Ingredients
For the croutons
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cups ciabatta bread, cut into 3/4 inch cubes (or similar crusty bread)
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated

For the salad
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
6 anchovy fillets patted dry with paper towels, minced fine, and mashed to paste with fork
2 large egg yolks
5 tablespoons canola oil
5 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese,  finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper
2-3 romaine hearts, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices, rinsed, and dried very well (8 to 9 cups total)

Instructions
1. Combine 1 tablespoon oil and garlic paste in small bowl; set aside. Place bread cubes in large bowl. Sprinkle with water and salt. Toss, squeezing gently, so bread absorbs water. Place remaining 4 tablespoons oil and soaked bread cubes in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.

2. Remove skillet from heat, push croutons to sides of skillet to clear center; add garlic-oil mixture to clearing and cook with residual heat of pan, 10 seconds. Sprinkle with Parmesan; toss until garlic and Parmesan are evenly distributed. Transfer croutons to bowl; set aside.

3. For the salad: Whisk garlic paste and 2 tablespoons lemon juice together in large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.

4. Whisk Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, and egg yolks into garlic-lemon juice mixture. While whisking constantly, drizzle canola oil and extra-virgin olive oil into bowl in slow, steady stream until fully emulsified. Add Parmesan and pepper to taste; whisk until incorporated. (You can also blend all of this stuff with an immersion blender.) 

5. Add romaine to dressing and toss to coat. Add croutons and mix gently until evenly distributed. Taste and season with up to 1 additional tablespoon lemon juice. Serve immediately.



Comments
This recipe is from the Cook's Illustrated 2011 Annual.  I thought it was quite good, although I would advise serving the croutons on the side at the table instead of mixing them into the salad.  That way they’ll stay crispy if you have leftovers. 

Shown here with Pomegranate-Balsamic Glazed Salmon.

Ingredients
For the chicken
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon lemon zest
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tzatziki dressing and salad
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh dill, minced
2 cups tomato, chopped
1 small red onion, diced
2 cups cucumber, chopped
6 ounces feta, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. 30 minutes to 2 hours before serving, season chicken with salt and pepper.  Place in a zip-top bag or shallow container and cover with marinade ingredients.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours. 

2. While chicken is marinating, combine dressing and salad ingredients in large bowl.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

3. Heat grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium high heat and cook chicken until done, about 5 to 10 minutes per side depending on thickness of breasts.  Remove to cutting board and let rest until cool enough to cut.  Cut chicken into small cubes and then toss with salad. 

4. Serve on pitas, toast, or just eat out of a bowl with a spoon.

Note: This salad can be a little wet, so consider serving it with a slotted spoon. 



Comments
This recipe is from How Sweet It Is and reminded me quite a bit of my Falafel and Tzatziki Salad.  It was one of those meals that I thought “I will love this and Art and Lance will tolerate it.”  Surprisingly, we all loved it quite a bit!  I served it with pita and we devoured the salad both at dinner and then with the few leftover servings that were left.  This is a super tasty salad and it was a great way to use some of the last tomatoes and cucumbers of the year. 

You could easily make this vegetarian by replacing the chicken with garbanzo beans.

Ingredients
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1 pound tomatoes, cut into small cubes, or small tomatoes, halved or quarted
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well
2-4 tablespoons pesto (I’d start off with 2 and add more to taste.)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Mix all ingredients together then season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir well. 



Comments
I wanted to add more protein to a chopped Caprese-type salad and thought that cannellini beans would be a great way to do this.  It worked very well, the balsamic vinegar really brought the whole salad together.  I added a bit too much pesto and found it slightly overpowering, so I’ve modified the amount in this recipe so you can add more depending on your own pesto tastes.  This makes a great lunch salad!

Ingredients
1 head green cabbage, cored and shredded
2 large carrots, shredded or 2 large handfuls baby carrots, shredded
1 cup mayonnaise (Good quality mayo, please.)
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 small red onion, shredded
2 tablespoons sugar or to taste
2 tablespoons vinegar (I used red apple balsamic vinegar.  Use a vinegar you love.)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons poppy seed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions
Note: I used the food processor to shred everything. 

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well to combine.  Add additional sugar, salt and pepper to taste. 

2. Chill completely before serving and recheck for seasoning. 

No photo

Comments
This recipe is a mixture of a number of various coleslaw recipes.  We were invited to a crab and brisket feast at Zekiah (our local meat farm) and I wanted to bring some food aside from brisket.  Having never made coleslaw before, I googled up a bunch of recipes, read them all, and came up with this.  The slaw had great flavor, the right amount of sweet and sour, and delicious cabbage goodness.  It even got a few compliments much to my delight!  Sadly, I did not get a picture.  Maybe next time!