I love salad, and for quite some time now I have been envisioning a creamy salad dressing with Parmesan cheese and peppercorns having the starring roles. So recently when I needed a simple salad to go with an Italian food themed dinner I was planning, I figured there was no time like the present to work up a recipe for the dressing I had been imagining.

I knew the dressing had to include vinegar and olive oil. But the creaminess I was seeking could only be achieved if I included mayonnaise. My problem then was – how not to taste the mayonnaise. (Don’t get me wrong, I love mayonnaise. But I really didn’t want mayonnaise to be the predominant flavor.) So I started with the vinegar and olive oil, and added mayonnaise a tablespoon at a time until I achieved the consistency and flavor I wanted.

So what I came up with is a dressing that tastes a lot like Caesar dressing, but not quite. It has an intense Parmesan and peppercorn flavor that works perfectly with simple romaine. Add a small amount of thinly sliced red onion, and you have a very simple salad to prepare, but one that packs a lot of flavor. And luckily, the dressing works great with just about any greens or veggies you might have on hand.

So do yourself a favor. Build some of this dressing and use it on any of your favorite combinations of greens and chopped vegetables. Or if you are feeling completely uninspired some evening, try this recipe as written. (Some nights just lend themselves better to letting someone else supply the creativity while zombie like, you follow the recipe instructions as given.) Believe me, I get it. I have had more of those times than I care to admit. Just get the dinner on the table, and be done with the whole thing! And yes, before you ask, I still have evenings like that every once in awhile. Now granted, not as many as when I was a working mommy, but there are still times when cooking dinner and cleaning the bathrooms are equally abhorrent! Those are the times I set myself on cruise control and rely on muscle memory to find my way around the kitchen. Actually in retrospect, some of my best meals have been executed by the automaton that lies within! Perhaps I should give this side of me free rein more often. I’m sure Mr. C. would appreciate dining more often on food he has previously enjoyed rather than always being subjected to yet another new recipe I am trying to perfect. I’ll think about it. Let you know what I decide. But for now, I will continue bombarding you with my new and other peoples’ fabulous recipes until I can no longer stand the sight of my BlueStar range. Sorry honey.

• ¼ c. white wine vinegar
• ¼ c. mayonnaise
• 2 small garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• lots of coarse ground black pepper
• 6 T. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2/3 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese
• chopped romaine
• very thinly sliced red onion

Whisk together the vinegar, mayonnaise, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until mixture emulsifies. Gently stir in the Parmesan. Adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before mixing with romaine and red onion. Serve immediately.

Note: This is a potent dressing, so error on the stingy side when dressing the greens. You can always add more dressing as needed.