Tomato Coconut Curry Soup

Music: Cat Power, You are Free - This album is perfect for a lazy night of cooking.  As you will see in the recipe, there is a lot of down time.  I spent this time soaking in this album and enjoying Marshall's sultry voice and poetic lyrics. There's even some surprise vocals from Eddie Vedder on this album.  Anyone else into Cat Power? Any other album recommendations??

Menu: Soup topped with lime cilantro roasted chickpeas

Recently, we went out to eat at Watercourse Foods (yummm) with some super friends.  I have recently taken up this "gluten-free thing" to see if it helps with some other health issues.  As you may have inferred from the previous sentence, I'm not too thrilled about this "thing".  For those of you who know me personally, know that I love my gluten.  Possibly my most favorite food item in the whole wide world is garlic bread.  I haven't had garlic bread...in a really long time...sigh. 

So, when I had this tomato soup at Watercourse, I thought, "now this is a soup that doesn't need garlic bread!" I must say it is heart-breaking to make tomato soup with out a hunk of crunchy, garlicky bread to soak it up. A few of us at the table got this soup and we all fell in love.  So much so, that one of us asked the waiter what was in it. His response was something like, "ummm tomato, curry, and coconut milk (duh was implied)." And of course, I thought I can't wait to make this at home with whole spices to try to really boost the flavor.  That is precisely what I did!

You can see the seeds toasting: I selected cumin, coriander, fenugreek, and a touch of mustard seeds.  You can grind them in a spice or coffee grinder or have fun with your hands and do it with a mortar and pestle (courtesy of the husband for xmas!). I made my base of aromatics with the classic Indian/curry mixture - onion, chile, garlic, and ginger.  I browned the onions very deeply (this isn't a good picture, sorry!).  This is the start of all the flavor.  If you have the time, spend a good 25 minutes browning the onions.  Then add the rest of your aromatics. 

Sometimes, I use a small food processor when cooking Indian to help reduce the time chopping.  However, if I have the time, I love to chop and mince ingredients.  It's part of the reason I think cooking is so relaxing.  Many people report that running is relaxing because of the repetition of footsteps (along with many of other things...), and I think that's what cooking does for me.  Once you become comfortable in the kitchen, it is repetition, especially knife skills.  Just writing this is making my wrists ache to get back in the kitchen and do some chopping...

Anyways, back to the soup!  The crunchy cabbage really adds to the soup and is part of the reason garlic bread is not entirely necessary for this tomato soup.  That doesn't mean I wasn't aching for it the entire time I cooked this soup. I did, however, come up with the brilliant idea to top this soup with something equally as crunchy as garlic bread...roasted chickpeas! So, I took what I planned on topping the soup with, lime juice and cilantro, and tossed that with very crunchy, roasted chickpeas, for a supremely satisfying crunch.

By the way, who needs cream when you have coconut milk?!?!  The coconut milk was such a perfect addition to this soup.  It made the spicy,  flavorful tomato soup base, rich, creamy, and slightly sweet. 

Funny side story about how awesome this soup is: We had to leave for the weekend and my sister came over to dog and chicken-sit for a few days. One of the mentioned perks of pet sitting for us is that I try to leave lots of good food stocked :) So, I got a text soon after we left that went something like this, "what the hell is in the soup?!? it's rocking my world!!!!" I took it as a compliment that my rip-off of this Watercourse soup was a complete success :)

Tomato Coconut Curry Soup

Inspired by Watercourse Foods, Denver, CO

Ingredients:

• 1 TB cumin seeds
• 1 TB coriander seeds
• 1 tspn. fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tspn. brown mustard seeds
• 1 tspn. tumeric
• OR sub the whole toasted seeds for 2  - 3 TB curry powder
• Ghee or coconut oil (around 2 TB)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large serrano pepper, minced (or hot pepper of your choice)
• 5 - 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 - 1 1/2 piece of ginger, large gnarly spots, peeled, minced (I like to keep most of the skin on)
• 2 - 28 oz. cans of tomatoes (your choice of type - I think I did one crushed and one diced)
• 1 small head of cabbage, thinly sliced (I like it chunkier, but feel free to shred for a thinner result)
• 1 can coconut milk (full fat is just better)
• 1 batch of lime-cilantro roasted chickpeas

Directions:

