Grilled Romaine Salad

So most of you know that I'm originally from the Midwest, specifically, Michigan.  I am and always will be a Michigander!  But home now is here in the South and I wouldn't have it any other way....there are so many incredible things that I love about living the Southern life!

That said, I do have some favorite things in Michigan that will always hold a special place in my heart!  If you've never been, West Michigan in particular, is one of the best places to live (and visit)!  I know I'm a little biased but it's great for young people, for older people and families alike.  Grand Rapids is fun and vibrant and filled with great culture - it gives you a big city feel without actually being in a huge, overwhelmingly large city.  You can drive 10 minutes out and be in the country and you're just a quick drive away from the lake shore with the beautiful picturesque Lake Michigan and all that it's beaches and quaint little lake towns have to offer!

Like any larger area, there are definitely places very worth your while in checking out, specifically to dine!  To name a few: San Chez, Leo's, Seoul Garden, Vitale's and Republic.  Republic is newer to the area but has already made it's mark and will continue to thrive downtown.  The food is fantastic, the atmosphere isn't stuffy but rather filled with great conversation and laughter and the drinks speak for themselves!  If you ever get the opportunity to visit, you should definitely check them out!  Have a cucumber martini on me (they're the best)!  For not being an Asian restaurant, their sushi is to impress and the sea scallops.....ahhhh-mazing!  But my favorite thing to get there is a salad.  Yes, a salad.  But a grilled salad, nonetheless!  They grill romaine hearts to perfection and serve them halved with candied walnuts, feta cheese and a smoky tomato basil vinaigrette....my mouth is watering as I type!

I wanted to recreate this phenomenal dish and thought it would pair perfectly with our Classic Beef Kabobs.  I did it a little bit differently, using ingredients we already had, but the flavors were still there and it was oh, so good!  Chris even liked it, which I was pleasantly surprised by - I wasn't sure how he'd feel about "grilled lettuce!" 

The depth of flavors that you get from this dish is incomparable to anything I've ever had - the smokiness from the romaine, the saltiness of the feta, the sweet crunch from the candied pecans paired with a homemade tomato and sweet basil vinaigrette was divine...absolutely divine!

Grilled Romaine Salad

Ingredients
2 Hearts of Romaine, cut in half length-wise
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 cup Pecans, chopped
5 Tbsp. Sugar
Tomato Basil Vinaigrette

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread pecans out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until toasted (about 5 minutes).  Let cool.

Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  As sugar begins to melt, start stirring more frequently until it caramelizes and turns golden-amber in color (about 5 minutes).  Remove from heat and add in the toasted pecans and toss them into the sugar mixture until all pieces are coated evenly.  Carefully spread the candied pecans back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, using 2 forks to help separate the larger clumps.  Let cool completely.

Preheat grill to med-high heat.  Brush a small amount of olive oil on the cut side of each romaine heart.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place each romaine heart, cut-side down, onto the grill and let cook for approximately 90 seconds.  Remove from heat and sprinkle cheese and pecans generously over each romaine heart.  Drizzle with dressing and serve warm.

Yield: 4 Servings
Source: With a Cherry on Top original

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Summer Orzo Salad

So, I've been a little out of it lately as far as cooking and updating things around here and I apologize.  To be honest, I really haven't done too much cooking lately.  But, it was definitely well overdue and I decided to get out of my rut, concoct a weekly menu for this week and do a little grocery shopping to make it all happen! 

As you know, we recently made these Boneless Wings and they went over tremendously well with the online community!  I've had lots of emails and comments and views regarding this recipe and it has seemed to be quite the pleaser all over.  Why wouldn't it be?  Boneless wings are great and these are super simple and delicious, giving Buffalo Wild Wings a run for their money!  It's definitely one of Chris' favorite foods and now is definitely one of his favorite meals to make.  I like making them too because it's a team effort when these bad boys go down in our house and we work really well together in the kitchen when we're not getting in each other's way!

So Boneless Wings were on the menu, again, for this past weekend.  When we make them, I usually like to accompany them with lighter side dishes since the wings are typically a little more heavy and spicy in flavor (depending on the sauce you use...we like ours spicy).  Last time I made this Black Eyed Pea & Ham Salad to go with them and while it was really tasty, I wanted to do something different.  I wanted to do a summer pasta salad of some sort.  I came across this recipe a while ago, in Everyday with Rachael Ray.  It really inspired this dish, but I adapted it quite a bit that the changes really make it stand on it's own as an entree too.

