08 Jul, 2010
Creamy Basil Caesar Dressing… For Salads, Dips, and Sandwich Spreads!
Posted by: Angela Leeds In: *LGS Daily Recipe|Appetizers, Salads & Side Dishes|Main Dishes
Yesterday at the “contemporary Mexican” restaurant Sinigual here in Tampa, my mother ordered a romaine hearts salad with a creamy cilantro dressing that had been thickened with a parmesan-like cheese. And my immediate thought… sunflower seeds! They are excellent at providing a dairy-like flavor and approximating a cheesy texture in certain recipes. So I knew I would try my hand at making a copy-cat raw recipe.
If you don’t have basil on hand, use cilantro, or even simple Utterly Pedestrian fresh parsley.
The dressing is thick and very scoopable, a la guacamole, but with a “cheesier” quality due to the sunflower seeds. I also have used a heavy hand on the salt because caesar-type dressings are that way, using anchovies and parm to layer the savoriness in. And as I’ve explained in other recipes, I very much enjoy ways to bring in salt & savoriness in raw recipes, to offset the natural sweetness and high-water-content blandness of a high-raw diet. Use half the salt, for starters, if you prefer.
You can make this dressing to use over a large plate of romaine hearts for enjoyment by 1-3 people. Or, serve on the side for vegetable or chip dipping!
Note: A salad or sandwich made with this dressing would be EXCELLENT with good quality Kalamata or sun-cured black olives!!!
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