Grilling beautiful crisp romaine lettuce???  Yes!!!

I know this isn’t something new to the food world, but I had never tried it until just a few months ago.  I always thought it sounded crazy, but now I know what I was missing out on.  My husband and I had our first taste of grilled romaine at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  My mind was blown!  It was the most amazing flavor of char from the grill while still keeping it’s fresh, crisp texture.

We loved the flavor so much, we had to try it at home immediately.  Since then, it’s become our favorite salad!

Salad alone can sometimes be underwhelming, so adding veggies and chicken turns it into a filling but light dinner.  I make this one with more of a Mexican flavor by marinating the chicken in Latin spices and making a quick dressing with honey, olive oil and lime.  You can marinate the chicken for anywhere from 1 hour to overnight.

If you’re pressed for time though, just let it marinate while you’re prepping the lettuce and cutting your vegetables.  I love red onion and tomato in all my salads and for this one I add cilantro, avocado and radishes.

To grill the lettuce, all you need to do is cut the romaine heads in half, wash them, let them dry, add a little olive oil and throw them on the grill for a few minutes.  Even if you don’t have a barbeque, you can use a grill pan.  You want them to cook fast over a high heat so they maintain their crispness.

In addition to eating more salads, to keep things healthier, I’ve been making my own dressings.  I never did before because it seemed like such a pain, but that’s what Tupperware is for.  I use a few ingredients and place them in a small Tupperware container and shake it up and that’s it.

Without the chicken, it works great as a side dish to any entrée and looks beautiful if you’re serving a few guests.  I love the way all the colors look and the feta cheese brings it all together, but honestly, I’ll work cheese into just about any meal I can.

I do my best to exercise portion control and this makes it pretty easy since an individual serving is half a romaine heart.  Although, you may find yourself eating 2 or 3 because once you take a bite, you’ll want to eat the entire platter.  So, the next time you’re craving a salad or you want a quick showstopper for a dinner party, try this recipe and I’m sure it’ll become your favorite too.

Enjoy!

Grilled Romaine Salad

Makes 6 individual salads

• 3 heads of romaine
• 4 grilled lime oregano chicken breasts, cut into strips (See recipe below)
• 8 oz. grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 avocados, cubed
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 5 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
• Cilantro chopped for garnish
• Cilantro Lime dressing (see recipe below)

Heat your grill to medium high and do not cover.  You want the grill surface to be quite hot, without turning it into an oven.  While the grill is heating remove the outer, bruised or brown leaves from the romaine heads.  Cut each romaine head in half and rinse thoroughly.  Set them aside on paper towels, cut side down, to dry.  Once they are mostly dry, you can begin preparing them for the grill.  (It’s good to leave a little moisture on the romaine because you don’t want it completely dry when it hits the grill.)

Drizzle the heads with olive oil, cut side up and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.   Place each half, cut side down on the grill and let cook until dark marks form and the edges are a bit blackened.  This will take approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

Once they’re finished cooking, plate them and begin assembling right away.  Cover the romaine heads evenly with the chicken, radish, avocado, tomato, cheese, onion and cilantro.  Drizzle the entire salad with the dressing and it’s ready to serve.

Lime Oregano Chicken

• 4 thinly sliced chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 lime, juiced
• Pinch of pepper

Heat grill to medium high and do not cover.

Place the chicken breasts in a dish.  Sprinkle with garlic, smoked paprika, dried oregano, chipotle, salt and pepper.  Pour lime juice over and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Mix everything together and let it marinate for at least and hour up to overnight.  Place on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until done.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ancho (If you don’t like much heat, use less or omit)

Place all ingredients in a small Tupperware container.  Stir around with a spoon to loosen up the honey a little.  Put the lid on, hold tightly and shake until everything is combined.