My daughters, (and the Human Body Detectives), Merrin and Pearl have discovered the Caesar salad. They love it and whatever entices them to eat more veggies, I am all for it.
However, store bought ceasar dressing is not so healthy, so I figured we would try and make it by scratch. We poured through recipes and tested some out, although we soon discovered that most caesar salad dressing ingredients are not so kid friendly – like worcheshire sauce (too spicy for most!). We decided to take what we like from the recipes and create our own. Since we are going into the festive season, we added walnuts and cranberries. They add an extra crunch and a touch of sweetness!
(PS the kids liked the idea of a coddled egg, so we decided to add that in!)
Merrin & Pearls Kid Friendly and Festive Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 11/2 tsp anchovy paste
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tsp of red wine vinegar
- 1 coddled egg*
- 1/2 cup of a medium sized lemon – squeezed
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup of dried cranberries
- ½ cup of croutons or toasted bread sticks
- 5 heads of baby romaine lettuce
- Wash the baby romaine lettuce and set aside to dry.
- Mix 2 crushed garlic cloves, anchovy paste and olive oil. Blend well.
- Crack in the coddled egg, add 2 tsp of red wine vinegar and lemon juice.
- Whisk all together until the dressing is light and creamy.
- Toss with the baby romaine lettuce.
- Mix in the parmesan cheese, walnuts and cranberries.
- Garnish with breadsticks or croutons.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
* Bring a pot of water to boil. Add an egg (still in shell) and let stand for 1 minute. Remove the egg and let cool.
Dr. Heather Manley, who in 2001 received her medical degree from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, is a practicing physician whose primary interest is preventative healthcare for families. She is the author of Human Body Detectives, her educational series of story-telling audiobooks and accompanying activity workbooks. She also promotes wellness and naturopathic healthcare on her website. She lives on the Big Island of Hawaii with her husband and two daughters, and is currently at work on the next Human Body Detectives adventure.
