In my desire to prepare healthier food (I go through this kick about once a year, but am trying to work harder on it this time), I am going to post another recipe that we enjoyed recently.

Now for me, salad is all about the dressing. I mean really, leafy greens by themselves leave a lot to be desired. Even if you throw in a few other veggies, nuts, or seeds to keep the greens company, there isn’t much to be said in favor of this concoction if there isn’t a delicious slathering of a flavorful oily or creamy dressing covering all the aforementioned ingredients. (At least for this “saucy” girl!)

So the other evening I decided to create a healthier alternative to my favorite Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing. (Recipe on this site.)

For the first time I used olive oil mayonnaise. And I must say, I’m pretty darned impressed. Really much better than I expected. Then I used olive oil instead of veggie oil. Along with white vinegar, lemon juice, some grated Pecorino Romano, a tiny bit of sugar, a couple garlic cloves, a bit of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, the dressing was way better than I envisioned. So much so, that I had a hard time not devouring the entire batch as I was preparing it. (Tasting it for quality assurance reasons, you realize!)  

Anyway – this dressing is delicious and a healthy alternative to most cream style salad dressings. But don’t hesitate to add your favorite ingredients to this recipe. A bit of Dijon mustard might be a great addition. Perhaps some red onion or finely minced shallot.

That’s the lovely part of making your own salad dressing. It can be different every time you make it. And it can be made to complement the other ingredients in your salad. A win/win every time!

½ c. olive oil mayonnaise

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. white vinegar

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

¼ c. grated Pecorino Romano cheese (Parmesan cheese can be used in a pinch)

½ tsp. sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

scant ½ tsp. Italian seasoning

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

tiny bit of water if the dressing is too thick

In a blender, combine all ingredients; blend until smooth. Add water if needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.