Chipotle Ranch Salad Dressing or Dip

I was looking for a great low calorie, low fat, Ranch Dressing I could make without using the typical Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix as the base. I needed something I could make from scratch, using basic ingredients readily found in Costa Rica. I finally gave up my search and concocted this recipe. I first served it to my official taster, John, and he loved it. Next, I served it to 3 of the grandkids, ages 6 through 11, and they thought it was the best too. It has just enough heat to spark the appetite.

Ingredients:
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, or 3/4 cup nonfat Greek style yogurt
2/3 cup lowfat milk
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoon extra light olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon or Deli mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons of granulated Splenda (or 1 Splenda packet)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1 dried chipotle pepper

Directions:
If using plain yogurt, place it in a strainer lined with a paper towel and place the strainer over a bowl. Let the yogurt drain and thicken for about 20 minutes.

Re-hydrate the chipotle pepper in warm water for 10 minutes. Remove the seeds and stem. Mince the pepper very fine.

In a medium bowl, combine the strained or Greek-style yogurt and all the rest of the ingredients. Chill for about an hour before serving. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Serving suggestions:
This is great on a grilled chicken salad, tossed salad, or as a vegetable dip.

If you want just a basic ranch salad dressing, leave out the chipotle pepper.

Yield: 2.5 Cups / 18 Servings

Nutritional Information:
Per Serving: 36 Calories; 2g Fat (55.6% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 160mg Sodium.