Romain-ce

I <3 caesar salad. I know I say that I love a lot of things, but it's also true in this case. I believe that the root of my love of a good caesar salad is derived from my love of anchovies because I find that every salad I love has its fair share.

Today, my mother, who has been helping me cook and craft, taught me about a new trend in lettuce: grilled romaine. Now, I am not usually one to follow the latest in greens, but I can totally get on board with a grilled romaine ceasar. Martha's Grilled Simple Caesar Salad was a perfect test for this trend. After all, if Martha can't make it taste good, no one can.

Of course, I don't have a grill. This is where the good old George Foreman comes in handy. In a bind, it makes a great grill without the need for charcoal and a BBQ. After a few quick minutes and a bit of olive oil, the romaine cooked up nicely. The rest of the salad was really basic... after all, the focus was supposed to be on the fantastic grilled romaine!

The grilling paid off in dividends. I really enjoyed the slightly charred, cooked taste of the romaine, and it didn't take away from the caesar salad itself. As always, Martha is quite the trend-setter!

Recipe (from Martha Stewart):

Ingredients

-2 heads romaine lettuce, trimmed and halved lengthwise
-Extra-virgin olive oil
-Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
-2 tablespoons lemon juice
-Shaved Parmesan cheese
-2 anchovy fillets (optional)

Directions

Heat a cast-iron grill pan. Brush cut sides of the romaine with olive oil. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until charred and blackened in a few places, about 2 minutes.

Place the lettuce pieces on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and shaved Parmesan. Garnish with anchovies, if desired.