Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad

First of all, thanks so much for all of the kind wishes on our new home. We're settling in nicely and the Type A in me can't let it rest until every little thing finds a place. We are by no means "done," but it's starting to feel like we actually live here.

On one of our many recent trips to the hardware store (seriously, I feel like we go daily), we had some priority shopping to do. A GRILL! We are now the proud owners of a genuine Weber grill and I know there is tasty stuff to come. You see, I grew up with a Weber-purist for a father, so I've been endlessly lectured on the true benefits of charcoal over gas. And there is no sense in trying to fight him on it, because your mouth is probably full.

I've never had a nice grill before, so this is seriously exciting. In Chicago we had a Craigslist gas grill, that while crappy, served us well. True story... when we bought the thing, it wouldn't fit in our car and the Husband pushed it home a mile. Have I mentioned he's the best?

But anyway, back to the grilling. We now have an awesome grill and I'm planning some awesome grilled stuff. First up? Grilled Romaine Caesar. You've surely all had a pitiful Caesar salad from you local fast-casual restaurant, but let me tell you, the real deal is so much better. And when you grill the romaine too? Yum!

I know... grilling lettuce sounds weird, but it gives this great smoky flavor and brings out the sweetness of your greens. The char gives you an extra bit of crunch too. 

Simply halve romaine hearts and pop on the grill when your chicken is almost done. I love to grill bread, instead of croutons too. Brings it all together.

Drizzle with homemade caesar dressing and enjoy immediately. I'm usually big on leftovers, but this is a recipe that is a night-of kind of thing. 

Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (or just 2 if they're big)

2 hearts of romaine, halved lengthwise

1 clove garlic

2 teaspoons anchovy paste

1 egg yolk

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

1/2 cup grated parmesan

salt and pepper

4 slices crusty bread

Preheat grill. Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium direct until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (about 4-6 minutes per side). 

While chicken grills prepare dressing by combining garlic, anchovy paste, egg yolk, lemon juice, olive oil and parmesan in a food processor. Buzz until combined and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Remove chicken from grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. 

Brush bread with a bit of dressing on each side and grill for 1-2 minutes per side. Rub romaine hearts with remaining olive oil and grill for 1 minute, cut side down. 

Drizzle dressing over chicken and romaine and serve immediately with grilled bread. Enjoy!

Simple Secrets: Adobo Chicken

I'm usually one for fresh ingredients, but still certainly have a few pantry staples. One of my favorites is canned chipotle peppers. These smoked jalapenos can be found in petite cans with adobo sauce and lordy, it makes an easy marinade.

If you like spicy and smokey, you'll die for this quick sauce. A quick buzz in the food processor and you've got a delicious flavoring for grilled chicken. Chop it up and you've got saucy tacos ready for any taco Tuesday. Tacos not your jam? Try this solo or to spice up a salad.

Simply combine the canned peppers with fresh lime juice and garlic in a food processor. Buzz, brush and grill.

I usually reserve a bit of the marinade to toss with the cooked meat, especially if I'm making tacos. It gives the extra saucy punch and whew... brings delicious heat.

Layer the adobo chicken into corn tortillas and add cabbage, cilantro and avocado. This flavorful meat will give even the best taquerias a run for their money. And who knew it could be so easy?

Adobo Chicken
1 can chipotle chilis, in adobo sauce
Juice of 1 lime
2 garlic cloves
3 chicken breasts (I prefer bone-in for grilling)

Combine chilis and sauce with lime juice and garlic in a food processor. Buzz until smooth and combined. Reserve a 1/2 cup sauce and brush the rest over chicken.

Grill chicken over medium-direct heat for 6-10 minutes or until 165 degrees internally. Remove from grill and allow to rest about 10 minutes. If preparing tacos, chop and toss with remaining sauce. This chicken is also excellent on its own or over salad. Enjoy!

Lemon Jalapeno Chicken

Some restaurant dishes just stick with you. I always marvel at the flavor combinations that the pros come up with and it doesn't have to be fancy to be memorable. Fish Bar in Chicago has this tasty basket of fried onions, lemons (including peel) and jalapenos. Holy yum... best $4 appetizer I've ever had. Cruel reality is, I don't live there any more, so I decided to borrow from the flavors to mix up grilled chicken.

Honey chars the skin and counters jalapeno heat with sticky sweetness. Grilled onions and lemon lend bitter depth. Not your average grilled chicken.

