Spicy Italian Salad

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup tarragon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 0.5 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (8 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 5 cups romaine lettuce – rinsed, dried, and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 0.25 cup black olives
• 0.25 cup pitted green olives
• 0.5 cucumber, sliced
• 2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
• ground black pepper to taste

Steps

1. In a medium container with a lid, mix canola oil, tarragon vinegar, sugar, thyme, dry mustard, and garlic. Cover, and shake until well blended. Place artichoke hearts in mixture, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator, at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. In a large bowl, toss together lettuce, red bell pepper, carrot, red onion, black olives, green olives, cucumber, and Romano cheese. Season with pepper. Pour in artichoke and marinade mixture; toss to coat.