2 small heads romaine lettuce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 3-4 fillets, finely minced
3½ tablespoons mayonnaise
1/3 cup olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste
½-1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Crunchy Croutons (see recipe below)

Wash the lettuce and dry it well in a salad spinner or in a clean towel. Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Whisk the red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic, anchovies, and mayonnaise together. Continue to whisk while slowly adding the olive oil. Stir in the black pepper.

Just before serving, toss the lettuce leaves with half of the dressing. You can add more dressing according to taste and how much lettuce you are using. Garnish the salad with Parmesan cheese and croutons. Store the dressing in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

KID TIPS:
-Dip a piece of lettuce into the dressing and taste it in order to see if it needs more garlic, lemon juice or anchovies, depending on your family’s taste.
-Let the kids offer guests extra ground pepper – many kids adore using a pepper grinder.
-Kids who aren’t sensitive to strong smells can chop up the anchovies and garlic. If they don’t like the idea of eating anchovies, just slip in some anchovy paste for the adult batch or omit it.

COOKING TIPS:
-If you have the time to squeeze fresh lemon juice and grate high-quality parmesan rather than use pre-grated cheese and lemon concentrate, it will make a big difference in taste.
-If you prefer a thicker dressing, add in 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan.
-Make a double batch of the dressing so you can serve it with veggie sticks as an after-school snack.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yields ½ cup
Recipe from Easy Meals to Cook with Kids by Julie Negrin © 2010
Thank you Nancy Woodward for inspiring this recipe!

Crunchy Croutons
Bite-sized croutons add a little kid-friendly fun to salads. Although children often prefer their foods separate, many of my students make an exception for the Caesar salad and Panzanella (Tomato and Bread) Salad because they find small pieces of bread mixed in with vegetables irresistible.

4 pieces of stale, sliced white or whole wheat bread
1/3 cup olive oil
1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the bread slices into uniform 1-inch cubes. Spread them evenly on a greased baking sheet (or one lined with parchment paper). Drizzle the olive oil over the bread cubes. Toss the cubes with your hands to coat each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese and salt. Bake the bread cubes for 10-15 minutes or until they are golden-brown and crispy.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yields 3-4 cups
Recipe from Easy Meals to Cook with Kids by Julie Negrin © 2010