Another cruel reality... I'm losing natural daylight during dinnertime and have yet to "figure out" my new artificial light situation. Thanks for you patience. Excuse the shiny-ness.

Lemon Jalapeno Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

1 chicken, quartered

2 lemons

4 jalapenos, 2 sliced and 2 left whole

2 onions, sliced

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, honey, cider vinegar, juice and zest of one lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place chicken in a large freezer bag, along with two sliced jalapenos. Pour marinade over chicken and seal bag. Allow chicken to marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Remove chicken from fridge about 30 minutes before grilling. Discard marinade and sliced jalapenos. 

Preheat grill and then grill chicken over direct high heat. Skin will blacken (it's just fine). A few minutes before chicken finishes, grill onion slices, two remaining jalapenos and halves of remaining lemon. Remove chicken from grill when internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Allow chicken to rest and squeeze grilled lemon over chicken while it's resting. 

Enjoy chicken with sliced onion and charred jalapenos...they will be hot!

Rosemary Steak Bites

I raided my family's herb garden the other day. Isn't that one of the great pleasures of living near family? Mooching off their stuff? When you've got such beautiful plants to work with, it doesn't take much to make your dinner taste good. So take advantage of these gorgeous herbs before getting sucked down the all-things-pumpkin vortex of fall.

With such big strong stalks of rosemary, it seemed like a waste to peel the leaves from the stem. Big, strong stems... insert your "that's what she said joke here." But seriously, they were woodsy and burly enough to use as a skewer. Like, a delicious flavor-infusing skewer. #SuckItBamboo

The morning before dinner, slice up your steaks into large chunks and toss in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and a few bits of rosemary. Refrigerate and let it get good.

You'll poke a pilot hole through each steak bite with a skewer and then pass the rosemary stalk through, stem end first.

Grill over high-direct heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, taking care not to break the stalk when turning.

I ended up serving with a variation of my summer herb corn salad, this time adding one bunch of grilled green beans. Savor the summer while you still can.

Rosemary Steak Bites

1-2lbs sirloin steak, cut into 2-inch chunks

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

6-8 rosemary stalks

Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Roughly chop 2 stalks rosemary and stir into marinade, along with steak chunks. Refrigerate, covered, for a few hours. 

Remove steak from fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. Use a skewer to poke pilot holes through the middle of each steak bite, and then load 3 onto each stalk of rosemary. 

Grill over direct-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side, taking care not to break the rosemary when turning. Remove from grill when internal temperature of the steak is 120 degrees. Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Weeknight Dinner: Grilled Pork Chops and Peaches

I had an interesting conversation with a friend the other day in which she said she loved reading the blog because she liked looking at dishes she "could never make." Bless her heart because I know she meant it as a compliment and I appreciate every eyeball on this little 'ole blog, but part of me died a little when I heard that.

It's my greatest pleasure to hear about when people make one of my dishes and enjoy it. Window shopping is fun, but what's the point if you guys don't feel like you can make this stuff? Food blogger reality check.

Spending an extended period of time on a Sunday afternoon cooking something challenging is about my favorite thing in the world (plus wine, of course). But let's get real... there's not always the time and many of you are trying to keep tiny people alive day in and out (mad props, seriously). Not to mention, I'd be 20lbs heavier if we ate tagine and risotto every night.

With all this said, I'm going to start sharing more of the stuff we eat during the week. Like the stuff I throw together whilst complaining to the Husband about endless meetings or figuring out when the dog goes to the groomer. We still eat well during the week, but it's always a lot less composed. Think of these posts more as idea-starters than tried-and-true recipes. I'll try my best to inspire, because there ARE simple and healthy foods that can be prepared quickly.

As a caveat to this whole rant, I am blessed to have incredible lady friends that I've known most of my life. They put up with my endless shenanigans and constantly inspire me (sometimes unintentionally). #TheLuckiest

So let's get real with a Monday night dinner...

The pork chops were huge, so the Husband and I split one and saved the rest for leftovers. Hello, lunch. I also decided halfway through that this would be awesome with a spinach salad, so try that for yo'self!

Grilled Pork Chops and Peaches
4 bone-in pork chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick
4 peaches, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons dried mustard
Dijon or whole grain mustard for garnish

Preheat grill. Rub down both sides of chops with olive oil, salt, pepper and mustard. Grill over medium-direct heat for about 5-6 minutes per side, until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Grill peaches for about 3 minutes per side.

