Butter Lettuce Salad with Carrot Dressing

[chief_cook2]

Dressing
1 cup canned or fresh carrot juice
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup light olive oil
3 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar


Cheese Balls
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 cup milk(lowfat can be used)
1 cup fresh sourdough breadcrumbs

Salad
2 head butter lettuce(or other of your choice)
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 cup fresh basil, shredded
1/2 cup matchstick slices of good ham

Vegetable or Peanut oil for deep frying

For Dressing:
Boil carrot juice with garlic in saucepan until reduced in half
(about 7 minutes). Cool. Whisk olive oil and vinegar in a small
bowl until well mixed. Whisk in carrot mixture. Season with
salt and pepper if desired. Use dressing at room temperature.

For Cheese Balls:
Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Mix cheese in processor
or blender until smooth. Place flour in a small bowl. Mix eggs and
milk in another bowl. Put breadcrumbs in another bowl. Cover your
hands lightly with flour. Make a cheeseball with one tbsp. of the cheese
mixture. Dip the ball into flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Put the
cheeseball on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining cheese
mixture.

For Salad:
Combine lettuce, carrots and basil in a large bowl. Toss with dressing
to coat. Divide salad between 6 plates. Sprinkle ham on each.
Pour oil into a large heavy saucepan 1 inch deep. Heat to 375. Fry the
cheeseballs in batches about 30 seconds each. Transfer cooked
cheeseballs to paper towels to drain. Top each salad with a few
and serve.