While the original recipe calls for rotini, I substituted in orzo for a light and fun twist.  In addition, I added in fresh squash and panko bread crumbs for additional flavor and textures.  This is such a light and summer dish and is great served warm or cold.  It's versatility and combination of flavors really make it hearty but not heavy.  A little grilled chicken or shrimp mixed in could go a long way!  I don't recall his exact words, but Chris really enjoyed it (so much that I caught him sneaking a helping or two out of the container in the fridge)!  This is definitely a dish we'll be eating more often and it's also great for picnics, BBQ's and summer parties alike!

Summer Orzo Salad

Ingredients
1 lb. Orzo
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
3/4 cup Panko Crumbs
3 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
2 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded
1 Med. Zucchini, sliced thinly
1 Med. Yellow Squash, sliced thinly
1 1/2 cups Corn (fresh or frozen)
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Add orzo to salted, boiling water and cook until al dente (about 10 minutes).  Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat olive oil over med-high heat.  Add in the garlic, zucchini and squash; sautee until tender (about 5 minutes).  In a small pan, toast panko crumbs over medium heat and let cool.

Drain orzo and return to pan.  Toss together the zucchini and squash mixture with the orzo.  Add in the corn; mix well.  Add in 1 1/2 cups of Swiss Cheese to the mixture and mix until cheese melts in.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To the panko crumbs, add the remaining cheese and basil; toss to combine.  Place orzo into a serving bowl and top with panko mixture.  Serve warm or cool.

Yields: 4-6 Servings
Source: Inspired by Everyday with Rachael Ray

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Black Eyed Pea & Ham Salad

Unfortunately, this weekend was not as nice as they had predicted. We had plans set for 2 weeks to hang out with some friends on the lake but Mother Nature decided to her own thing and gave us dreary and wet weather the entire time. We were nothing short of disappointed, to say the least, but we made the most of it and still hung out together and as usual, we had a great weekend with them!

In addition to our lake plans, I had high hopes of grilling out and making this recipe for a nice, summery salad I recently heard about! But, yet again, my plans were foiled. However, I did not let Mother Nature get me on all accounts, so I still decided to make this salad and we cooked inside instead. I am SO glad I made this recipe because it was so much better than what I anticipated!

Since moving to the South, I have quickly become a fan of Black Eyed Peas. If you've never had them, I highly recommend you try them sometime (I think most of you would probably enjoy them)! Despite their name, they're not peas. Not at all. They're more like a bean and a great source of protein! I think they're delicious and I usually have them warm but this salad is a refreshing way to eat them and a great pairing with practically any entree you make during these warm Spring and Summer months!

The dressing base for this salad is vinegar and I'm not a fan of the flavor of vinegar, so while I was excited to try the dish, I was also a little nervous because I wasn't sure how that flavor would come across. Honestly, I couldn't taste the vinegar at all! It was really light and the crunch of the celery and onion provided a nice texture blended with the peas and ham. And the flavors of garlic and parsley were a great accompaniment! I improvised a bit on this recipe because I didn't realize until half-way into making it, that I was out of a couple of ingredients, but nonetheless, it turned out wonderfully and both Chris and I were pleased with the addition of a new side dish to eat this year!  He even referred to it as being "the flea's knees!"  If you remember, he said this dish was "the bee's knees" so he changed it up to fleas....whatever that means!  I'll take it as a compliment though!

Black Eyed Pea & Ham Salad

Ingredients
1 cup Dried Black Eyed Peas, sorted and rinsed
1 cup Cooked Ham, cubed
1/2 Sm. Red Onion, diced
2 stalks Celery, diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 1/2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped

Directions
Add the peas to a large pot of boiling water and cook, over high heat, for 30 minutes. Drain and let cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ham, onion and celery; mix well. Add in the cooled peas along with the garlic, red pepper flakes, vinegar, oil and parsley. Toss to combine and let set to bring to room temperature before serving.

