Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus 2 hours soaking time
Yield: 8 servings, plus extra dressing
Ingredients:
“Caesar” Dressing 1 cup raw macadamia Nuts (halves or pieces are fine) – soaked and drained
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 Tbsp filtered water
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or tamari
2 tsp organic apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Salad
3 organic hearts of romaine or 1 big head romaine lettuce
2 red and/or orange carrots
½ cup micro greens or chopped fresh parsley (optional)
4 whole raw macadamia nuts OR
2 Tbsp grated parmesan, optional
Garnish – Mac Nut ‘Croutons”
½ cup macadamia nut pieces (or halves crushed)
½ tsp olive or grapeseed oil
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch garlic powder
Directions:
1. Soak the macadamia nuts in filtered water for 2 hours, then drain.
2. Add all dressing ingredients in the order listed to a Vitamix or other food processor. Blend until smooth. The dressing will thicken as it cools in the fridge; whisk in more water as needed until the desired thickness is reached.
3. Plate the leaves or the romaine hearts in a circle on a large platter like the petals of a flower. Or chop the head of romaine into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl.
4. Peel the carrots, discard peel, and continue working with the carrot peeler to create ribbons. Scatter ribbons among the romaine leaves – using red carrots will look like the traditional anchovies.
5. Scatter the micro-greens or fresh parsley over the salad. Then carefully grate the raw, whole macadamia nuts over the salad to serve as the parmesan or substitute parmesan instead. Drizzle with Caesar dressing.
6. To make the croutons, place the oil in a small skillet over medium heat, then toss in a good handful of macadamia nut pieces. Sprinkle with a touch of salt and toss well and frequently for a minute or two until they just begin to brown. Sprinkle in a little garlic powder, toss well, and toss another half minute or so until golden brown, being careful not to burn.
7. Toss the croutons onto the salad and serve with additional dressing on the side. Extra dressing can be stored in a sealed jar in the fridge for a week or more – note that the garlicky notes will mellow after a couple of days. Rich in monounsaturated fats and grown without pesticides, eating macadamia nuts is a great way to minimize toxins and maximize nutrition, beauty and flavor so we all look and feel our very best, both on and off the yoga mat.
Red Jen Ford is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Instructor and Seasonal Eating Expert. Jen teaches the benefits and simplicity of eating local, sustainably grown food. Enjoy more of her dishes in her seasonal recipe booklets or online course, Simply in Season – Fall Recipes to Celebrate Healthy, Easy Seasonal Food. Redjenford.com
Red Jen Ford is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Instructor and Seasonal Eating Expert. Jen teaches her clients the benefits and simplicity of eating local, sustainably grown food. Enjoy more of her dishes in her seasonal recipe booklets or her online course, Simply in Season: Recipes to Celebrate Healthy, Easy Seasonal Food.