1. Place all seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Toast for about 5 minutes, until fragrant and seeds have darkened. Remove from heat and ground spices.  You can do this by spice/coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Add tumeric and stir to combine.
2. In large dutch oven, heat ghee or oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions and  cook until brown and smelling delicious, at least 10 minutes and up to 35 minutes. 
3. Add pepper, garlic, and ginger.  Stir to incorporate and cook for 2 minutes. 
4. Add ground spices (or curry powder).  Stir to incorporate and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes.  Stir to incorporate.  Once mixture comes to a simmer, turn heat down to medium-low and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes.  You can speed this process up if on a time crunch, but the longer it simmers, the more time the flavors have to come together.  
6. Once soup has simmered for a while, add cabbage.  Stir in and let cabbage soften in soup.  If you like your cabbage still pretty crunchy, this will only take 3 minutes or so.  If you like the cabbage a bit more soft, you can allow it to simmer in the soup for up to 15 minutes.  
7. When the cabbage is done to your liking.  Turn heat off and add coconut milk.  Stir until soup is creamy and milk is completely dispersed in soup. Taste and season with S &P, if needed.
8. Top with chickpeas (or garlic bread if you are so lucky, but please don't tell me if you do...) and devour.

Beer spiked pizza dough

Music: A funky meal, deserves some funky music - "Head Hunters" by Herbie Hancock. You really should own this album. You will be whistling "Watermelon Man" for days. The opening track "Chameleon" features one of the funkiest grooves ever laid down with it's driving, catchy bass line. Put this album on and try not to dance. I dare you. To accompany a true meal "for the people" this music defines the same and sure to get the night started right. If you enjoy a little funk in your meal and music, you cannot possibly go wrong here!

Menu: Pizza. And beer. Obviously.

Okay, pizza and beer are the classic duo, right? Right. How on earth is this not more popular?? Beer spiked pizza dough!!! I mean beer has the sweetness and flavor to stand up in a pizza dough. And even more so with a nice whole wheat crust. So, when I came across this brilliant recipe, I thought, I have to make it Colorado style...with Fat Tire! Look at that sexy bottle. I found this recipe a few weeks back and got so excited about it I made the husband read it. And when he came home the night I was making it, I refused his entry into the kitchen until this wonderful creation was finished. It was one of those meals that you're so proud of that you just want to show it off. Yea, pretty much how I felt about that. It made wonderful leftovers the next day too :)

The beer workin' the yeast. Again, it's a perfect duo.  The beer provides sugar and flavor for the base.

 The end result provided a slightly tangy, dark, rich dough.  Here it is rolled out to perfection. "Chameleon" was rockin' on the speakers, while I was rollin' the dough. Okay that was way cheesy, but really, it was a perfect moment. And here come the layers...No sauce needed.

 

Just a nice layer of good EVOO, freshly mined garlic (lots), crushed red pepper, and slices of fresh basil.  

These become these...

Overgrown, gi-normous roasted beets become the sweet, flavorful, meaty next layer...

Topped with thin slices of spinach, lots of feta, and the cutest yellow pear tomatoes halved...

And viola! Beer spiked pizza dough with fresh veggies from the farm!

Beer Spiked Pizza Dough

Adapted from The Chubby Vegetarian via Edible Memphis

Ingredients:

• 1 12 oz. bottle of tasty beer (I used Fat Tire)
• 1 TB honey
• 1 package of active yeast
• 3 cups of whole wheat flour
• 1 TB kosher salt
• EVOO

Directions:

1. In a glass measuring cup, pour out 1 cup of beer.  Place in microwave and heat up for 30 seconds - 1 minute (depending on how powerful your microwave is and how cold your beer is).  You want the beer to be lukewarm, not hot.
2. Add yeast and honey to warm beer.  Stir everything until incorporated.  Let rest for 5 minutes until bubbly and foamy.
3. In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Slowly add beer/yeast mixture, while stirring.  Continue to add rest of beer to flour mixture.  I had a big sip leftover for me!  You may need additional water if your dough is still dry after the beer.  
4. Once dough is pliable, take out of bowl and knead for 5 - 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.  If you poke your finger in it, it should bounce back.  
5. Lightly EVOO a large bowl, place dough into bowl and let rise for at least 2 hours in warm place. 
6. About 10 minutes before dough looks to be done, place pizza stone in oven, set to 500 degrees to warm up. 
7. Once dough has double in size, remove dough and split in half.  At this point, I freeze half the dough in a freezer bag, letting all the air out. 
8. With remaining dough, roll out into preferred shape. Turn oven down to 400 degrees. Place dough on pizza stone and cook for about 5 minutes.  You really just want to warm it up.  If you top with uncooked items, there's no need to pre-cook, however, since all my toppings were cooked and just needed to reheat, I chose to pre-cook.
9. Take out and top however your hearts desires!  Place back in over and cook until cheese is melted and browned in spots. 
10. Enjoy :)

