Phickle on Phood!
Do you like salads but get bored with the same old salad dressings? Ahhh, then this one may perk up yer taste buds!
I had lunch with a former manager about a month ago at an El Torito. I'm not a big fan of chain restaurants to begin with and wasn't too impressed with the lunch we had. But they had a salad dressing that bowled me over. I looked for a clone on the web and found this. I made it and it was superb! However, I thought I could adjust it a bit more to my liking so I've also listed my modifications below. It's a bit of work though not too much and the results are fantastic!
Cilantro pepita salad dressing
2 medium Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded
1/4 cup roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces salad oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
5 tablespoons grated Cotija cheese
1 large bunch cilantro, stemmed
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons water
Place all ingredients except cilantro, mayonnaise and water in a blender or food processor. Blend about 10 seconds, then add cilantro little by little until blended smooth. Depending on the size of the blender/processor, it may be necessary to do in batches.
Place mayonnaise and water in a large stainless steel bowl and mix with a wire whip until smooth. Add the blended ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Place in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Phickle's notes:
Blender works just fine
Replace 1 Anaheim chille with 1 or 2 jalapenos or serranos
Replace vinegar with fresh lime juice
Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
This dressing goes particularly well with a salad topped with grilled chicken or beef. Matter of fact, you could substitute this for mayonaise next time you make chicken salad. Zesty!
I had lunch with a former manager about a month ago at an El Torito. I'm not a big fan of chain restaurants to begin with and wasn't too impressed with the lunch we had. But they had a salad dressing that bowled me over. I looked for a clone on the web and found this. I made it and it was superb! However, I thought I could adjust it a bit more to my liking so I've also listed my modifications below. It's a bit of work though not too much and the results are fantastic!
Cilantro pepita salad dressing
2 medium Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded
1/4 cup roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces salad oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
5 tablespoons grated Cotija cheese
1 large bunch cilantro, stemmed
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons water
Place all ingredients except cilantro, mayonnaise and water in a blender or food processor. Blend about 10 seconds, then add cilantro little by little until blended smooth. Depending on the size of the blender/processor, it may be necessary to do in batches.
Place mayonnaise and water in a large stainless steel bowl and mix with a wire whip until smooth. Add the blended ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Place in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Phickle's notes:
Blender works just fine
Replace 1 Anaheim chille with 1 or 2 jalapenos or serranos
Replace vinegar with fresh lime juice
Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
This dressing goes particularly well with a salad topped with grilled chicken or beef. Matter of fact, you could substitute this for mayonaise next time you make chicken salad. Zesty!