This week’s recipe was inspired by my Grandmother Helen. This recipe has been in our family for a while now and it is so popular that my Father has printed copies of the original recipe in a jar that he has ready to hand out to anyone that wants it. This is a frequent recipe in our household, and is regularly made when guests come over – hence the printed copies. I really love this recipe because I grew up with it, and it is absolutely delicious. I hope I can continue spreading this recipe to my friends and family and maybe anyone reading this blog. This recipe will be a little less involved than my previous recipes but certainly just as yummy and important. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- Garlic – 2 cloves (crushed)
- Olive oil
- Mustard powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
- Apple cider vinegar
- Parmesan cheese (fresh or frozen)
- 1 Egg
- Tobasco sauce
- Sugar
You will also need a hand blender for this recipe. You can find cheap ones second hand or at your local general store.
Servings
This recipe makes about 2 cups of dressing which is usually plenty for 4-6 people with leftovers depending how much each person eats and uses.
Instructions
- In a glass measuring cup add 5 tbs olive oil, 3 tbs apple cider vinegar, 2 small cloves of crushed garlic (using a garlic press), 1egg, 1 tbs dry mustard powder, 1 tsp sugar, dash of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix using a hand blender until smooth and no clumps.
- If the mixture is too runny feel free to drizzle in some more oil while mixing, this should thicken it up. You could also add a bit more parmesan cheese.
- If the sauce is too thick you can mix in a bit of water or apple cider vinegar (just be careful to not make the dressing too vinegary).
- Wash and dry your lettuce.
- Serve tossed with croutons, parmesan cheese, and pepper or let people self serve and dress themselves.
Adaptations
The adaptations here are slightly limited however I will let you know of some options if you have any dietary restrictions.
- You can skip the egg and use nutritional yeast as a parmesan cheese and cashews as a supplement if you are vegan.
- Another nice option to thicken your dressing in replacement of the egg and cheese is to use hummus and lemon juice.
- You can also use spicy mustard as a mustard powder replacement or just yellow mustard if you don’t have the powder.
- Skip out on the Tobasco if you don’t like the spice.
- Add a crunch by making your own croutons. Cut up old stale bread, or any bread you have into small cubes, toss with olive oil, pepper, salt, garlic powder and toast in an oven at 350°C until golden and crispy.
Pictures
Reflections
I love this recipe and it makes it even more special that it has stayed with my family for years now, and I hope to continue its legacy. This is a great potluck dish or something to bring if you are going to a party and everyone needs to bring a dish as it is delicious, fast, cheap and a crowd pleaser. I hope everyone makes this recipe to keep spreading Helen’s recipe around. My Dad loves sharing this recipe so in part this post is for him. Thank you for keeping this recipe alive. Bon Appetit!