I use it often and use a zester to grate it into the sauce)

fresh ground pepper to taste

1 TBL flour

1 TBL cold water

Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and pepper in a small sauce pan. Bring to a bowl and then turn down to a simmer. In a separate bowl, mix cold water and flour. Whisk into the sauce and cook a few minutes until it thickens.

For 2 tablespoons of sauce: 35 calories, 0g fat, 6.5g carbs, 1g protein



Low Carb Barbecue Sauce

I love barbecue.

Ribs, chicken, pork, beef...I may have been born on the east coast and raised on the west coast, but I must have a little southern in me somewhere, because I love/crave southern food.

But barbecue sauce has a lot of sugar and a lot of carbs.

I looked at the nutritional facts on my favorite barbecue sauce and it was 15g of carbs for 2 tablespoons. That's better then some, but still too high for the amount you're getting. I tried a barbecue sauce in a diabetic cookbook, and although the sauce was good and my kids ate it, it didn't even taste like real barbecue sauce. So I took matters into my own hands.

 I like my barbecue sauce savory, a little sweet, and a little spicy. And that is just how this sauce turned out. Perfect for barbecue chicken, ribs, ANY kind of meat, or for baked beans. And there's less then half the amount of carbs per serving.

 I made a double batch and poured it into a mason jar to store in my fridge.

Low Carb Barbecue Sauce: (LOW CARB/LOW FAT)
makes about 1 1/2 cups of sauce

1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar
2 TBL Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. ground mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. chipotle chile pepper (adjust to your heat level desires)
fresh ground pepper and kosher salt to taste

Add all ingredients into a medium sauce pan and heat over low heat, stirring frequently.
Baste meat, use in a recipe or store in the refrigerator for later.

For 2 tablespoons: 36 calories, 0g fat, 7g carbs, 0g protein

Go barbecue something...