I know some of you are probably trying to eat better right now, so me giving you a salad recipe counts as helping, right? I don’t know about you, but Caesar salad has become one of my favorite comfort foods. I think I could eat it nearly every day. A few years ago I had found what I thought was the best bottled dressing — a little creamy and tangy — but then I found this recipe a few weeks ago and I don’t think I will ever buy the supermarket kind again. This dressing is so easy to throw together and all of the ingredients are probably on hand except the anchovy paste, but once you buy that, you’ll have it ready at a moment’s notice, too. And before you ask, yes, anchovy paste (or anchovy fillets) is necessary for Caesar dressing. Without it, it wouldn’t be Caesar dressing 🙂
I have found that one batch of dressing will coat three hearts of Romaine and that’s how they seem to come packaged at the grocery store. I cut the end off each head, slice it in half longways, then cut it crossways into bite size pieces — a quick wash and you have fresh salad greens in less than 5 minutes. No more bagged lettuce either 🙂
Of course this salad is a great start to your meal but it also makes a delicious light entrée. We topped it with leftover rotisserie chicken for a quick weeknight meal and my (teenage) stepson ate almost an entire serving bowl portion by himself.
I know I mentioned another sewing project from my New Year’s holiday sewing marathon and I promise it’s coming up next, but I felt it would have been bad manners of me to keep yammering on about sewing and not give you a little something to eat. I’ll be back later this week with a post on my other recent sewing victory as well as what’s on my sewing table right now. Have a great Monday!
Caesar Salad Dressing
Yield: 1 1/3 cups
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (found near the tuna fish in the supermarket)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add the mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper and whisk until well combined. Serve immediately with Romaine lettuce, shave Parmesan, and crispy croutons, or keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Adapted from Once Upon a Chef.
Susie Homemaker, MD 
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