Modern Day Ceasar

Who doesn’t love Caesar salad? Tangy, garlicky dressing on crunchy Romaine lettuce, interspersed with sprinkles of perfectly salty Parmesan cheese and anchovies.

But I find most Caesar salad dressings to be too rich, sometimes the result of an addition of mayo, other times it’s either too much cheese or too many eggs.

Cameron Lyon, my sister’s boyfriend, came up with a simple recipe that pares down the ingredients (I know, for those who are purists, this is heresy) and that significantly lightens up the salad. You still get that tangy taste without all of the salmonella or fat. This recipe also works fabulously well with Boston Bibb lettuce, but be sure to tear apart the leaves of this delicate lettuce rather than use a knife or the edges will brown.

1 head of Romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 tsps of anchovy paste or 4 canned anchovies, mashed

1 Tbsp stone-ground mustard

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsps fresh-squeezed lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Pepper, to taste

Combine the anchovies, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and 2 Tbsps of cheese until it becomes a thick paste. Pour over the Romaine lettuce and toss the rest of the cheese. Grind pepper just before serving.