Pumpkin Polenta with Chorizo for a "Big Chill" kinda night

Music: Comfort food = comfort music. Jammed out to "The Big Chill" soundtrack while cooking up this meal.  We have the soundtrack on vinyl, ohhh yea. And for a simple and easy recipe like this...it makes dancing easy to do in the kitchen. If you can listen to The Big Chill and NOT dance...well...I don't think we should be friends anymore. 
Menu: One bowl meal. A dark beer would be an excellent addition.  Try 90 Shilling from O'Dells Brewery in Ft. Collins. 

 

There are many foods and ingredients that I'm a sucker for and I highlight them often in this blog.   Leeks, artichokes, risotto, Indian food, homemade pasta are on the top of my list.  Pumpkin is definitely on the short list.  The excitement of Fall/Winter is partially because I know there are many cans of pumpkin puree to come!  We always make pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bread, and this recipe has been officially added to our repertoire.  

I've heard roasting and pureeing your own pumpkin ain't all it's cracked up to be.  However, a good friend of ours visited a while back who's a pastry chef back in Baltimore (what up Doug!) and he says I gotta give it a try. Maybe next year, I will tackle my very own pumpkin!

This is a simple, quick, and super delicious weeknight meal.  Hope you enjoy :)

Pumpkin Polenta with Chorizo 

Adapted from Rachel Ray

Ingredients:

• EVOO
• 1 lb. bulk chorizo (this is also good with Soyrizo if you're feeling a veggie night)
• 1 onion (red or yellow), chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup, black beans cooked (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
• 1/2 tspn. ground cumin
• S & P
•  2 cups chicken or veg stock
• 2 cups milk
• 1 14 oz. can of pumpkin puree
• 2 cups quick cooking polenta
• Fresh or dried thyme, to taste (about 1 1/2 tspn. fresh, and 1/2 tspn. dried and crushed)
• 2/3 cup mild, creamy cheese (monterey jack, mild cheddar, etc.)
• 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds and cilantro, for garnish and optional

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat EVOO and add chorizo.  Cook and crumble until almost cooked all the way through.Scoot to side of pan.
2. Add onion and bell pepper to open side.  Saute until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes on medium heat. 
3. Incorporate meat and onion mixture.  Add beans, S & P, and cumin.  Allow beans to heat through, set aside.  Taste mixture at the point and add seasonings, if needed.  I get my chorizo bulk and sometimes it comes a little bland, so naturally, I add a little cayenne here :)
4. While meat mixture cooks, heat stock and milk to a boil.  Add pumpkin puree.
5. When the liquid reaches a simmer again, gradually whisk in polenta.  Continue to stir until fully incorporated and cooked about 5 minutes.
6. Turn heat off polenta and add cheese and thyme.  Stir to incorporate.  
7. In a bowl, pile a heap of polenta.  Top with chorizo mixture.  Garnish with seeds and cilantro if desired. 
8. Devour.

Summer Breakfast - Squash with blossoms and eggs

Music: After breakfast, BJ got called for an impromtu show, so while we didn't technically listen to this while cooking, I dedicate this meal to the awesome show he and friends played and that night's killer rendition of "Whipping Post" by the one and only Allman Brothers. 
Menu: Baked eggs with squash and toasted bread rubbed with garlic

I realize this post is a bit out of date as far as in season goes, but we just loved this quick, simple,  summer breakfast. Since our garden was OVERRUN with yellow squash, we ate it at almost every meal.  And anyone who came over, left our house with a big yellow crookneck squash.  Funny? Yes. Helpful? Absolutely. 

