As we close with the last few weeks of summer, I decided to make a healthier version of Caesar salad. My hubby and I recently had our 10 year anniversary. We went out to dinner to a new restaurant and had a delicious Caesar salad. But what made it so special was that it had fried capers and little pieces of prosciutto in the salad! Those two extra ingredients really made the salad unique! As soon as I had it, I knew I had to re-make it into a healthier version by using my favorite go-to salad dressing. It’s made with yogurt! It’s low in calories, fat, sodium, sugar, has no preservatives, and has no artificial colors or flavors. You can find it in the refrigerated section in the produce department. Make your own whole grain croutons, if possible. I highly suggest it! (recipe to follow soon) And for a little extra indulgence, make my Parmesan crisps. So go ahead, have a Caesar salad without the guilt!

-Tammy

Health tips: Low carb, low fat, heart healthy, diabetes friendly

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 1 head of romaine lettuce
• Parmesan cheese (either in a package already shredded or from a block you can shred yourself with a fine grater)
• Croutons (I didn’t have any leftover bread, so I used the packaged croutons that you can find on the produce aisle)
• 1 small jar of capers, drained and patted dry with a paper towel
• Olive oil
• 4-6 slices of prosciutto (depending on how long they are)
• Caesar salad dressing (Pictured below is my favorite, go-to healthy version of this dressing. It’s made with yogurt and it’s delicious!) But you can always make Caesar salad dressing (look for this recipe coming soon!)

Steps

1. Preheat the oven at 400 degrees.
2. Drain capers and dry on a paper towel-lined plate. In a small pan, heat about ¼ inch of olive oil over medium-high heat. Fry the capers a few minutes until they start to burst open. With a slotted spoon, take them out and cool on a paper towel-lined plate.

3. Line a sheet pan (AKA cookie sheet) with parchment paper. Lay the pieces of prosciutto on one side. To make the Parmesan crisps, use a tablespoon to measure and add one heaping mound of Parmesan cheese onto the other side of the sheet and pat down slightly. Repeat until you have 8 mounds, spacing them apart a little. Put the prosciutto and cheese in the oven for 5-6 minutes, until the cheese is a light golden brown and the prosciutto is crispy. Once cooled, break prosciutto into smaller pieces.

4. Wash and cut your romaine lettuce and put into large bowl. Toss romaine with salad dressing. Divide into 4 bowls. Top with croutons, fried capers, prosciutto pieces, a sprinkle of extra parm cheese, and the Parmesan cheese disks (which you can leave whole or break into pieces). Cheers!