Easy as Sunday morning…Such a relaxing Sunday day . Today’s high is 102.  That means staying indoors, staying cool, and bumming around.   Not that I’m complaining about having to stay in.  It’s been more hectic than usual this week so it’s nice to just, sit. I wanted to make something special for dinner this weekend. Actually I want to make something special for every weekend.  For one, it is the weekend.  And two, hubby had a weekend off.  Two reasons to celebrate.  So I decided to have Filet Mignon.  Steak is always a special occasion food for us.  This time,  I wanted to do something different than my usual mash potatoes, asparagus and mushrooms.  Especially because of the heat, I wanted a side dish that was refreshing, simple, and cooling…Caesar Salad!

When I first learned that anchovies were used in Caesar Salad, I really had no desire to make it myself.  I had rather let this delicious creamy dressing stay mysterious to me.  But over time resistance gave in to a sense of self accomplishment and I became interested in making Caesar dressing. So  I felt yesterday was as good a time as any to tackle this,Caesar dressing once and for all!

I looked up lots of recipes, some using egg yolks, some with a lot of mayonnaise,  and some with a little.  I decided to go with this recipe I found that got great reviews and changed it for a smaller serving size. The dressing was so tasty, lemony, and creamy.  And it tasted like Caesar dressing (!) but with a homemade fresh flavor.  I dare say the salad was better than the steak.  Here is my version of Caesar dressing. I eyeballed the measurements so this is my best recollection of what i used for each amount.

Caesar Dressing (makes about 1 cup)
½ cup mayonnaise
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼  cup milk
2 anchovy filets
3 garlic cloves (about 1 tbs garlic)
juice of small lemon (1 tbs lemon juice)
½ tbs Dijon mustard
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
pinch (about 1/4 tsp) of salt and pepper or to taste

• Combine all ingredients in mini food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. That’s it!

  Serve with cherry tomatoes, red onions, crunchy croutons, and shaved Parmesan cheese, with extra  dressing on the side!