Cauliflower, Broccoli, Olive Salad With A Parmesan Dressing

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups broccoli, cut in bite size pieces
• 2 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut in bite size pieces
• 1 medium onion, cut in quarters and thin sliced
• 1 small fennel bulb, cut in half and thin sliced
• 1 cup kalamata olive, cut in half (i prefer kalamata, but black will work just fine, i wouldn't suggest green olives)
• 6 slices bacon, diced and sauteed until crisp
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (more if you want, according to your taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
• salt
• pepper
• parmesan cheese, fresh grated

Recipe

• 1 dressing -- in a small bowl, mix the milk, mayo, parmesan, lemon juice, worcestershire, parsley, salt and pepper. refrigerate until ready for use.
• 2 bacon -- in a small sauce pan over medium heat, saute the bacon until crispy and brown. remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. keep for later.
• 3 vegetables -- bring a large pot of water to a medium rolling boil. salt well. add the broccoli and cook 3-4 minutes until slightly tender, not soft. we are just blanching them. remove and immediately immerse to a bowl filled with ice water and ice cubes. you want to stop the cooking process and keep the bright green color. remove after a minute or so and let drain on a paper towel lined plate.
• 4 do the same for the cauliflower. again, drain well.
• 5 salad -- now i prefer this salad room temperature or even warm, but you can easily serve this chilled. you can warm up the vegetables right in the microwave for just a minute or so, or you them as soon as they are blanched, or even just served them chilled. either way, they are all equally as good.
• 6 finish -- just toss the broccoli, cauliflower, olives, fennel and onion in a medium size bowl, and mix to combine. then add in a little dressing at a time until you reach the consistency you prefer. some like it more creamy than others, so just add as much dressing as you like.
• 7 serve -- just garnish with the bacon and you can also add fresh grated parmesan if you want.
• 8 enjoy!