Low-Fat Ranch Dressing

By Michelle

Low-Fat Ranch Dressing

   I make all of my dressings low-fat unless I am dressing a salad quickly in the serving bowl with a splash of good olive oil, a zing of vinegar, salt, pepper and fresh herbs. I don't recall the source for this recipe. The roasted garlic adds depth of flavor.

1 head garlic, roasted
3/4 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbsps white wine vinegar
1/4 cup buttermilk and more to thin, if necessary
1 Tbsp fresh dill, minced or 1 teaspoon dried
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp Tobasco


Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Keeping the head of garlic intact, remove the excess papery skin from the perimeter. Slice about 1/2 inch off the top of the garlic head. With a paring knife, cut off the tops of the rest of the cloves along the outside edge. Place the garlic on a square of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons water or about one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Bring the edges of the foil together, shaped like a pyramid, and pinch to seal.
2. Roast until the cloves are very soft and slightly browned, 60-70 minutes. Unwrap and let cool slightly.
3. In a blender, add cloves of roasted garlic (squeeze the cloves out of the skins into the container of a blender or coax out with a table knife), discard the skins. Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or covered container. Add buttermilk, while stirring, until the desired consistency is reached. Add dill and parsley. Stir again. Refrigerate. Will keep for about a week.