Note: I actually used 2 Tbsp. of Red Pepper Flakes and it was pretty hot (even for us) so I would cut back to at least 1 1/2 Tbsp. or less depending on how much heat you like in your dishes! Jalapeno peppers would be a great source for heat instead as well!

Yield: 4 Servings
Source: Adapted from Oishii

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Cilantro Potato Salad

I'm a sucker for starches (especially potatoes) and I absolutely LOVE cilantro!  Most people either love the herb or hate it, but for me, it's a major love-fest.  So it goes without saying the level of love that I feel when I combine the two together!

Potato salad is one of those dishes that, for some reason, I can only eat during the Spring and Summer months.  I don't know why.  I really have no reason.  That said, it is one of my favorite side dishes to eat (especially at a cookout or family gathering).

As you know, potato salad can be prepared in a variety of ways.  There is the traditional style using mayonnaise and mustard or some using just mustard (or mayonnaise for that matter). Then you have the warm, German style, some made with pesto or even different flavors of vinaigrette.  No matter what, it's deemed as one of those classic summer side dishes and a "must" for any get-together of the sort.

I love this version because it takes the traditional mayo and mustard flavor to another level by adding lots and lots of cilantro and a little bit of lemon!  The flavors are light, so you kind of feel good about eating it (at least I do), but it's just another way of preparing one of those classics we have grown to love!

Cilantro Potato Salad

Ingredients
1 lb. Baby Red Potatoes, quartered
1/3 cup Red Onion, chopped finely
1/3 cup Celery, chopped finely
1 Tsp. Garlic, minced
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 Lemon, juiced
1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
Salt
Pepper

Directions
In a large saucepan, bring potatoes to a boil and cook until tender; drain and let sit until cool.

In a large bowl, mix together the onion,celery, garlic, mayo, mustard and lemon juice. Add in the potatoes and toss to coat. Gently mix in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chill, covered, for 1 hour before serving.

Yield: 4-6 Servings
Source: Adapted from Grand Temptations

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Italian Pizza Wrap

I'm always looking for quick, healthy and tasty recipes for lunch.  I tend to get into these habits where I'll find a dish that I love to make for lunch and then after a week or two, I become bored with it.  I find that I need to switch it up often, to make things interesting and keep me excited! 

I love lunches that involve Paninis, quesadillas and wraps.  I like to be creative and come up with different and flavorful ingredients to add to these basic and easy carbohydrate bases!  I recently came across a post by another food blogger, Good Things Catered, on my Google Reader.  It was a picture of what looked to be lavash bread or possibly homemade pita with marinara sauce, cheese and a healthy looking salad on top.  It piqued my interest and immediately came to mind as a yummy lunch entree.  I quickly clicked over to her blog to desperately find this recipe to no avail.

So, when desperation mode kicks in, so does my creativity!  I figured, hey, it can't be that hard to make something similar so I searched my brain for a few ideas and with inspiration from Good Things Catered, I came up with my own version: Italian Pizza Wrap.

YUM.  Yep, that's all I can say and I have been addicted ever since!

Italian Pizza Wrap

Ingredients - Pizza Wrap
1 Lg. Flour Tortilla
2 Tbsp. Marinara or Pizza Sauce
1 cup Mixed Greens
1 handful Grape Tomatoes, sliced in half
1 Tbsp. Red Onion, diced
1 Tbsp. Creamy Italian Dressing
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, crumbled

Creamy Italian Dressing
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/3 cup White Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
1 Tsp. Vegetable Oil
4 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 Tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/2 Tsp. Parsley
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

Directions
To make dressing, combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk together until a smooth, creamy dressing is formed.  Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To make wrap, heat the tortilla in the microwave on high for 20 seconds.  Spoon the marinara on the center of the tortilla and spread it out evenly, making sure to leave 1/2" uncovered around the edge.  In a small bowl, combine the mixed greens, tomatoes and onion.  Add the dressing and toss to coat.  Spoon the mixture on top of the marinara and add the cheese.  Carefully fold one end of the tortilla in towards the center and then fold the right side of the tortilla in, pulling all of the ingredients towards you to make the wrap tight and keep the ingredients in tact.  Gently roll the tortilla to make a wrap and serve immediately.

Source: Inspired by Good Things Catered

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