I got this idea from the marvelous new Rick Bayless restaurant in Chicago, Xoco, where I had a simple salad with dressing that was so remarkable, I asked the chef for her recipe and whether I could bring a bottle of it home.
She told me the ingredients but said it's so perishable that they make it fresh every day--alas, not possible to bottle the stuff.
To accompany our Valentine's Day dinner (main dish recipe below), I tried to approximate Xoco's dressing on a broccoli slaw base. At this time of year, however, they didn't have cilantro at the market so I had to substitute parsley, which affected the results.
Also note that you can adjust the liquid ingredients (half & half, olive oil) to make the dressing more or less thick. For instance, if you want to serve it on lettuces, it would be better at a thinner consistency.
Recipe: Broccoli Slaw with Avocado-Lime Dressing
(Makes 4 servings)
For the dressing:
In a food processor, puree two-thirds of a very ripe avocado with the juice of one lime, a handful of parsley or (preferably) cilantro, 2 T fat free half and half*, 2 T olive oil, a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt and pepper. When smooth, taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
Note: Sour cream would be ideal here, but I didn't have any on hand. A reader busted me in a comment about using fat free h&h, saying it's "chemicals." If anyone knows an acceptable (& healthier) substitute for the stuff, especially that will taste good in my hot tea and coffee, please post a comment.
For the salad:
Place one package broccoli slaw in a large salad bowl. Stir in 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into small strips, and 1 T rinsed capers.
Pour dressing on salad and toss well.
When serving, slice the remaining avocado onto plates.
