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Easy yet Delicious Caesar Salad Dressing for Cheats!


I have a forgetful friend who, having once tasted my Caesar Dressing asked for the recipe every few moths for several years, bless her.  I think she may have nailed it now as I haven’t had to remind her for quite a while.

Having the second half of the romaine lettuce I cooked the other day and a couple of slices of prosciutto in the fridge my sudden lunch is obvious.  I haven’t had Caesar Salad since I was last in the islands where it is a staple, due to the strong American influence (even though I lived in the British Virgin Islands!), and almost compulsory on a menu in one form or another.

I think this is a quasi cheat – I do start out making a proper Caesar dressing but then I suddenly deviate and add a good old dollop of ready made mayonnaise at the end.  I find this makes for a creamier consistency which clings to the lettuce even more deliciously than the real stuff AND there is no raw egg involved which is great if you want to keep a batch for a while or are of an infirm inclination.

Easy Caesar Dressing


1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 oz shredded Parmesan
2-3 anchovies
juice of half a lemon
dash of Worcestershire sauce
good grind of black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp mayonnaise

~   In a food processor or liquidiser blend together all the ingredients down to and including the olive oil.
~   When smooth add the mayonnaise and give it a quick whizz.
~   Taste and season but I doubt it will need anything – almost definitely not salt.


Once you’ve got this in your fridge making a great Caesar Salad is a doddle.  All you need is some salad leaves (crunchy are best, romaine/cos is traditional) and a handful of croutons . To make a meal of it top with grilled chicken or crispy bacon or, as I did, a little frazzled prosciutto (just tear up some Parma ham and fry till crisp in a little olive oil).


easy-caesar-salad

Caesar Dressing can be used in several other dishes too! 

~   Try it as a dressing on potato salad, maybe with a little more mayonnaise
~   Use as a sauce in a chicken sandwich or wrap
~   Drizzle over baked fish  
~   Mash some into baked potato
~   Use as a dipping sauce for crudités
 


The other day my friend Carol had quite a lot of leftover melon and as, like me, she doesn’t like waste so she had an inspiration … give it to me!  

I left it in the fridge for a while, forgetting about it for large stretches of time, till yesterday when I realised that I was in a use it or lose it situation.  I made a sudden sorbet.  This is what I did, it seems to have worked.

melon-sorbet-recipe

Cantaloupe & Lime Sorbet


350g coarsely chopped cantaloupe melon
90g caster sugar
zest and juice of 1 lime

~   Purée the lot all together, bung in a plastic container and freeze.
~   Every hour or two take the sorbet out of the freezer and mash it with a fork.


That’s it – if you don’t mash it you’ll have a granita which is OK too. For a lot more info on making sorbets and granitas see my very cheap and appropriately named little ebook "Sorbets & Granitas".

I had a smidgen of this as a palate cleanser, as one does, after my salad but I think it would also be good with a spoonful of ginger wine poured over it OR the same mixed in with it before freezing which would make it more softly scoopable. 


~  In Other News  ~

The Hounds of Geevor


I often see these chaps when I’m wandering round Padstow so thought I’d give them a mention. 

hunds-of-geevor

Geevor in West Penwith was one of the last deep tin mines in Cornwall and it closed in 1991. Talented recyclist David Kemp used the discarded miners’ wellies to create a pack of hounds; the Hounds of Geevor (cannus stannus geevoritii) who, rumour has it, wander the cliffs of Cornwall looking for a proper job.  (That is a Cornish joke which may not be understood by most people – sorry!)



3 comments:

debs said...

love this blog!cesar salad is my very fave and th sorbet looks very pretty, the welies are very interesting!

marla said...

Such a beautiful Caesar salad! Cookin' Canuck and I would love if you linked up this recipe & any 2 other side dishes in this weeks Get Grillin' event posted on both of our blogs.

Island Vittles said...

that is one delicious looking salad -- and quick too! Theresa