Homemade Caesar Dressing

I know it will sound really, really boring to a lot of people – but I love a good caesar salad. A good caesar dressing contains many of my favorite things: garlic, parmesan cheese, lots of acidity (lemon juice and vinegar), and a good bit of salt (from salt itself, and also salty anchovies). A few years ago I started making my own caesar dressing, and despite the fact that I often forget about it for long stretches of time, it’s one of my very favorite things to make. A giant pile of romaine, topped with garlicky homemade croutons, big shavings of parmesan cheese, and delicious caesar dressing? Yes, please!

Homemade Caesar Dressing
makes about 1 – 1.5 cup

1 T anchovy paste*
2 T whole grain mustard
2 t worcestershire sauce
2 cloves of garlic
2-3 T red wine vinegar
juice of one lemon
zest of half a lemon
1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
healthy pinch of salt
lots of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

*Do not be afraid of anchovy paste. It is not fishy in the least, and it just adds a nice salty nuttiness to the dressing (this is coming from someone who hates anything even REMOTELY fishy). You can buy it in a tube, near the canned tomato products – it’ll usually be alongside tomato paste in a tube, crushed garlic in a tube, etc. Just do it, and thank me later.

Add all ingredients (except olive oil) to a blender (or a tall cup, if you’re using an immersion blender). Blend until everything is well-combined (scrape down the sides, and make sure all the garlic has been blended), about a minute.

With the blender (regular or immersion) running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Once it’s all been added, give the dressing a taste to check for seasoning. Adjust as necessary, and blend once more.

Toss with chopped romaine, croutons of your choice, some shavings of parmesan cheese, and some grilled chicken if you’re making a meal out of it. Enjoy! (This dressing will last in the fridge, in an airtight container, for about a week.)

I realize anchovies look creepy, but they TASTE delicious,
Tina

warm potato salad with goat cheese.

Happy (rainy) Tuesday!

Matt and I have been patting ourselves on the back for the good meals we made this weekend. I’m lucky in that my husband loves to cook when he has time, and so we spent Saturday and Sunday nights each making a component for supper. It’s fun for us, though it does throw off our whole “you cook, I clean up” rule. On Saturday night, he cooked some chicken halves he’d had marinating since Friday and let me tell you, that boy can cook a barbecue chicken. Look at them!

I’d tell you how he did them but he won’t even tell me his secrets (though it does involve a Pee Dee bbq sauce most of you couldn’t find anyhow). Anyway, it was my job to make the sides and so I pulled out a recipe I’ve had pinned for ages and lo, it was a winner. A Make This Now sort of potato salad. I will say too, I had some the next day and it was just as good cold. Matt was shocked this potato salad didn’t have any mayonnaise in it; it was just as creamy and thick as if it did!

Warm Potato Salad with Goat Cheese.
via Martha Stewart

2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed well and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp white wine vinegar (I used champagne vinegar because I was out of white wine vinegar)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 ounces crumbled goat cheese (1/2 cup)
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, optional

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Season liberally with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overcook (easy to do if distracted). Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon cooking liquid. Let potatoes cool for 5-10 minutes.

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, and reserved cooking liquid. Add oil slowly, whisking constantly until emulsified.

Transfer potatoes to a bowl, and toss with vinaigrette. Gently stir in goat cheese, celery, shallot, and parsley if using. Season with salt and pepper.

Do you cook with your significant other? Am I in the minority?
jcristg

strawberry spinach salad with poppy seed vidalia dressing.

After a rather tumultuous few weeks, I finally got back in the kitchen this weekend. Surprisingly, I had some good success with the new dishes I tried… and I want to kick the week off here with this delicious salad. The original recipe just called for the spinach, strawberries and walnuts, but goat cheese was an obvious addition. Beware that this dressing does not keep very well, so I’d use it up within the first 2 or 3 days.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Vidalia Dressing.
adapted from Washington’s Green Grocer

Spinach
Strawberries, quartered
Toasted walnuts or pecans
Goat cheese

Dressing:
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
½ minced Vidalia onion
½ teaspoon poppy seeds
¼ cup sugar
salt, to taste

Mix dressing in a mason jar. Combine salad ingredients in a medium bowl, and toss to coat with desired amount of dressing.

I’m so glad berries are back in season,
jcristg

PS: Are you on instagram? Find us there @thedoughwillriseagain!

roasted sweet potato salad with chutney vinaigrette.

Thanksgiving is coming, did you hear? As I’m sure I’ve noted in the past, it’s not my favorite holiday – and I could do without the inundation of all things pumpkin (sorry, Tina) and the constant discussion of turkey. While I love the dressing and the sweet potato casserole and whichever type of salad Mammy makes, I could really take or leave the rest of it. Thanksgiving, for me, mostly means that I can finally justify dragging Matt to get a tree, and we can get to decorating for Christmas.

That said, I know a lot of you love Thanksgiving and everyone’s always looking for new ways to change up the same old vegetables. And though I’m not sure why anyone would want to stray from your typical, delicious sweet potato casserole (with marshmallows, duh), this roasted sweet potato salad might be just what you’re looking for. It’s FANTASTIC. Just don’t overcook the sweet potatoes… which I did.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Chutney Vinaigrette.
via Serious Eats

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2-1/2 tbsp mango chutney
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with cooking spray. Toss sweet potatoes, oil, salt, cumin and ginger directly on sheet. Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not overcook. When they are tender, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine balsamic, chutney, dijon, honey and garlic. Whisk in olive oil to form a dressing.

In a serving bowl toss sweet potatoes, scallions, cherries and dressing. Serve.

The original recipe calls for almonds and dried cranberries. Naturally, I left out the almonds and replaced the cranberries with cherries. Suit yourself! And I have full intention of fiddling with the dressing to pour over actual salads, such was my love for this.

Gobble gobble,
jcristg