~The Classic Caesar Salad ~ as Veg as it gets!

Classic Caesar Salad, the vegetarian way~

Trust me with this dressing recipe, you would never miss the anchovies! (Wait a minute, you did know that the regular Caesar salad dressing contained fish right!!!)

Serves 2-3 as a main course salad; can be multiplied.

Ingredients~
For the dressing:
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup plain hung yogurt
1/4 cup grated romano cheese (or substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper

For the salad:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 cups cubed crusty bread, from a baguette (cut into large, 1-1/2 inch cubes)
6 cups roughly torn lettuce leaves (Romaine, red leaf, etc.)
3 Tbsp kalamata olives and cherry tomatoes (optional)
Parmagiano for extra sprinkling.

Method~
In a blender, combine all ingredients for the dressing, and blend until the garlic is chopped and incorporated with the rest of the ingredients. Set aside.

In a small nonstick frying pan, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil over low-medium heat. Toast the bread cubes, until lightly browned on all sides but still soft in the center, approximately 3-4 minutes. Shake the pan frequently to make sure the cubes are browning evenly.

Set out a large mixing bowl. Add the lettuce, olives, and toasted bread cubes. Pour in the salad dressing, a bit at a time, and mix well but gently after each addition. You might not use all of the dressing; just make sure the salad greens don't drown in the dressing. 

Serve immediately with a sprinkle of Parmagiano! :)

When life gives you Watermelon~ grill it!

Watermelon is hands-down my favorite fruit!! I don’t particularly need a summer to enjoy this delicious, fleshy, thirst quenching, delightfully red fruit.  But I do enjoy it the most in the scorching months of summer.  A large amount of my summery lunches are often replaced by a bowl full of this succulent fruit, evening tea is substituted with Watermelon juice and desert at night is the most satisfying Watermelon Sorbet! J  

The juicy nature and bright contrasting colors, automatically makes it a star attraction at every BBQ!! But have you ever thrown it on the grill?? Who knew that this gorgeous fruit had the capacity to turn into a lightly caramelized wonder, just when slightly grilled! It’s hot on the outside but jumping with goodness within.  Combine it with a salty cheese like Feta or Goat Cheese, a few greens and you have created yourself a Gourmet delight!

My favorite Watermelon Salad combinations are~

• Watermelon balls, tossed with finely chopped Mint leaves and Crumbled Feta Cheese.
• Watermelon cubes on a skewer, alternated with Paneer and Pineapple, sprinkled with Chaat Masala.
• Grilled Watermelon filets on a bed of Watercress, topped with crumbled Goat Cheese and drizzled with a reduction of Honey Balsamic Vinegar. 
• Small cubes or balls of watermelon combined with torn up Iceberg Lettuce, Blue Cheese (if you prefer), Roasted Walnuts and a dressing with Extra Virgin Olive oil and Red Wine Vinegar. 

Last evening I grilled again and actually had to combine a lot of the above ideas into one salad!  I had Iceberg Lettuce and Feta and Balsamic Vinegar and Honey.  It still turned out as succulently delicious as I had anticipated it to be.  Here’s the recipe~

Grilled Watermelon Salad

Ingredients:

1 small seedless watermelon, cut into 8 square slices (less than 2.5 kgs, about 5 lbs.)
2 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
1 small Iceberg Lettuce, hand torn
¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp Honey
1 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Mint leaves to garnish

Method:

1. Preheat grill.
2. Brush watermelon slices with oil.  Season with salt and pepper. Grill watermelon 1-2 minutes on each side.
3. In a small sauce pan reduce balsamic vinegar until its half its quantity, add honey and heat until bubbly.  Set aside to cool.  
4. In a medium bowl, toss lettuce with vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
5. To assemble, layer a bed of lettuce leaves, top with grilled watermelon, sprinkle each grilled watermelon slice with feta cheese. Drizzle some more honey balsamic vinegar and garnish with mint leaves. Enjoy :)

My next recipe adventure with Watermelon is gonna be Watermelon Salsa, which I have never tasted before, but just going over the various flavors, I can already begin to feel a wave inside of me….wish me luck :)

and Happy Cooking :)