Skinny Caeser Dressing

Personally, I love Blue Cheese Dressing...Marie's Blue Cheese Dressing to be exact. However,  there comes a time when you have to make a change for the sake of your waistline and arteries....and up until now, I really couldn't find anything that was a decent substitute. But this stuff is good...really good!  2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil in the whole recipe makes it artery friendly.

I adopted this from skinnytaste.com.  A blog I have mentioned several times.  I love her low cal stuff and I don't really like low cal stuff, so that's quite a compliment.
 I modified this recipe a bit, to increase the yield and I used anchovies paste opposed to a jar of anchovies.  Anchovy paste will last a good long time, a jar of anchovies...not so much.

The first thing my blogging muse, Rob said to me when I told him I made this is:  'ewwww Anchovies, I hate Anchovies!' (just want you to know, he said it like a girl).  Now I love Rob, but he doesn't  'do fish',  so I don't think he properly represents the  Anchovy.  Let me just say, if you do not use Anchovies in this recipe, I do not see the point in calling iti Caeser.   Caesar dressing IS all about the Anchovies. It is what made you fall in love with the dressing in the first place!  If  you choose to ignore me and make it anyway,  it will still be good, but it will not be Caesar, it will be Creamy Dijon with Lemon.  Do whatever, I'm  just sayin'...


Ingredients

1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon anchovies paste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt

Directions:
In a food processor or blender, add the cheese, lemon juice, garlic clove, mustard and  anchovies paste. Blend for about 20 seconds. Add the oil and yogurt and blend for another 30 seconds or so.

Makes about a cup.
 
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Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint

If  you have ever flown Alaska Airlines then you know they have the nicest Flight Attendants ever!  Do these people ever have a bad day?  I can't possibly imagine serving 130 people stuffed into a tube and never getting a bit cranky! But these guys rock it...every day!  (okay I'm a bit prejudiced having worked at Alaska's sister company, Horizon Air for 14 years, but not as a Flight Attendant, I don't have what it takes... like the ability to not want to stuff screaming children in the overhead bin...)  These guys are truly amazing, every child remains in their seat for the entire flight, quite an accomplishment in my  book.

So on a recent trip to Tucson it is no surprise that I met one of their finest, Denise W.  Not only is Denise a sweet heart of a flight attendant, she knows how to cook!  She shared this recipe with me and it's been on my mind to blog it for a month now.

It's super easy, super healthy and so good you can't stop eating it!  If you are not a fan of mint, cilantro makes a nice alternative.

Hope you can enjoy it before summer ends!

Ingredients
1 small watermelon, cubed and seeded
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (Denise says not to substitute this ingredient, especially with balsamic or you get a rather unattractive salad)
1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese
2 tablespoons minced mint or cilantro
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper


Toss and serve...how easy is that ????  Love it!  Thank you Denise and happy travels!

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BLT Pasta Salad

Crisp, refreshing and easy!  

This recipe calls for store bought Ranch Dressing...yes, I said it, 'Redneck Ranch'. Personally, I am not a huge fan of Ranch,  (because I am so cultured an' stuff),  but in this recipe it works. I bought the higher end brand in the cold food section, I paid more, so I am sure it is better.

 If you don't like Ranch (or just don't want to admit you do), mix mayo and lemon juice...makes a sprite little dressing. (did I just say sprite when describing food?  OMG, I think I am evolving!)

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Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing and Crispy Wontons

What I love about this salad:

• Rotisserie chicken from supermarket
• Easy
• Low calorie/healthy
• Thai peanuty goodness
• Inexpensive
• Ingredients you probably have on hand
• No cook
• Great lunch leftovers
• But mostly...really, really tasty!  The crunch of the cuc's and the peanuty sauce with the crispy Wontons really pack a punch!

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Spinach, Feta, Bacon and Mandarin Orange Salad

I am twirling, I am skipping, I am dancing and singing and why?  Because I love, love, love, my new camera!  I bought a Canon Rebel T21 Kit with two lenses (the large lense is still in the box...someday, sighhhhh). 

I can hardly figure out how to take a picture with my new camera, but the pictures I do take are 100% better than anything I ever took with my point and shoot! I was convinced  I could take quality pic's with a point and shoot...why?, no idea,  there must have been Merlot involved,  because there is just no comparison!

This spinach salad recipe has been around for ages.  I have used leafy lettuce, romaine and spring mix, but I think spinach is the most popular. 

The dressing is a sweet, tart blend of sugar and vinegar and the use of canned mandarin oranges make it a pantry friendly recipe.   

You won't need the entire dressing recipe...just spoon a little on at a time until you  barely coat the leaves, then save the rest for later....oh, and most important! Do not toss until you are ready to serve...this salad wilts very quickly.

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