 The original recipe called for zucchini, which would add a lot of color and visual variety, but for the above mentioned reasons, I used yellow squash.  I piled matchstick squash and chopped blossoms in these cute little ramekins we got a Pier 1 (thanks M/L!)

 I wish I could say these are eggs from our backyard too, but maybe next year :) 

After squash came a few shreds of Swiss cheese. 

 And then the cracking of eggs, sprinkle of chives and breadcrumbs, and a splash of milk.  I might crack two eggs if you have a larger ramekin. 

I threw into into the oven with the bread that was toasting for about 10 minutes.

Then we dunked the bread in the yolk and ate it all!  There may have been licking involved, but I guess you'll never know.



Yummy food in belly = Excellent impromtu show with friends.  Enjoy the pics from the last minute get together with BJ and friends at the Monkey Bar!

 Squash Blossoms and Baked Eggs

Recipe adapted from http://www.bitchincamero.com/2010/06/zucchini-blossom-mozzarella-baked-eggs/ via The Kitchn  

Ingredients:

• 2 - 4 large eggs*
• 1 small yellow crookneck squash, cut into matchsticks
• 2 - 4 squash blossoms, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup milk
• Large handful of shredded cheese
• Breadcrumbs (I toasted a small slice along with what I served alongside dish)
• Chives, minced
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• Bread slices, toasted
• 1 small whole garlic clove, peeled

Directions:  

1. Preheat the oven to 375° and grease ramekins. 
2. Fill each ramekin with equal amounts of squash, blossoms, milk, and cheese. 
3. Carefully crack an egg over each one, making sure the yolk remains intact. (It’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t – it will still taste great!).
4. Sprinkle the top of each egg with breadcrumbs, chives and Parmesan cheese.
5. Transfer to the oven (easiest by placing on baking sheet) and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the whites are just set. 
6. Remove and promptly duck toast directly into runny yolk.  Enjoy :)

* Depends on hunger and size of ramekins.

Serves 2 healthy portions

The best veggie burgers

I'm just going to pretend like it hasn't been a really long time since I posted...

So, we are obsessed with these burgers.  Like in a big way.  I have been playing around with different variations and ingredients to try and nail down the perfect combination that will keep the burgers together when cooked.  Let's just say that one time we made these...well...it was a nice beet and black bean saute over greens for dinner.  Not too shabby, but when I want a burger, I want a burger.

Yummy beets!  My preferred method of cooking beets is to peel them whole first, chop into pieces, and then roast. You can read more about that here and here.

This way you only have minimal red stains. The pic shown here is a bit bigger than I would have liked.  I had to end up mashing the roasted beets after they cooked quite a bit.  So, if you remember, chop small and this reduces the cooking time too!

Salt, pepper, EVOO, maybe some garlic powder or herbs like thyme or basil.

While they are cooking mash up some black beans.  Normally, I don't like to use canned beans, but for these burgers, their extreme mushy consistency can be helpful when mashing and even a helpful aid to binding the burgers. 

Beautiful, roasted, red beauties.  Combine with the other ingredients and MASH!  You still want some good chunks, but remember this is a burger people!

Since all the ingredients are cooked, taste and adjust seasonings.  I really like parsley or cilantro and a lot of it.  Coriander is also a great spice in these burgers. 

I find chilling the mixture helps keep the burgers together in the pan.  I also think coconut oil adds some another layer of yumminess to these amazing burgers. 

Add some cheese, if you would like.  I really liked the blue cheese, but have done it with cheddar, Monterrey jack, and feta in the past with great results. 

Best-Ever Beet and Bean Burgers

Inspired by the veggie burgers at Northstar Cafe in Columbus, Ohio via thekitchn.com

