Suzi's Blog
Grilled Hearts of Romaine Salad with Bacon and Cheese
The bartender had a heavy hand and the waiter was slow to return to out table. As a fortunate consequence, by the time we ordered dinner, Suzen and I were in a mood to experiment.
“Grilled hearts of romaine. Doesn’t that sound interesting?” Suzen asked.
“Oh sure,” I giggled.
We ordered, we ate, we liked. It can strike you as weird, but a grilled hearts of romaine salad can be just wonderful. Familiar, yet different, and oh so beautiful.
This version, from Just Grill This! by Sam Zien, includes lots of bacon so it can easily stand on its own as a main dish. Once you have grilled the lettuce, serve this quickly. Its brilliance comes from the vibrancy of its freshness.
The recipe calls for Parmesan cheese, perhaps in tribute to Caesar Salad. With that bacon, you have other options. In the picture above, you can see we went with a strong blue cheese.
Grilled Hearts of Romaine
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 hearts of romaine, basically a scaled-down version of the whole head
- ⅓ cup of olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- 16 slice cooked bacon, crumbled
- 2 ripe medium tomatoes, diced
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt
- Croutons
Preparation:
Preheat the grill to medium.
Slice a thin piece (¼ inch) off the core end of each romaine, just to clean it up. Then cut lengthwise down the middle of each romaine heart, making two equal halves.
Brush both sides of each half lightly with olive oil and place the cut side down on the grill. Grill only a couple of minutes, just until the leaves begin to wilt. Flip and repeat.
Remove from the grill and place the cut side up on the plate.
Sprinkle about a tablespoon of vinegar on each half, then drizzle with the olive oil.
Add the bacon and tomatoes, and then top with the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add croutons and serve immediately.
Source: Just Grill This! by Sam Zien
Mini Mac and ‘Shrooms
If you grew up in the ‘50s or ‘60s, then you know what the “Green Box” was. Something from Kraft, like macaroni and cheese. The only variation my mother could come up with was to occasionally burn the top so that it was thick, crusty, and black.
There are better ways. The past couple of years has seen “mac and cheese” come back as a culinary force. Restaurants around the country let their chefs play with variations on this theme. Personally, I’m not so sure of the truffle oil versions. Mac and cheese is definitely home style comfort food. If you are going to boost your mac and cheese, you need something down home. Earthy.
Oh, mushrooms!
This recipe is easy to describe. Delicious. A tad sophisticated, perhaps, but it does not strive for truffle oil heights. No, here you can control the richness level by adjusting the kinds of cheese and mushrooms you choose.
You’ll enjoy this recipe whether it’s on the day you make it or warmed over the next day. And, sure, you can even try to cook it a little longer and get that hard crust that your mother, too, might have served. This is a food that evokes the best of memories.
Mini Mac and ‘Shrooms
Servings: 8 small servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound mezzi rigatoni (or any small pasta shape)
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound wild mushrooms, such as shiitake or oyster, stemmed and sliced
- 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 8 ounces taleggio or brie cheese, rind removed, cubed (about 1½ cups)
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes (make note of directions on the box itself). Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup cooking water.
Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon to make a paste. Cook, stirring, until the paste puffs slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking . Reduce the heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sauce is creamy, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the mushrooms and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Season with salt. Push to the side of the pan and repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
Reduce the heat under the sauce to low and whisk in both cheeses until smooth. Stir in the mushrooms and pasta and toss; adding the reserved cooking water as needed.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and toast until golden; stir in the parsley. Divide the pasta among 8 small bowls. Garnish with the breadcrumb mixture.
Source: Food Network Magazine
