Summer Favorites

Caesar Salad with Creamy Caesar Dressing

Ingredients

  • Romaine lettuce to make 4 salads (leaves only and broken into pieces)
  • 1/4 c. freshly-grated Parmesan cheese (or Parmigiano-Reggiano), divided (2 Tbls. + 2 Tbls.)
  • coarsely-ground black pepper
  • sliced mushrooms, optional
  • sliced black olives, optional
  • day old artisan bread (Italian or French), diced into 3/4 inch cubes.

Dressing

  • 1 to 2 t. finely-chopped garlic (1 to 2 medium cloves)
  • 1 to 2 anchovy fillets, mashed or 1/2 to 1 t. anchovy paste (good-quality Spanish or Portuguese anchovies) - see note
  • Pinch of coarse salt
  • 2 Tbls. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 drops Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 c. low-fat mayonnaise (with olive oil)
  • 5 Tbls. extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Dressing: In a bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy, and salt until blended. Whisk in the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in the mayonnaise until the mixture is thick, approximately 1 minute. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil with one hand while vigorously whisking the mixture with the other. If you prefer the dressing to be a little thinner, add a little water to thin.

When the dressing is well combined, whisk in 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese.

Homemade Croutons: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Trim the crust from day-old peasant-style bread (Italian or French bread) and dice into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss with enough olive oil to coat, but not drench. Sprinkle lightly with salt and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until just golden brown. Halfway through the baking time, give the pan a shake to make sure the croutons toast evenly. Remove from oven and completely cool croutons. Store in an airtight container.

To Assemble Salad: Separate the Romaine leaves and discard the coarse outer leaves. Wash, drain, and pat with paper towels or spin dry the remaining leaves. Note: Lettuce should be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use. Tear into bite-size pieces and set aside.

In a large salad bowl, add 1/4 of the prepared Caesar Salad Dressing and toss with the croutons until well coated.

Add the Romaine lettuce pieces and some more dressing coating to your likeness. Add sliced mushroom and black olives if you prefer, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese and course black pepper.

NOTE: Serves 4

You can freeze the leftover anchovy paste. Just thaw to reuse another time.