caesar salad + lemon chevre toasts

I'll be honest here.

While I do like caesar salad, and really enjoy this recipe for the dressing, this salad is mostly used to transport more of the chevre toasts to my mouth.

Doesn't everything seem healthier with a salad next to it?

And plus, since you are eating the said salad, doesn't it entitle you to more of the goat cheese slathered garlic bread sitting next to it?

I think so :)

Caesar Salad

Serves 2-4.
Did I mention that this dressing is raw-egg-free?  What can I say?  I was trying new things when I was pregnant....

Mixed greens for 2-4 people
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs
1 cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil

Put the greens in a large salad bowl and set aside.
Combine the next 7 ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth.
While the blender is on, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified and creamy.

Pour over greens, toss and serve!

Lemon Chevre Toasts
1 stick butter
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
One loaf of French bread
8 ounces good quality Chevre goat cheese, at room temperature
1 lemon
Handful thyme sprigs (to taste)
Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 350*.
Melt the butter over medium low heat.  Add smashed garlic and let slowly sizzle and brown for about 7ish minutes.  You don't want the garlic to burn but you want the butter to really get infused with the garlicky taste.

Slice the French bread into about 1/2" slices and place on a large baking sheet.
Brush the bread with the garlic butter and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned.  Remove to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, put the chevre in a medium bowl.  Zest the lemon into soft cheese.  Strip the thyme leaves off the stems straight into the mix.  (You can also chop the thyme, but I don't really find it that necessary...)

Season with salt and pepper and spread over the slightly warm toasts.  Serve immediately or at room temperature.

*If you leave them out for too long, the cheese will dry out and start to crack...still tastes perfectly fine but not so pretty...*
Enjoy!