Allow meat to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with grilled peaches and a dollop of good-quality dijon or grainy mustard. Would also be tasty atop baby spinach. Enjoy!

Caprese Steak Salad

I've made it no secret that my favorite dish in the world is fresh caprese salad. In peak tomato season, it's simply the perfect meal. But occasionally I'm looking for something more substantial. The call of the grill caught me and a balsamic-marinated steak was a tasty addition. And a bit of peppery arugula was just right to balance out the rich steak.

The marinade uses the same ingredients as the traditional caprese dressing, so no special ingredients needed and it only takes a moment.

And a quick grill adds flavor. Tastes like summer.

I always prefer steak on the rare side, but especially so on salads. The last thing you want is the chew of a gray steak on your fresh, crunchy greens.

 Assemble and done.

Isn't she just so gorgeous?

Caprese Steak Salad
1 1/2 lbs tri-tip steaks
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus some for drizzling
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, plus some for drizzling
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 cups arugula, washed
3-4 tomatoes, sliced
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced
1/4 cup basil, chopped

Whisk together olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Toss steaks in mixture, coating both sides, and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least a few hours.

Preheat grill and remove steak from refrigerator, giving it time to come-up to room temperature. Grill steaks over medium-direct heat until they reach an internal temperature of 120 degrees. They will be rare. Allow steaks to rest for 5-10 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain.

Assemble arugula and top with tomatoes, mozzarella, steak and basil. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and then drizzle desired amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Hot Sweet Shrimp with Coconut Rice

Even food bloggers get stuck in a rut. For all the recipe development, blog reading and pinning I do, you would think we'd always be eating something different. Truth is, just like you, I find myself reverting back to the same things over and over. Sometimes its a celebration of things you love and sometimes you just need to break free.

Read the rest of this post with Queen's "I Want to Break Free" playing. Sidenote -- Never realized how drag fabulous this music video is. Amazing. 

Yes, it is the season of tomatoes, corn and BBQ, but there are so many other refreshing dishes to consider. "I want to break free." The clean herb flavors and bright citrus notes of many Asian dishes always attract me when it's warm, so I decided to put together this rice dish, punctuated with sweet, creamy coconut. "God knows I want to break free."

Paired with fresh-grilled hot and spicy shrimp and perfectly charred red pepper and pineapple; this rice is sure to break you out of your summer salad rut. "I've fallen in love. I've fallen in love for this first time."

With so many ingredients available at groceries stores and bevy of cultures to inspire us, why would we ever eat the same thing over and over? "I've GOT to break free."

  

Hot Sweet Shrimp with Coconut Rice
2 cups brown basmati rice, thoroughly rinsed
3 cups water
1 cup coconut cream (or coconut milk if you'd like to go lighter)
3 inches ginger, peeled; slice 2 quarter-inch pieces and mince the rest
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped
2 shallots, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup toasted almonds, toasted
4 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of 2 limes
1/3 cup honey
3 tablespoons sriracha
1lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1/2 pineapple, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 red peppers, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Combine rice, water, coconut cream and ginger slices in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until all liquids absorb, about 35-45 minutes. Remove ginger slices. Allow to cool slightly.

While rice is cooking, heat grill over medium heat. Skewer shrimp, pineapple and red pepper; keeping each separate of one another. Combine honey, sriracha and 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a small bowl; set aside. Wipe down grill with vegetable oil. Grill shrimp for 2 minutes per side. Pineapple and red peppers will take about 4 minutes per side. When each skewer is just about finished, brush with sriracha sauce on each side. Allow shrimp to rest for 5 minutes before removing from skewer.

Toss rice with minced ginger, cilantro, basil, shallots, green onions, almonds, remaining soy sauce and lime juice. Serve shrimp, pineapple and red peppers over coconut rice. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

BBQ Ribs

With some foods you just need to get your hands dirty. Like sticky, saucy, finger-licking good. No bourgeois forks and knives -- man up and dig in with those paws. Ribs are one such food. Use of utensils should be banned. And you'd look patently ridiculous if you tried. This is 'Merica for god's sake!

So with the the biggest of American holidays nearly upon us, I implore you to eat like a real American and dig in to some BBQ ribs. Of course being a vegetarian or passing on pork doesn't make you less of an American -- maybe less interesting -- but still American...but follow along with my joke, alright?

