Hi everyone! My lettuce is officially out of control, so it will be salads for the next few days.
Here are a few of my go-to dressings:
Basic Vinaigrette
3 parts oil
1 part vinegar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp fresh cracked pepper
I usually use extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. To change it up, you can add some minced garlic, minced ginger, or any chopped fresh herbs you like. Adding honey or sugar will sweeten it and keep it from being too acidic, or add some Dijon mustard, which will round out the flavor and help emulsify the oil and vinegar. Using balsamic vinegar also adds a touch of sweetness.
You can also make an Asian-type dressing using 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp sugar. For a Latin spin, you can use 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lime juice, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper and a small clove of garlic, minced.
For all the recipes, just put all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk. However, I usually just put everything in a mason jar and shake until it’s all together. I’m sure I’ll be using each of these dressings in the next week or 2.
However, I was at the grocery store, and the romaine lettuce looked spectacular, and I knew I had to have a Caesar salad that night. And not just any Caesar salad, but my husband’s Garlicky Caesar Salad. It’s pretty much a traditional Caesar, but with a ton of garlic. You wouldn’t want to be the only person in the house eating the salad. Everyone needs to have the garlic breath.
This is a really quick and easy meal, and it has plenty of protein from the anchovies, egg and cheese, so you don’t need to add any meat, although chicken works quite well on it. Steeping the garlic in the olive oil helps to distribute the garlickiness throughout the lettuce leaves, so each bite is sharp and garlicky. You don’t need to add additional salt, as the cheese supplies all the saltiness needed.
Caesar Salad
Ingredients:
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 head of romaine lettuce
Fresh cracked pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1-minute egg
6 anchovy filets, minced
½ cup grated parmesan
Instructions:
Mince the garlic and let it steep in the olive oil for 1-2 hours.
Rinse the romaine leaves and let them dry on paper towels.
Tear the romaine leaves into bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl.
Crack the pepper over the lettuce leaves. Pour in the olive oil and garlic and toss to coat. Pour the olive oil and garlic onto the lettuce, and toss to coat. Add the lemon juice and 1-minute egg to the lettuce and toss to coat. Add the minced anchovy filets and toss so they spread around the lettuce and don’t clump together. Add the parmesan cheese and toss to distribute evenly.
