Grilled Romaine Addiction.

2013-05-16T20:07:55-07:00

Once I find something I like, I revisit it often. Okay... yes, obsess over it might be a more accurate description. Take this Grilled Romaine Salad. I know, you foodies out there are rolling your eyes and calling me out-of-date. For you, the newness of grilled lettuce has lost its 'a-ha' edge. But for late comers like me, I'm still in the obsession phase.

I'm fairly certain I recall having a spectacular grilled romaine salad many years ago at one of the restaurants my chef brother worked. Why I didn't race right home and make my own that very minute, I'm not sure. Instead, I "rediscovered" it last weekend at a lakeside restaurant. I was amazed, AMAZED, at the intensity of flavor! Given that romaine tends to be my favorite of the lettuces (it must be that crispness) made it that much more spectacular. It's also easy, too. Another plus for dinner after work!

So, grilled romaine was on our home dinner menu a couple nights later. And it was just as good. In fact, even better because of the creamy italian dressing (I use my homemade garlicky mayo and mix in an italian seasoning blend). And then, grilled romaine was on the menu the next night. And the next.... In fact, I might or might not admit to eating a whole plate full for dinner another night. All to myself.

So, for those of you who have not experienced the yumminess of grilling yourself up some lettuce, run right out to your grill and try it! I like mine a little on the browned side (more flavor), but feel free to pull yours off the grill a little earlier if you don't like it as browned.

Grilled Romaine Salad

Ingredients:

3 heads of Romaine

A little olive oil

This Homemade Garlicky Mayo

1 T. Italian Seasoning mixture, mixed in

Method.

Heat your gas grill over medium. This is the time to use one of those grill grates. Preheat that, as well. Slice off the ends of the romaine very thinly so it doesn't not come apart. Slice it in half length-wise. Brush the cut side with a little olive oil. Place the romaine on the grill grate, cut side down. Allow it to brown on that side, checking regularly. You want some browning, but you also want it to remain crisp.

To serve, you can spread a little of the dressing on the plate and lay the romaine on top. For ease, I cut the romaine into chunks, but if you want more of a presentation, you can serve it whole.

Lay the romaine on the dressing or next to it. Additionally, you can sprinkle the romaine with parmesan shavings. Yum!

Food for the Week Ahead.

2013-05-13T20:26:14-07:00

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It’s been awhile here. So much has changed in my life. I work in a library. I work full-time. And I still make things. But I’m busy. Very, very busy.

My level of mid-week stress hinges upon my level of completed chores over the weekend. There are the usual chores, such as laundry, vacuuming, and such, but the chores that really affect my stress level are my kitchen chores.

That is, food prep.

It’s not fun coming home at 6 PM on a Wednesday evening with nothing for dinner. Not to mention weekday mornings without lunchbox ingredients. I’m not one to run to the fast-food joint, but I am one to stop by the store and pick up dinner supplies in desperation. And that’s never a good idea for one’s food budget--- heck, for as much as I’ve spent on one of those desperate forays, we could have went out to a fine meal!

So instead, I draw upon my experience working in food establishments and play prep cook.

When I first started this weekly routine, I wrote down a list of items to make for the week ahead. Now, it’s mostly habit and because of that, I’m pretty efficient. I do switch it up a bit with the seasons, but I always have certain items on hand for the week ahead: homemade mayo, boiled eggs, some sort of protein (often, it’s this slow-cooker shredded chicken), fresh veggies washed and prepped, and some par cooked veggies.

I don’t sit down and write up menus for the week. That doesn’t work for us. On any given evening, we might not feel like making the planned dinner. Instead, I have ingredients ready for finishing off, depending on our mood.

A caveat: I enjoy cooking and tooling around the kitchen. While items cook, I browse the internet or work on a sewing project. I have friends that don’t like cooking. At all. The idea of spending a few hours on their weekend cooking for the week ahead fills them with dread, but it also means relying upon packaged and/or fast food during the week. It’s a choice. I prefer to eat healthy and reduce my anxiety, and I’ll gladly invest my time on the weekend for eating better during the week. But again, that’s my prerogative.

So, this week’s prep included:

Garlic Mayo (made with light olive oil)
Hard boiled eggs
Shredded Chicken
Citrus Pork Carnitas
5 lemons, juiced to have fresh lemon juice on hand
Cumin rubbed Sweet Potato Fries
Braised Cabbage
Baked Potatoes
Lightly braised Green Beans to finish off later
Shredded Brussels Sprouts
Cauliflower prepped for making Creamy Smashed Cauliflower
Lettuce prepped for weekday lunches
Carrot sticks
making Tahini (for making hummus later in the week)

I'll write up a list of what’s ready in the refrigerator for my kids--- it also prompts my bad memory, too!

Later this week, I’ll post some of the ways I used these items!

Berlin's Whimsy

Grilled Romaine Addiction.

Food for the Week Ahead.