This is not a proper Caesar Salad.
A proper Caesar Salad is made with Romaine lettuce, and dressed with a raw egg, crushed anchovies, olive oil and lots of garlic.
And it’s made by mon mari…..
This is a very lose take on it, made by me, after the lettuce is gone but the weather still suggests salads.
The yogurt makes it creamier which works better with the pasta; the other ingredients help to keep the flavor of the original Caesar.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1 tbs chili powder
- 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/4 cups (4.2oz, 125gr) pasta – fusilli, shells, penne
- 1 tbs good olive oil
- Dressing:
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 1 tbs tarragon white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 anchovy filets, mashed or 1 tsp anchovy paste (optional)
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120gr) Greek or plain yogurt
- 2 tbs good olive oil
- 1 tbs snipped fresh chives
- 3 tbs Parmesan
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- When done, drain, put into a large serving bowl and toss with 1 tbs olive oil.
- Mix chili powder, Worcestershire and garlic.
- Slice chicken breasts into bite size pieces or strips and toss with chili powder mixture.
- Cook on barbecue grill in a pan or sauté in nonstick skillet on stove. Either way cooking time is 5 – 7 minutes over medium-high heat.
- Dressing:
- Put garlic, mustard, lemon, Worcestershire, vinegar and yogurt (and anchovies, if using) into a bowl and mix well with wire whisk.
- Slowly drizzle in olive oil whisking constantly.
- Whisk in Parmesan and chives.
- To finish:
- Add cooked chicken and 2/3 dressing to pasta and toss to mix.
- After mixing taste and add rest of dressing if you like. Serve.
I remember the waiting room at my vet’s office in the US. There were comfy chairs for the humans to sit on and toys for the dogs to play with. There was usually a big bowl of treats on the counter for good dogs. We made appointments and rarely waited for longer than 10 or 15 minutes to actually see the vet.
Here there are straight-back, plastic chairs packed into a tiny room. The usual procedure is for the human to come in first and check out the waiting animals. If the room is crowded and / or the animals are large, the human waits alone until it’s time for the vet, then goes back to the car for their pet.
There are no appointments. It’s strictly first come / first serve. When you walk in the door, you look around to note who’s ahead and then waits, patiently, until they’ve all been seen
Yesterday there were 6 dogs ahead of us. Fortunately, they were small dogs with nice humans as it was too hot to leave ours in the car. We waited just over an hour for them to get their annual vaccinations – which, along with a quick check-up, cost about $75.00 for the two of them.
Today it was my turn – just an Rx renewal of my allergy meds.
Our doc actually takes appointments…. on Tuesday. We tried that but always had to wait at least an hour anyway, so now we just go to ‘open clinic’.
Most doctors here have open clinic hours. Our doc’s hours are 8:30 – 10:00; 2:00 – 4:00; and 6:00 – 7:00 every day…. except Tuesday, of course.
It’s a ‘roll of the dice’ to try to pick the right time. I was there at 8:30 – before the doc had even arrived. The waiting room was already full. I had to wait in the doorway until the first patient was called before there was a place to sit. At 9:45, when it was finally my turn, only 2 other people were waiting after me. My cost – $25.00. That’s not the co-pay, that’s the actual charge for an office visit.
There actually is a good side to this practice or forced waiting. If you have a minor problem that should be taken care of right away, whether dog or human, you know it will be seen to during the clinic hours. You don’t have to make an appointment for next week or next month or go to Urgent Care.
When our doctor is not at the clinic he makes house calls.
Really…..
House calls.
He came to see mon mari last year after his hip replacement. You know those combination mobile phone / credit card readers servers use in restaurants? The doctors and nurses have those for home visits so they can read your health card and get your charges into the system. We pay, they submit the claim and we’re reimbursed within a few days.
I can sit in a waiting room for a few hours now and again.
Shame about the lettuce… I’m still harvesting purslaine and we cheat with some mixed leaves.
The system you describe at the doctor’s is how I remember it here in the UK as a boy. Noticing who was ahead of you and when it was your turn was a certain skill. These days we do have to make an appointment to see the doctor. Reception usually apologises if your own doctor isn’t available within a few days, but they’ll book you in to see another member of the practice, usually same or next day if you’d rather do that. Of course the major difference is we don’t pay. Anything. We love to knock the NHS, and it sure has its problems, but at least no one is wasting time and energy taking payment and refunding it.
I love this pasta dish Katie and have made one almost identical but served hot – so tasty!
When I have seen a doctor here in Marrakech, luckily only twice, i have gone to the surgery to make my appointment. The male secretary only speaks French and I am not good Frenchwise over the phone. When I have attended my appointment I have never seen a single sole waiting other than me. Cost $10 USD. Nor worth claiming on my travel insurance.
Mike, we have to make an appointment for any ‘specialist’ but not the GP – who you have to see before you can see a specialist LOL And (I think) your docs are paid a salary by the NHS, right? Both systems much better than the US where one has to pay lots and only get some back, My last doc appt there was 350 for a 5 minute check-up. As to the lettuce – I could plant now, but by this time of year I’m tired of gardening LOL
Ina, we usually have it warm – and the leftovers cold 😉
Kate, that’s interesting…. I’m not surprised about the price but am surprised that no one else was waiting.