Terrapin Ridge Farms

Terrapin Ridge Farms — makers of gourmets sauces, spreads, dips, and dressings — recently sent me a few sample bottles of their new vegan vinaigrettes and one of their sauces. Although Terrapin Ridge Farms is not a totally vegan company, they offer a number of vegan sauce and dressing options. And they proudly display the word "vegan" on the bottles of their animal-free products.

The new line of vegan vinaigrettes are agave-sweetened and low-calorie. There's Garlic & Herb Vinaigrette, Toasted Sesame & Ginger Vinaigrette, and Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette. And they also threw in a Roasted Pineapple Habanero Sauce!

The Garlic & Herb Vinaigrette has big chunks of garlic floating in it, and as garlic lover, that made me very happy. But even if you're not the kind of person who likes chunks of garlic in your dressing, you'll still like this because the garlic isn't overpowering. It's almost tastes pickled, probably from the vinegar in the dressing, making it very mild. And the rest of the ingredients are so simple —apple cider vinegar, water, agave nectar, fresh garlic, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, xanthan gum, spice. That's it! Plus, it's only five calories per tablespoon since it's oil-free. I tried it on a Romaine Salad with Carrots, Fresh Corn, and Wayfare Bacony Bits.

The Toasted Sesame & Ginger is probably my favorite dressing of the three. There are sesame seeds in the dressing, and it's very gingery. It's also oil-free and low-cal. And it's perfect for side salads served with Asian-inspired dinners. I tried it on a Romaine Salad with Carrots, Green Onion, and Toasted Sesame Seeds.

Of course, you can use the vinaigrettes for things besides salads! The Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette is similar to a honey mustard dressing, but it is sweetened with agave instead. It's great on salad, but I really enjoyed using it as a dipping sauce too. I mixed a bit of the vinaigrette with vegan Just Mayo and used it as a dip for Simple Truth Organic Meatless Chicken Tenders.

The Roasted Pineapple & Habanero Sauce is AMAZING! It's a sweet and sour sauce with a kick of spice. I love all things spicy, especially habaneros. They're a perfect complement to the sweet, sticky pineapple puree. But don't worry, spice-a-phobes. It's not super hot. Just mildly spicy. Anyway, the bottle suggests pouring it over cream cheese. And that sounded like a great idea. So I poured the sauce over Daiya Chive & Onion Cream Cheese spread over Wasa Crisp 'n' Light Crackers. Just perfect! Later, I did the same thing over bagels. I've always been a fan of pepper jelly and cream cheese, and this has that same sweet/spicy/creamy quality. I think this sauce would also be a good dip for tortilla chips.

Terrapin Ridge Farms sells their sauces online, and they run anywhere from $5 to $12 depending on the sauce. There are plenty of other vegan options, including their own version of Sriracha, Key Lime Margarita Dip Mix, Sweet Beet & Horseradish Mustard, Garam Masala Stoneground Mustard, Balsamic Garlic & Herb Jam, Roasted Garlic & Poblano Salsa, and more!