Easy Caesar Salad Dressing

I adapted this from a recipe from Food and Wine magazine. I like it because it's simple, tasty and keeps well for several days.

• 1/4 C. Mayonnaise
• 1 Tbs. Minced Garlic
• 1 tsp. each:
  Red Wine Vinegar
  Fish Sauce
  Worcestershire Sauce
  Water
• 2 to three dashes Tabasco
• Pinch of Salt and Ground Pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together. Toss dressing with greens and top with shaved Parmesan.

This is enough to dress a large head of Romain, serves 4 to 6.

Grilled Portabella Mushrooms

I was grilling chicken and making a Caprese salad for dinner the other night. I had picked up some beautiful Portabella mushrooms and was thinking of grilling them too. And then I had an igneous idea that was simply delicious!

So you know Insalata Caprese, right?

Tomatoes/Mozzarella/Basil

Dressed with

Balsamic Vinegar/Olive Oil/Salt/Pepper

I make it all the time in the summer because I grow my own tomatoes and basil. The amounts aren't important to me, but the order of ingredients is: Tomato/Salt/Pepper/Basil/Vinegar/Oil/Cheese. Simple. Yummy.

So I riffed on some of those ingredients. I popped the stems off the mushroom caps and scooped out some of the gills. I rubbed some olive oil on those bad boys and grilled them four minutes per side. While they were on the grill I sliced up some extra cheese and chopped some extra basil.

With two minutes to go on the second side (Oh, I started cap side up on the grill)I sprinkled the mushrooms with salt and pepper, threw on some basil and topped it with the mozzarella.

OMG! Everyone loved them and they will definitely stay on the rotation.

Alfredo Sauce

Sunday Lunch

• Bowtie Pasta with Alfredo Sauce
• Salad with Italian Vinaigrette
• Bread
• CAKE!

Alfredo sauce is one of the quickest and easiest sauces to make, so step away from the jar. In the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta? Done! So here we go.

Cook pasta of choice. Fettuccini is “traditional”, but just about anything works. I had an open box of bowtie pasta, so that’s what I used.

While water is heating, crisp pancetta in a little EVOO. Drain on a paper towel and set aside. (Pancetta is Italian “bacon”, cured, but not smoked. Allow 2 ounces per four servings.)

In a large shallow pan, melt a stick of butter. I use half and half instead of heavy cream so I sprinkle a generous tablespoon of flour into the melted butter. Whisk in 2 cups of half and half. Return to a boil, lower heat and simmer for five minutes.

When pasta has a few minutes left to cook, stir a cup of grated parmesan cheese into the sauce.

Drain pasta and toss with the sauce. Top with pancetta.

So good an so easy!

I also served a green salad made with red leaf lettuce, heart of palm, cucumber and mushrooms. I dressed it with vinaigrette. Equal parts red wine vinegar and EVOO. Salt (this is the time to use sea salt folks), pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning.

Precious Oldest was home this weekend and she baked the Saint a cake for his upcoming birthday. Isn’t that sweet? (It was cherry chip – not strawberry.)

Lunch was a long time ago. I think I need a snack.