Garlic - Lemon & Mint dressing ~ Middle East

[Twitchin Kitten]

This salad dressing is our own family recipe. It's used in the bread salad (Fatoush) I've posted and it's delicious on any salad with chicken in it. Be warned though, it's not a good salad to have on a date! It's loaded with garlic!

Garlic Lemon and Mint dressing

Ingredients:

5 good sized cloves of garlic
good amount of dried mint in the palm of your hand
1 cup or so of Lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)

With a mortar and pestle crush the garlic and mint together with a small drop or so of lemon juice (to keep things easy to manipulate) until it's all pulverized to a nice pulp.

Put this mash into a container and add the lemon juice. Cap it and give it a GOOD shake or two. Add more lemon juice if you like to dilute this some.

This keeps very well and the garlic does get stronger as it sits. You can add more lemon juice and mint to dilute the garlic if you want.

If you want to make it a full blown ready to use dressing simply add 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil to the bottle and shake well before serving.

[Angie]

Mmmmmmmmm,

This sounds so good I think I will try it tonight! I don't have any mint, what would happen if I used cilantro? I love cilantro and garlic and olive oil. What do you think would happen to the flavors?

[Twitchin Kitten]

No no! Cilantro will suck it up and make it stink like feet!

Cilantro is part of the parsley family where mint is it's own family of herbs.

[Angie]

Awwhh, I really like cilantro. Well, maybe the mint fairy will have some sent to me (lol)

[Twitchin Kitten]

The mint fairy is on the job!

[Angie]

I just made a garden salad for snacking and was gonna make my usual Italian but thought I would try some of this one (minus the mint, that is until my package arrives from the "mint-fairy" hahaha). I will let you know how it turns out anyway.

[Twitchin Kitten]

Your package should be mailed today! Matt took it with him and said there's a PO next to where he's going to be today.

When using dried mint, place some in your hand, rub together to smush it and pick out any stems left over. It's better than using a grinder because you really don't want the stems, just the fragrant leaves.

You know, when you have live, fresh mint you can pick young tender leaves and throw some in any salad too.

Remember, this dressing is very heavy on the garlic! You WILL have garlic breath for two days! Best to make EVERYONE around you eat it too this way they stink as much as you do! )

[Angie]

I am a garlic-O-holic and my family knows this I will make them eat it anyway because they always complain when I walk around the house smelling of garlic..hahaha

[Angie]

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

The "Mint Fairy" RULES!!! My package came in today....betcha can guess what I will be making for lunch

[Twitchin Kitten]

I'm happy to see it finally arrived! Was that the most heavenly scent when you opened that bag!

I sent you a double portion BTW because I still have 3 quart sized jars of it downstairs! Enjoy and get a big pot of it growing on your stoop this summer!