Frisee Salad with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I love garlic. Lots and lots of garlic. Fresh garlic, roasted garlic, garlic butter, you name it, I want it.

When cooking, I usually add double the garlic the recipe calls for. I have only made one thing EVER that I shouldn’t have added more garlic to. Basically, if you are coming to my house for dinner, you should probably bring some after dinner mints.

So when I stumbled upon this recipe, this is what came to my mind. “Self. This is serious. This is a light, delicious salad that is going to taste just like garlic. If you don’t make this soon I will hurt you.”

And there is nothing funny about self mutilation. So, I did as I was told.

Pre-blended dressing


Post-blended dressing


I realize that when there is an extra step in the directions like “roasted” or “sautéed” it is a deterrent, but don’t be fooled. The extra step was to bend over and put the garlic cloves on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. If you don’t like bending over, then this dish is not for you and you should probably reevaluate some personal issues.


Now if bending over is not an issue for you, go home tonight and try this recipe. If you want to make it a little heartier, add some grilled chicken to make it a complete meal. You can thank me by bringing some by my place. I’ll be waiting.


Love and Beer Floats
Angela

P.S. I also like this salad because I like frisee. It reminds me of little trees branches.


P.P.S. Don’t add extra garlic to pesto. It kills the flavor.

Ingredients
Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette:
8 cloves garlic, roasted and peeled
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Frisee Salad:
1/2 pound frisee, washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 plum tomatoes, quartered
Parmigiano-Reggiano, thinly shaved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Chopped cilantro

Directions
For the vinaigrette:
Combine the garlic, vinegar, mustard, honey, lime juice and salt and pepper, to taste, in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified.

For the salad:
Place the frisee in a large bowl, add 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper, to taste and toss to coat. Put the tomatoes in a bowl, add a few tablespoons of the dressing, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to coat. Divide the frisee among 4 to 6 large plates, arrange 3 of the tomato quarters around the perimeter of each plate. Garnish with shaved cheese and chopped cilantro. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve.