South of the Border Salad

I love the recipe for caesar salad in Alicia Silverstone's book "The Kind Life".

If you haven't tried it, I recommend you do. It's delicious and great to serve to the non vegans in our lives. Everyone I've served it to loves it.

My garden has recently exploded with cilantro. It dies off in the summer, but as soon as a little cooler weather comes out it pops again like a lovely surprise.

I decided to make Alicia's caesar salad dressing, but add a bunch of cilantro and make a yummy south of the border inspired salad. It was delicious and you might want to try it.

Salad dressing

2 tablespoons blanched almonds
3 garlic cloves chopped
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons shoyu
1 tablespoons tahini
3 tblsp fresh lemon juice
2 tablsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of cilantro roughly chopped
1/4 cup water

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

I like to make a salad hearty enough for dinner. It's perfect to add beans and rice and then you have a complete protein too. Add anything you like, but this was my combo.

My salad included lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and grated carrot, all from my garden, sliced jicama, avocado, black beans, brown rice and kalamata black olives.

Pour dressing over the top, or mix into salad, whichever you prefer.