Allergy Friendly Ranch Dressing Recipe (Free of Corn, Gluten, Dairy, Soy and Sugar)

    About that ranch dressing tease back in March. . .

    Here's the recipe.  I would say it's allergy free except that there are some people who are allergic to coconut. I think I would probably be completely bald from tearing my hair out right now if that were the case for my daughter, because coconut has literally been a godsend for her nutritionally and made my life a little easier as far as cooking for her goes.

    This literally came to me in the middle of the night in a lightbulb moment kind of thing, and I was so stoked that it worked!

    What you need:

*1 can whole coconut milk with guar gum added (NOT lite!!! Thai Kitchen adds guar gum; there are some others as well)

*1-1 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (Bragg's)--gives the tang you would normally get with buttermilk

*1 tsp. salt (I use Redmond's RealSalt or Himalayan pink most of the time)

*1/8 tsp. black pepper

*1 1/4-1 1/2 T  onion powder or equivalent green onion, sliced very thin and chopped finely

*3/4-1 T dried parsley

*1-1 1/2 T dill

    Refrigerate the can of coconut milk overnight.  The solids will rise and solidify at the top and you can just scoop it out.  Reserve the leftover liquid (I use a cup with a lid on it) in the fridge to use in cooking.  Add all the ingredients and whisk well; let sit for at least a couple of hours to allow all the flavors to infuse--best if you make it in the morning and use it at dinner.  Adjust the spices to your liking; I prefer the lesser amount of parsley and more dill.  If you feel like you need to thin it out a little, use some of the leftover liquid, a little bit at a time.

    The first time I made it, Brittany said, "No way is this legal for me to eat!"  Best compliment ever. :)

    If you can't find canned coconut milk with guar gum added, you can buy regular WHOLE coconut milk (again, don't do lite) and add 1/2 tsp. guar gum in with the rest of the ingredients; you'll just need to let it sit for a couple of days to thicken.

    *A word about guar gum--for some people it has been known to cause bloating, and we figured out a few months ago that it was doing it to Brittany.  I haven't made this since then, but if it doesn't bother you, celebrate and enjoy!  All of a sudden we wanted salad all the time. :)