makes about 4-6 burgers

• 1/2 cup brown rice (doubled if you like more rice), cooked
• 3 large red beets (about 1 pound), diced small 
• EVOO, S & P, other aromatic spices
• 1 onion, diced small
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 TB cider vinegar
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 2 TB coconut oil
• 2 TB parsley/cilantro, minced
• 1 tspn coriander
• 1/2 tspn thyme
• 2 TB all-purpose flour
•  S & P
• cheese (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Toss beets with EVOO, S & P, and other spices. Cook in oven for 10 - 20 minutes, depending on how big pieces are.  They are done with fork tender. 
2. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the onions are translucent and softened. Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan using the cider vinegar.
3. Empty the black beans into a large bowl and use a fork to mash them up a bit. Add the cooked rice, the beet, onion mixture, the lemon juice, coconut oil, and all the spices. Stir to combine (you might need to do a bit of mashing too) and then taste for seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once it tastes the way you like it, add the flour and stir until you see no more dry flour.
4. Refrigerate.  You can skip this step, but it seems to work best if you are able to chill for about an hour.
5. Heat a cast-iron skillet over the highest heat. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil (or coconut) - the oil should completely coat the bottom of the pan. When you see the oil shimmer and it flows easily, the pan is ready.
6. Using your hands, scoop up about a cup of the burger mixture and shape it into a patty between your palms. Set it in the pan, where it should begin to sizzle immediately. (If it doesn't sizzle, wait a minute or two before cooking the rest of the burgers.) Shape and add as many more patties as will fit in your pan. Once all the patties are in the pan, reduce the heat to medium-high.
7. Cook the patties for 2 minutes, then flip them to the other side. You should see a nice crust on the cooked side. If they break apart a little when you flipped them, just reshape them with the spatula - they'll hold together once the second side is cooked. If you're adding cheese, lay a slice over the burgers now. Cook the second side for another 2 minutes.
8. Serve the veggie burgers on soft burger buns or lightly toasted sandwich bread along with some fresh greens.
9.  Cooked burgers should be eaten that same day. You can also save leftover mix in the fridge for up to a week and cook just one or two burgers as you want them.

Saag Chole & Nina

Music: Nina Simone, Anthology
Menu: Saag Chole, yogurt, tortillas (I had some that needed eating, but splurge on naan or chapati if you can!)

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!!!!  I've have been MIA, I know.  I have no good excuse, really.  So, I'll just leave it at that.

One of our recent culinary goals is to start cooking more Indian.  We LOVE Indian food.  And I have gotten the hang of making beginner style Indian meals.  In other words, I can make a mean curry, I have a basic stocked pantry, and an understanding of the flavors.  I have now entered phase two.  Phase two means advancing my pantry with whole spices, attempting ghee, and attempting to make homemade naan!  So, here is the first step to the addition of some yummy cumin seeds in this beautiful Saag Chole!

 

As you can see I have a bottle of cumin seeds.  I need to get whole coriander seeds, but the cumin seeds have made a HUGE difference already in flavor compared to using ground cumin!

 

This dish was quick, easy, and full of flavor and nutrition.   I used two packs of frozen spinach and two cans of chickpeas, too!  Next time I make it I will make a few changes...the first being coconut milk.  After I got everything in the pot, I added about 1/2 cup of water, I suggest replacing that with lite coconut milk.  The dish is pretty rich as is, so lite would be just fine.  I remember having Saag Chole at my fave Indian restaurant here in Denver and the dish being creamy and almost the consistency of a dip.  So, I did a bit of mashing towards the end to try to get this consistency, but I think coconut milk would go a long way.

A little bit about the music choice...in addition to loving Indian food, we also dig Nina Simone in a big way.  If you haven't listened to her, do it.  Seriously, do it.   Now.   She's known as a jazz standards singer, but she goes far, far, far beyond that (see Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter).  Her take on the standards are different (Feeling Good); her deep, melodic voice gives these songs an emotive quality unattainable by other singers (Black is the Color).  Beyond the familiar, the "High Priestess of Soul" was also an accomplished pianist, composer, and civil rights activist - a truly musical chameleon who embraced all styles and never shied from expressing her womanhood (I Put a Spell on You),  her beliefs (Let it All Out), and the undeniably passionate and soulful instrument which was her voice.

The Anthology album is a great compilation of both standards and originals and a perfect way to dip your toes into the wonderful world of Ms. Simone.  The only song that is missing, which I highly suggest you check out, is Baltimore.

