Romaine Salad with Apple, Pecan, Red Onions and Cider Vinaigrette

 I try out a lot of recipes. But I only give you my best ones, the real keepers. This salad is one I have made many times. It’s truly scrumptious and a hit with everyone who's tried it. It’s also a good Caveman Diet recipe: raw greens, onion, fruit and nuts.

This dressing is enough to dress many salads. Cut it in half if you don’t want a bunch of extra. It can be kept in the fridge and used for a couple of weeks on any green salad.

1 ¼ C vegetable oil

1/3 C cider vinegar

3 T frozen apple juice concentrate

2T minced red onion or shallots

1 ¾ t salt

½ t ground nutmeg

½ t ground ginger

¼ t ground black pepper

½ C very thinly sliced red onion.

2 Gala apples, peeled or not, diced or sliced

2 heads of romaine lettuce

¾ C pecans, lightly toasted (about four or five minutes in a 350° oven)

Whisk the first 8 ingredients, for the dressing, in a small bowl. Place sliced onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand 30 minutes, then drain well.

Place 1/3 C dressing in another small bowl. Add apples and toss to coat.

Serve the romaine, dressing, nuts, apples and onions separately and let everyone dress his or her own salad. By not adding the dressing to the whole salad, any leftover lettuce stays fresh for the next day. I always try to have plenty for two meals. Last night, we started with a three-pack of romaines. We ended up with only enough for my two big kids to each have a small salad for their lunch boxes today.

Adapted from Bon Appétit

©French Kids Don’t Get Fat / Anna Migeon / 3 March 2009 / All rights reserved