World's Best Caesar Salad Recipe

This is the best ever Caesar Salad Dressing recipe for several reasons:

• the ingredients are fresh and healthy,
• you know exactly what ingredients you are eating, 
• and it is WAY cheaper to make your own than to purchase store-bought!  

I seriously used to eat this on a daily basis when I was pregnant because there are no raw eggs or anchovies in it!  It is recommended not to eat raw eggs or fish while you are pregnant, and you don't realize how hard it is to find a salad without those two ingredients until you are really craving it!  (Even most of the bagged salads and bottled dressings that you can purchase from the grocery store contain raw egg!) 

Anyhow, this is the only caesar salad I really like to eat to this day!  We haven't found any others that even compare to this one!  Plus there is not a lot of time or prep work that goes into the salad.  I have actually done it in like 3 minutes before when I'm really pressed for time!  It is great for a side or by itself as an entree.  This salad is delicious served with croutons, grilled chicken, and a loaf of fresh bread!

World's Best Caesar Salad Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes          

Servings: 4

Ingredients

•  4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon)
• 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce (optional)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions  

1. In a mini food processor or blender, combine all ingredients except lettuce. 
2. In a large salad bowl, add lettuce.  Pour dressing on top and toss to combine.

* Recipe adapted from Source

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

If you are looking for a really quick dish that you can make for lunch or pack in lunch boxes, this is the perfect thing for you!  This Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Recipe makes a wonderful, colorful, back-to-school side to a turkey sandwich, or it is delicious and filling all on its own!  To make a dinner out of it, serve with any kind of meat and some bread!  It has every color of the rainbow in it, which makes this pasta salad extremely healthy too!  This dish is a super fun dish to bring to a friend's house or a dinner party as well!!

If you want to save yourself some time and effort, this recipe can also easily be doubled (or tripled) to create extra freezer meals!  (see instructions for freezing below)

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable spiral pasta (I use Eden)
• 1/2 cup Zesty Italian Salad Dressing, (I use homemade)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese, grated (for garnish)

Directions  

1. In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.  
2. While pasta is cooking, chop veggies and prepare dressing (if using homemade).
3. When pasta is done, strain and rinse under cold water.
4.  Add veggies and dressing to pot.  Stir.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve, garnished with cheese (if desired).

  
* This is delicious with fresh mozzarella!  For extra protein, serve with chicken or turkey!  Add fresh bread and you have a delicious and easy supper!

(Servings: 8)

To Store:
Store in refrigerator in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Easy way to fill freezer bags!

To Freeze:
After completely cooled, divide pasta salad into desired portions and place into sandwich freezer bags or freezer containers and put into freezer.  Flatten bags and stack on top of each other to save space! (The easiest way I have found to fill freezer bags is to place the ziploc bag inside a glass or cup, fold the sides of the bag over the glass, and scoop the mixture in.  This creates less spill and less mess!)


To Thaw:
If thawing portioned containers, remove from freezer in the morning and place in lunch box/bag.  They should be ready to eat by lunchtime!  If thawing a larger batch, remove from freezer the night before and place in refrigerator to thaw.

Make-your-own Zesty Italian Salad Dressing

One of the things I love about making homemade salad dressing is how fresh and full of flavor it tastes.  There is something about knowing exactly what ingredients are going into something that makes it that much tastier!  Another great thing about making your own salad dressing is that you can save tons of money.  Store-bought salad dressing can be very expensive.  You can make your own for literally pennies!  This Homemade Zesty Italian Salad Dressing recipe also makes a great marinade for chicken, and is delicious in a pasta salad! 

This is seriously one of the easiest things in the world to make.  Eight out of the ten ingredients are all spices you probably have in your spice rack at home already!  If you don't have something, just leave it out or add a new spice into it!  The easiest way I have found to make this is to use a funnel to pour all of the ingredients through.  I usually save glass containers for things like this, so if you have an old salad dressing container, it would work perfectly to store your homemade dressing in.

Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions  

1. In a jar, shaker, or any container with lid, add all spices. (I use a funnel)
2. Add oil and vinegar.  Put lid on container and shake vigorously.  

Storage:
Salad dressing can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad

When it is 100+ degrees outside, our bodies tend to crave more fruits and veggies in order to increase our water intake and prevent dehydration.  Especially during the summer months, nothing sounds more delicious than a big healthy salad with tons of fruit!  I was looking for a way to incorporate some raspberries that needed to be used up, and this Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad was created! It is light, healthy, and delicious!  Add walnuts or chicken on top for some extra protein!  This would also be a great salad to bring to a party... the colors are just gorgeous!  Enjoy!!

Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon raspberry fruit spread
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups chopped romaine

Directions  

1. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, and fruit spread.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add raspberries to bowl and stir gently.
3. Pour mixture over romaine and toss to coat.

(Servings: 2)