This salad is a lot of work but is well
worth the compliments you get
at a dinner party. You can always leave off the cheese balls to make
it easier and use purchased croutons. The dressing is so good and it
has that sneaky nutrition of carrot juice that it can be used as an
everyday dressing.
Butter Lettuce Salad with Carrot Dressing
Dressing
1 cup canned or fresh carrot juice
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
3 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
Cheese Balls
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 cup milk (low fat can be used)
1 cup fresh sourdough breadcrumbs
Salad
2 head butter lettuce (or other of your choice)
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 cup fresh basil, shredded
1/2 cup matchstick slices of good ham
Vegetable or Peanut oil for deep frying
For Dressing:
Boil carrot juice with garlic in saucepan until reduced in half
(about 7 minutes). Cool. Whisk grapeseed oil and vinegar in a small
bowl until well mixed. Whisk in carrot mixture. Season with
salt and pepper if desired. Use dressing at room temperature.
For Cheese Balls:
Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Mix cheese in processor
or blender until smooth. Place flour in a small bowl. Mix eggs and
milk in another bowl. Put breadcrumbs in another bowl. Cover your
hands lightly with flour. Make a cheese ball with one tbsp. of the cheese
mixture. Dip the ball into flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Put the
cheese ball on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining cheese
mixture.
For Salad:
Combine lettuce, carrots and basil in a large bowl. Toss with dressing
to coat. Divide salad between 6 plates. Sprinkle ham on each.
Pour oil into a large heavy saucepan 1 inch deep. Heat to 375. Fry the
cheese balls in batches about 30 seconds each. Transfer cooked
cheese balls to paper towels to drain. Top each salad with a few
and serve.