In our house, this is the Husband's territory. His father has a tried-and-true technique that results in fall off the bone, juicy ribs every time.

I should give myself a bit of credit; the husband does the ribs and I do the sauce. My sauce simmers away as the Husband gets to work. That's what she said...

Start by puncturing the ribs on both sides with a fork and then you'll pour orange juice over them. The acid in the juice helps tenderize the ribs, so you'll leave it on for a few hours.

Once marinated and tenderized, you'll cook the ribs low and slow in the oven for about two hours. Then a quick finish on the grill with the sauce for a bit of char.

Carve up and dig in. Use your hands... go America.

BBQ Ribs
2 racks pork baby back ribs
1/2 cup orange juice
1 batch homemade BBQ sauce

Use a fork to prick holes on both sides of ribs. Pour orange juice over ribs and place in freezer bags. Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove ribs from bag and place on a sheet pan. Cook in oven for two hours, turning halfway through. When 1 hour remains on ribs, combine BBQ sauce ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes to one hour. Remove ribs from oven.

Preheat grill over high heat. Baste ribs in BBQ sauce and place over direct heat on the grill. Cook ribs for 15 minutes, or until desired char is achieved. Baste twice while grilling.

Serve with remaining sauce on the side and enjoy!

Thai Steak Salad

Before I left Chicago, I put together one last quick meal in the tiny kitchen. It was a bittersweet endevour to say the least, but the outcome couldn't have been better. Between the going away dinners and packing up the kitchen (I have wayyyyyy too many white dishes), we were eating out nearly every night. We need some lighter, fresh fare to balance. 

Thai Steak Salad is one of my favorite options for when you're craving bright crunch, but need some substance to fill you. I never once saw this on a menu during my time in Thailand, so I can't claim that the execution is authentic, but fish sauce and loads of fresh herbs really do harken back to the incredible cuisine found there. And especially as we head into the heat of summer, this is a great recipe to have up your sleeve(less?).

Green stuff is really at the heart of this dish's flavor and your fingers will smell delicious after prepping it all. There are certainly circumstances in which dried herbs are a find substitute for fresh, but this simply isn't one of them. The herbs will not only provide flavor, but will be part of the leafy greens of the salad. Green onions, lime and cucumbers join the green party like it's St. Patty's (with less morning drunkenness, of course).

Thai basil, mint and cilantro are at the center of attention at this salad party. Each bringing a different flavor note, to build bright complexity. Traditional fresh basil would work just fine here, I just happened to stumble upon Thai basil at the store this week. This variation has slightly more licorice flavor and a sharper pointed leaf. But again, regular ole' fresh basil would be just as good.

A word on chopping herbs... they can be sensitive little bitches. Yes, I just called herbs bitches. They deserve it for so easily bruising. The easiest technique I've found is to stack them up and roll them into an "herb cigarette" and slice. Some of you may be more experienced than others with this rolling technique. I always have to laugh when I see Martha Stewart-types doing this on TV. I'm also very mature.

I had my butcher fillet the hangar steaks so that they were nice and thin. Skirt steak would work here too, but I think hangars have a lovely tenderness. Just be sure it's something cut thin, so that you can easily eat in a salad.

This is where you're all about to get uncomfortable... there is fish sauce in this recipe. You know how Thai food and other Asian takeout never tastes the same at home? It's because we're all terrified of the easy-to-find, yet unfamiliar Asian condiments used to create the flavorful sauces. Do you want to put fish sauce on your cereal? Probably not, but this is the stuff that gives the dressing its authentic flavor. Trust me. Fear not condiments.

Once grilled-off, thinly slice your steaks and top with the goodie herbs, veggies and dressings. See that fish sauce wasn't so bad, right? Or are you still distracted by my joint joke earlier?

Thai Steak Salad
1 1/2 lb hangar steak, filleted and at room temperature
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped Thai basil
1/2 cup chopped mint
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
4-5 green onions, chopped
3 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sriracha

Preheat grill over high heat. Brush vegetable oil on steaks and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-high and grill steaks over direct heat for 3-5 minutes per side until medium-rare (times may vary depending on the thickness of your steaks).

While the steaks rest, combine basil, mint, cilantro, onions, lettuce and cucumber in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and sriracha for dressing.

Thinly slice your steaks against the grain and arrange atop lettuce mixture. Lightly dress salad and enjoy.