Caesar Salad

There are several varieties of Caesar Salad dressings but I have found that this one is liked by anyone who has eaten it.  My daughter and I developed it together and it is still a family favourite.

Instead of raw or coddled egg, this recipe uses mayonnaise.  This avoids the risk of contamination by salmonella.

Get out a medium-sized bowl
Add in this order:
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed or smashed into a bowl
1-2 anchovies (or anchovy paste) pressed or smashed into the garlic in the bowl.
A touch of cayenne pepper or a dash of Tobasco, mashed into the garlic and anchovies
Two shakes of Worcestershire sauce (and YES, I had to take out the bottle to spell that!)
Smash it all together and then mix in an egg-sized blob of Best Foods (or Hellman's) mayonnaise (It is not sweet)
Mix well and then add the juice of one lemon.
Add some olive oil, mixing as you go until you get the desired consistency.
Taste and then add salt and freshly cracked pepper until you like what you have.

*Now...some people do not mix dairy and fish. Some only have this rule for liquid dairy and fish - if you allow cheese and fish, then add some freshly shaved Parmesean cheese. I do.

Wash cos/romaine lettuce three times, checking carefully for insects. Tear into salad-sized pieces. Towel dry or put in a salad spinner. Chill.

When serving, add salad greens to the bowl of dressing. Place on cold plates and top with croutons and Parmesean cheese (optional) for serving.

This should make enough dressing for 2 LARGE main-dish salads.

I usually make twice this much so I can have some for lunch the next day. I only use dressing and croutons on the portion I will immediately consume. That way everything stays crisp.

Enjoy.

K (P) or (D) 

Green Goddess Dressing

This home-made salad dressing DOES NOT taste a bit like anything you can buy in a shop.  It is fantastic on a mixed green salad but if you are also having fish, it makes a good sauce for this as well.  For some reason, I find it goes really well with fish. Try a dollup of this on top of fresh grilled or pan-fried salmon.  You will be surprised.

I use a magic bullet.  You can also use a food processor or blender or even mix it in a bowl.  Let it stand in the refrigerator for a few hours at least.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup Mayonnaise - I use Best Foods or Hellmans as it is a kosher brand.  Any non-sweet mayo will do
1/4    cup sour cream (or non-dairy sour cream substitute)
3-6    Anchovy fillets, mashed or put through a garlic press (this is how I do it)
1-2    cloves garlic, put through a garlic press or minced and mashed
3       Tablespoons minced fresh tarragon leaves (or 1-1/2 dried tarragon soaked in a bit of vinegar)
2       Tablespoons minced fresh chives or spring onions (scallions)
1       Tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1/8    cup vinegar (red wine)


Method:

Combine all ingredients in a jar (or magic bullet, food processor or blender) and mix thoroughly.  Should stay fresh for and delicious for several days if covered well and stored in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 Cups - this recipe can be halved. 

k (D) or Pareve if you can find a suitable non-dairy sour cream substitute

Spinach Salad in Parmesean Frico Cups

This is a both a pretty and a delicious salad - refreshing and very easy to serve.  Kids especially love it as they enjoy the parmesean cups being part of the salad as well as the little salad bowl.  The salad dressing can be made early in the morning and taken out about 10 minutes before serving as the olive oil will partially solidify in the refrigerator.

You can make the parmesean frico cups the day before if you have a cool, dry place in which to keep them so they do not pick up moisture.

The toasted nuts add a wonderful dimension to the salad.  If you are not a nut eater, then fried chinese-style noodles can be used and are quite good as well.  Tiny homemade croutons can be added if you have some leftover bread.  Be sure and make them small so the size will be in proportion to the little salads.

Ingredients
For the Parmesan Frico Cups:

• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan 

For the Citrus Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•  One small clove of garlic,crushed (optional - but wonderful!)

For the Spinach Salad:

• 6 ounces baby English spinach leaves (about 6 cups)
• 1 orange, cut into segments (I use fresh mandarins)
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted ( I use toasted pecans - walnuts are nice too)
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (the flatter-shaped red onion 'seem' milder and I use these)

 

• Special equipment: a silpat mat, a muffin tin, and a small drinking glass
• (I hear that some less-expensive silicone baking mats work well - I have not tried this)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the Parmesan Frico Cups:
Place a silpat mat on a baking sheet. Place 6 (1/4-cup) mounds of Parmesan cheese on the mat and gently tap down until each mound is flat and 4 1/2 to 5 inches in diameter.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Watch carefully as they can go from perfect to a bit too brown quickly.

Working quickly, use a thin spatula to transfer the Parmesan Frico to a muffin tin. Gently place a small drinking glass on top of the Parmesan Frico to mold it into the shape 1 of the muffin cups. Let cool until firm, about 5 minutes. Continue with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

For the Citrus Vinaigrette:
Combine all the ingredients in a jar or a tight-sealing plastic container. Shake to blend. Taste.  If you think it needs a bit more honey or salt or even a few drops of balsamic vinegar, now is the time to adjust the dressing to your taste.  Refrigerate until 10 minutes before ready to use.

For the Spinach Salad:
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to combine. Divide the salad among the Parmesan Frico Cups and serve immediately.

Kosher for Pesach if ingredients are chosen with care. (omit croutons, fried noodles, etc)

K (D)