Low-Fat Creamy Caeser Dressing

S0 it’s almost April, and maybe you took advantage of the latest 40% coupon and bought some of those cute “boyfriend” shorts I just saw at the Gap. And then maybe you drove directly to CVS and bought sunless tanner for those pale snail legs. And then you bought enough salad greens for at least two weeks worth of meals.

Salad is always the healthiest choice for weight loss. Or … not. As you hopefully know by now, a salad is not always the best menu choice when considering calories. No-nos such as bacon, egg yolks, cheese, and tortilla strips can really hurt the health factor. The most detrimental addition, however, is definitely the dressing. Creamy caesar, French, ranch, and bleu cheese can pack almost 100 calories per tablespoon! The chicken caesar salad at most restaurants clocks in between 600 and 800 calories; healthy with a side of guilt, please.

Traditional caesar dressing has egg yolks, cheese, and oil, which yields a very creamy, rich flavor. My version below removes the guilt but none of the flavor, thanks to the anchovy and garlic. If you don’t think you like anchovies but do like caesar dressing, then you actually do like anchovies. By pureeing this in the blender, air bubbles are beaten in and the dressing magically becomes creamy. This recipe would be easy to double and lasts at least a week in your fridge. I made a chicken caesar salad for dinner on Monday night, and on Wednesday I used the dressing over grilled veggies and pork tenderloin. One word: Yum.

Making your own dressing not only saves money, it also saves you from hefty doses of sodium, sugar and calories. This dressing clocks in at 68 calories per serving, 7 grams of fat, and 82 milligrams of sodium. Traditional creamy caesar dressing is 220 calories, 20 grams of fat and almost 500 milligrams of sodium per serving. It’s pretty much no contest.

Low-Fat Creamy Caesar Dressing
Serves eight

1/2 teaspoon black pepper
¼ c. white wine vinegar
¼ c. olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 to 2 anchovies, mashed to a paste

1. Place ingredients in a blender and blend 30 seconds or until creamy.
2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, up to 1 week.

Per serving: 68 calories, 7 fat grams (1 gram saturated fat, 1 gram polyunsaturated fat, 5 grams monounsaturated fat), 82 milligrams sodium, 12 milligrams potassium.