Tag Archives: steakhouse recipes

Iceberg Lettuce Salad with Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

It’s interesting to sometimes look back on how your food tastes develop over the year. I grew up eating iceberg lettuce – it was on everything and it was a garnish on many a plate I ate in restaurants. As I grew up and discovered all the other lettuces available, it was easy to toss iceberg lettuce to the side and never touch it again. I recently rediscovered this misunderstood lettuce. There is nothing like a cold crisp iceberg lettuce salad on a warm day topped especially topped with this creamy blue cheese dressing and shards of crumbled bacon tossed on top. I like this buttermilk and greek yogurt dressing, both are low fat so its lighter in calories but not light on flavor. I try to use a good quality blue cheese and bacon for the recipe. I used for my dressing Jasper Hill Farms Bayley Hazen Blue and nice thick Berkshire bacon. If your food journey has taken you away from iceberg lettuce, give it another try!
From by the bay wishing you crisp food memories.
Maryann
blog buttermilk dressing

Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Directions
In a medium size bowl add all dressings ingredients, except the blue cheese and whisk together until smooth. Next fold in the crumbled blue cheese.  Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Serve with lettuce, tomatoes or use as a dressing on cold sliced roast beef or top a grilled hamburger.
Iceberg Lettuce Salad with Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 recipe Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing
1 head medium iceberg lettuce, cut into 4 wedges
4 slices thick bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons chives, minced
To assemble the salad place each wedge of iceberg on a plate, top with buttermilk blue cheese dressing. Sprinkle the top of each wedge with crumbled bacon and chives. Serve immediately.

Dad’s Favorite Blue Cheese Dressing

I wanted to remember my Dad this Father’s Day by blogging about one of his recipes. Dad did not cook a lot but he had a few special dishes. I turned to my sister Nancy the other day and said, “What should Dad’s Blog be about? ” We both turned to each other and said simultaneously, Blue Cheese Dressing! My Dad was in banking, think Don Draper giving out loans instead of managing an ad agency and that would be Dad. Lunches and dinners with clients, often at the top steakhouses in the city. When Dad liked something he dined on , he often would come home and explain it to my mother. Mom is amazing, she had a very high success rate recreating dishes for my Dad. There were rare occasions where my father would try a recipe out himself. It usually would be outdoors on the grill or to accompany something cooked on the grill. Here is a favorite – the absolute best blue cheese dressing you have ever had. This is courtesy of Dad and whatever steakhouse inspired him. Dad would ambitiously make this dressing in a mason jar, shaking vigorously to get the right consistency. I’m going to suggest grilling some romaine lettuce and sliced heirloom tomatoes to accompany this dressing in honor of Dad’s passion for steakhouse dining and grilling! Enjoy!

From by the bay, wishing you a very Happy Father’s Day and making fond food memories!
Maryann
blog blue cheese dressing
Dad’s Favorite Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients
6 ounces Maytag Blue Cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
In a medium size mixing bowl crumble in the blue cheese add the remaining ingredients and whisk together until emulsified. Pour ingredients into a glass covered jar and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. Shake ingredients well before spooning onto your favorite salad.
For salad pictured:
Take Romaine lettuce leaves and brush with olive oil, place on grill until lettuce starts to wilt and brown. Remove from grill and place on platter along with slices of heirloom tomatoes.
Lettuce can also be roasted in a 400 degree F oven. Place oiled lettuce leaves on to a baking sheet and roasted about 10 minutes until lettuce starts to wilt and brown, then remove from oven.