Ceasar Salad & Herbed Croutons

There's nothing better than a cool, crisp ceasar salad with delicious croutons.  Most of the time I can get a pretty good one at a nice restaurant, but a majority of the time the quality is just so-so. And the store-bought ceasar dressings are downright disgusting.  This is a great recipe that has simple ingredients and NO raw egg (which weirds me out).  It can be easily adjusted based on your taste preferences - I like mine with a little more lemon, but you can also make it a little more garlicky.  I've tried different amounts of anchovy filets and have settled with 4 - it is just the right balance for my taste buds (and Matt's, who hates anchovies.)

As for the croutons - you must make homemade croutons! For whatever reason, people are very impressed when you make your own. It is so easy and you likely have all the necessary ingredients sitting in your pantry.  If you don't have fresh herbs, you can always use dried.  You can also mix and match herbs to your liking. Aside from hating store-bought ceasar salad, I detest store-bought croutons. They lack flavor and are just filled with too many funky ingredients and preservatives. Trust me, once you have homemade croutons you will never go back!

Ceasar Salad & Herbed Croutons

For dressing

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup olive oil

For croutons and salad

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 3 3/4-inch-thick country bread slices, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 4 cups total)
• Romaine lettuce, torn
• Freshly shaved parmesan or Parmigiano-reggiano
• Cracked black pepper

Make dressing:
Combine 1/2 cup Parmesan, anchovies, lemon juice, garlic cloves, and mustard in processor or blender; blend well. With processor running, slowly add olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Make croutons and salad:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add thyme and rosemary; saute
 until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add garlic and bread cubes to skillet and toss to coat. Spread out bread cubes on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake just until croutons are golden, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Place romaine in large bowl. Add 2/3 cup dressing and toss to coat. Add croutons and toss well. Finish off with shaved Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper.