Strawberry Romaine Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

This is one of my favorite salads. It's pretty easy to make too. The recipe is from Wegmans. It's perfect if you have some strawberries laying around. The dressing is what makes it so delicious! 

You'll need 1 container of strawberries, hulled and sliced.

One 10oz package of chopped Romaine lettuce - or I like to use two Romaine hearts and chop them myself.

I use a serrated plastic knife which keeps the lettuce from rusting. Genius.

Dressing ingredients: plain yogurt, white vinegar, mayonnaise (I only use real Hellmann's. End of story), poppy seeds, red or white onion, and sugar (not pictured).

Whisk the sugar an vinegar until sugar is dissolved. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

If you're ready to eat, pour all of the dressing on and toss with the lettuce and strawberries. Or, you can make it ahead or to go, by pouring the dressing in to a jar for later (refrigerate) and layering the strawberries on the bottom of the bowl, until you're ready to toss and serve.

This salad is sooo good! And it makes a large potion - perfect for a gathering or family dinner.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup minced white or red onion
1 tsp poppyseed
1/4 cup mayonnaise (or light mayo if you prefer)
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 pkg (10oz) chopped Romaine lettuce (or two Romaine hearts chopped)
1 pkg (16oz) strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced

Directions:

1. Whisk sugar and vinegar in large bowl, until sugar is dissolved. Stir in onion, poppy seeds, mayo and yogurt until well combined. 

2. Add dressing to romaine and strawberries and toss until evenly coated.

DIY Salad Dressing

I've been enjoying salads lately, and the dressing makes all the difference. Sometimes you don't want the stuff that's been sitting in your refrigerator for a year or two, if you're like us, and never finish an entire bottle. Sometimes I like to make my own dressing. It's quicker than you think, and you probably have the ingredients in your pantry.

If you have a mason jar (or any jar), it's even easier - you mix and store it all in one container. I learned that from Giada de Laurentiis.

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (good olive oil)
Balsamic Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar
1 Fresh Lemon
Salt
Pepper 


Directions:
Pour olive oil and vinegar of choice into jar. I use a ratio of about 1:1 or maybe a little more olive oil than vinegar. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice (keep out the seeds). Add a semi-generous amount of fresh black pepper and salt to taste. Shake it up and pour over salad. 

I love balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I use red wine vinegar. If you store it in the refrigerator, be sure to take it out ahead of time, because the olive oil will solidify. Give it a good shake once it comes to room temperature. 

Summer is the perfect time to dress farm market and garden vegetables with your own freshly made dressing! 

Delicious!