Better Caesar Salad

Summer heat is here and Skipper has been only crashing on the cool floors instead of his comfy beds.

The poor guy is always running hot which may have something to do with canine diabetes and I’m worried about him getting too uncomfortable in the summer heat. We can’t take him for walks during the hotter parts of the day because he gets too hot and wants to stop and rest in cool, shady grass multiple times.

Miko does not seem affected by the heat at all and still loves to cuddle in warm laps and sleep tucked in next to us.

I’ve been affected by this crazy work week and got a pleasant surprise Monday when I came home to hubby roasting beets and carrots for dinner.

I threw together a quick curried dill lentils side dish to go with them for a comforting dinner that was very filling.

Last night I was a little drained after the gym and tossed this quick tofu stir fry for dinner with peppers, broccoli, tamari, and Sriracha.

I simmered the tofu and veggies over high heat in a wok with water to steam them and not fry with oil. Then drizzled in the tamari and Sriracha and it was good for a fast, oil-free dinner. The tofu was a little soft, but absorbed the seasonings and balanced the crunchier texture of the broccoli.

Tonight I put a little more effort into dinner craving a huge salad after two nights of cooked dinners. I’ve never understood how the Caesar salad could be called a salad. It basically has just one veggie in it – lettuce. That’s it! It has more processed carbs, animal products, and oils in it that actual veggies. The dressing is especially a health bomb loaded with egg, cheese, fish, and oil. I experimented with creating a high raw, whole foods vegan version tonight which was a success considering it doesn’t contain oil or loads of cheese and still packs flavor with a savory and kicky tang that the dressing is known for.

 

The dressing looks a lot like a creamy Caesar dressing. I coated a huge spinach salad in it with more veggies.

And topped the salad with hemp seed parmesan.

Truthfully I’ve never been a fan of Caesar salad even in my pre-vegan days, but my hubby is and I created this dressing for him. I liked the flavor, it has a strong tang and garlicky kick with a creamy texture. And while hubby couldn’t say it tasted exactly like Caesar dressing, he did say it was good and “in the ballpark” which I’ll take!