Steve's Ranch Dressing

I make my own fat-free ranch dressing, I use it as a dip, a dressing, as a mayo substitute in sandwiches and wraps, and lots of other things. I make two pints at a time! Rather than spending $3 for a sachet of the mix every time I make a cup, I mix my own and make four times that amount for pennies.

Here's the secret recipe for "Hidden Valley"-style ranch dressing:

1/2 cup buttermilk powder (it's in the baking aisle)
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Give it a good mix, then make up into the dressing how you normally would using the real stuff. Each sachet of the real stuff weighs about an ounce, so you can see how much more you're getting for your money with this recipe. Make it a little ahead of time so the onion flakes can rehydrate.

I make a fat-free version using 1 cup 0% fat Greek Yoghurt (I use Fage) and 1/2 cup skimmed milk with the quantity of mixture shown above. You can vary the richness by substituting half-and-half for the skim, or using 2% Fat yoghurt or sour cream if you prefer. I sometimes make a spicy batch by adding a couple of turns of ground ghost chili powder or a good-sized pinch of cayenne.