Our wonderful friend Jillian is letting us hold her beautiful orchid hostage for a while and couldn't resist this photo showing it off :)

Saag Chole

Ingredients:

• 1 large (or 2 medium/small) baking potato
• EVOO or vegetable oil or ghee!
• 1/2 tspn. (heaping) of cumin seeds
• 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled
• 1 small serrano chile
• 5 - 6 garlic cloves
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 tspn. coriander, tumeric, cinnamon, garam masala
• 1/4 tspn. cayenne pepper
• S & P
• 2 (10 ounce) packages of frozen spinach
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• Cilantro, optional

Directions:

1. Cut potato into small pieces resembling size of chickpeas.  Boil potatoes until almost tender.  Turn heat off and let stand in water for 5 minutes, drain.  
2. Heat oil/ghee in large skillet.  Add cumin seeds and toast until fragrant and beginning to pop over medium-high heat.  
3. While cumin seeds toast, place ginger, chile, and garlic in a small food processor and blend until a paste is formed.  Alternatively, you can mince these ingredients.  Add to skillet with cumin and saute for a minute until fragrant.
4. Add onions.  Saute until deeply browned.  The browner, the more flavor!  Don't let them burn, but a nice deep brown will intensify the flavor and allow for a deep color for the dish.  Stir frequently.  
5. Add tomatoes and stir to incorporate. 
6. Add all spices and stir to evenly distribute.  
7. Add spinach and then chickpeas.  Drizzle with lemon juice.  Stir.
8. Let simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes allowing the flavors to combine and stirring every few minutes.  
9. Adjust seasonings as needed!  I needed a bit more lemon, cayenne and garam masala.
10. Add some chopped cilantro, turn off heat.
11. Serve with additional cilantro, yogurt, and a slice of lemon/lime.  Enjoy :)

Caesar Salad

Music: James Taylor, Sweet Baby James - The album that put him in the spotlight with the amazing song Fire and Rain.

Menu: I CANNOT have Caesar without garlic bread.  

Usually, I'm not an ingredient snob.  Like when it mentions, a high quality EVOO, psssht, I just use my regular stuff.  Or cheese...cheapest always wins my heart!  However, I will tell you I am a snob about my caesar salad.  I've had to make it with other ingredients before and still tastes good and everything, but the greatness of this recipe is unachievable without a quality anchovy paste and whole grain mustard.  These are my go to brands and they truly make the dressing (with lots of garlic, of course). 

This recipe was my mom's and most families have some variation of this recipe.  I truly thought it was my mom's super secret recipe for a long time.  I think I was in high school and told a friend that I wanted to make her my mom's super secret caesar salad and her response was, "you mean with worcestershire?" And I was like, "damn!".  But that's when I found out that my mom's recipe wasn't so secret. 

Over the years I have slightly changed the recipe.  Instead of a raw egg, I now use some plain non fat yogurt...yes, my stomach is a weak pathetic excuse of a stomach.  I have also added a good splash of tabasco, which I learned from a restaurant I used to work at.  Both are great additions to any caesar salad. 

So, as you can see from the pics above, one of the most important steps is smushing the mustard grains.  I use the back of a spoon and it works great.  Then I make a paste with the anchovy paste and garlic.  I usually crush the garlic too with the spoon.  The paste is then combined with all the other wet ingredients.  I always taste the dressing BEFORE adding parm.  There's a much better chance to reseasoning before the cheese goes in and it gets all cheesy, but remember light on the salt as parm is a pretty salty cheese. 

And the parm slices just add a nice touch!  Hope you enjoy this recipe, but let me know how you make your favorite caesar dressing!

Amanda's Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of romaine lettuce, washed and torn into big pieces
  
• 2 tspn. whole grain, stone ground mustard
• 1/2 tspn. anchovy paste
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced 
• 2 tspn. worcestershire sauce
• 1 TB red wine vinegar
• S & P
• Dash of tabasco
• 1 TB plain, fat free yogurt
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• Parmesan shavings for garnish
  

Directions:

1. Using the back of a spoon, crush the mustard grains, so they pop (you can hear them).  
2. Add the anchovy paste and garlic.  If the garlic is not finely minced, you can use the same technique as the mustard and help crush the garlic even more.   Stir mustard, paste, and garlic to form a paste.  
3. Add worcestershire, vinegar,  S & P, tabasco, and yogurt to paste.  Stir until well combined.
4. TASTE - if the dressing is too sour, try adding a little more yogurt.  If it's too bland, try some more vinegar or worcestershire.  The more you make the dressing, the easier it is to identify what is off.  
5. Add cheese and stir to combine. 
6. Add dressing to lettuce and toss to combine.  Top with shaving and devour.