CAULIFLOWER, BROCCOLI, OLIVE SALAD WITH A PARMESAN DRESSING

Cauliflower, Broccoli, Olive Salad With a Parmesan Dressing image

Provided by SarasotaCook

Time 40m

Yield 6-8 Salad size servings, 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 16

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

Steps:

Dressing -- In a small bowl, mix the milk, mayo, parmesan, lemon juice, worcestershire, parsley, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready for use.
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.
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.
Do the same for the cauliflower. Again, drain well.
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.
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.
Serve -- Just garnish with the bacon and you can also add fresh grated parmesan if you want.
ENJOY!