| Steve's Skeptical Caesar Salad |
| You might ask what makes this Caesar salad so skeptical. That would be a pointless question. In addition to being mighty tasty, this salad has been scientifically proven to be healthy. The size of the salad depends upon what you intend to do with it. I often eat it with grilled chicken or tuna as a main-course salad. You can also have it as a side salad. The amount of ingredients listed below is probably enough for 8-10 people as a side salad or half that many as a main course. Ingredients: 1-2 heads of romaine lettuce, or 2-3 hearts of romaine. Make sure to clean these well or else you risk a gritty salad. 1-2 cans of ripe pitted black olives 1 large can or jar of mandarin oranges (You can also substitute your fruit of choice. I have used strawberries and raisins, and they are also very good, but the mandarin oranges are my favorite.) Sweet roasted red pepper coarsely chopped Two handfuls of shelled walnuts Dressing: 2-3 freshly squeezed lemons (don’t even think of using lemon juice from a bottle) Olive oil (I like the regular or even the light olive oil. I do not like the extra virgin, it tends to overpower the rest of the dressing, but you can use the extra virgin if you prefer.) (Just use the oil and vinegar lines on any standard cruet, filling the lemon juice to the vinegar line.) Ground black pepper to taste Optional – small amount of dried mustard Optional – small amount of garlic salt 2-3 cups shredded parmesan cheese Add dressing and parmesan to taste. The exact amount you add will depend upon the size of the salad. You just have to taste it to know when it’s right. Finally, just add a tiny pinch of scientific skepticism, and you’re done. The salad is only as good as the ingredients, so feel free to experiment with different brands until you find the ones you like best. There’s no substitute for empirical evidence. Enjoy. |