I am about to start on a new meal plan (posts about that coming soon!), so naturally I am currently going overboard on delicious and terrible for you foods. My current love affair is with buttermilk.
Buttermilk used to scare the bejeezus out of me- it’s thick and smells weird and seems old timey in a bad way. Man, I could not have been more wrong!
This creamy dairy goodness provides a tang and richness that cannot be replicated in any other way. Below are some of the ways I have used it recently; I recommend you give any of these recipes a try!
Homemade ranch dressing
Mix about 2 tablespoons of buttermilk with 6 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of chopped dill (but I like more!), dash of salt, and a dash of pepper. Whisk together adding more buttermilk or mayo to reach a creamy consistency. I used this as a spread on a sandwich and it.was.glorious.
Buttermilk Pancakes
I cheated a little on this one and that is okay- sometimes simple tweaks can make the ordinary more delicious! Using boxed pancake mix, substitute buttermilk for regular milk. Your pancakes will be fluffier and more delicious than you can imagine!
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Dice potatoes into chunks for faster cooking. Boil potatoes until fork tender; drain potatoes. In a large bowl, mash potatoes with 2 tablespoons butter, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Gently add in as much buttermilk as you like to make the potatoes creamier. Serve immediately. (Most of my potatoes didn’t make it to the plate- eating out of the bowl is 100% fine.)
Fried Okra
Slice fresh okra into rounds. Dip okra into buttermilk. Dredge wet okra in mixture of cornmeal and flour. Fry pieces until golden brown and crispy. Toss with salt as soon as the okra is out of the oil. Serve immediately.
I cannot wait to try the ranch dressing recipe and adding it to mashed potatoes! I am imagining the creamy smooth snack now ... and yes, I meant snack :-)