Painted Desert Roasted Pepper Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

DRESSING
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon chopped onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon Mexican oregano (see note)
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
ROASTED PEPPERS
4 green chilies, mild,roasted (any combo of your choice of anaheim, New Mexico or poblanos)
1 red bell pepper, roasted
1 green bell pepper, roasted
1 yellow bell pepper, roasted
Cotija cheese or aged monterey jack cheese, crumbled or shredded,to taste (see note)
romaine lettuce or other sturdy lettuce leaf (to garnish)

Preparation

DRESSING: In a blender, puree the oils with the garlic and onion.
Strain into a large jar with a lid.
Add the remaining dressing ingredients to the jar.
Cover and shake well, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
ROASTED PEPPERS SALAD: Slice the roasted chiles and roasted bell peppers into ribbons, 1/2 inch thick.
Arrange them decoratively on a serving platter, then pour the dressing over the chiles and peppers.
Sprinkle the cheese over the pepper mixture and garnish around the edges with the lettuce.
NOTE: I did not have mexican oregano, so I used epazote, and liked the results very much.
Other possible substitutions could be savory, regular oregano, thyme, rosemary, or summer savory.
I used about 2-3 tablespoons of shredded Monterey Jack cheese per serving, and I felt that was the perfect amount.
Although the recipe did not state it, I topped it with a little bit of crushed guacamole-flavored tortilla chips.
You could do the same with regular tortilla chips too, if desired.