This salad is amazing! Really. Simple to make with a smoky flavor and crunchy texture that is totally different when it comes to salads. I like to make this when I'm grilling something else. You need a hot grill but you're only going to have the romaine on it for a couple of minutes, so it's not worth lighting the grill just to make this salad. I even impressed my chef son with this one. Here's what you'll need:

Romaine hearts (1/2 per person)
Parmesan cheese
bacon (i slice per serving)
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

Start by cutting the bacon into small pieces and rendering it in a skillet until cooked. Remove and drain on paper towel.

Slice each head of Romaine in half lengthwise.

Drizzle both side of the Romaine with olive oil then season with salt and pepper.

Put each half on a hot grill, just until it is seared. If your grill is good and hot, this shouldn't take more than a minute. Turn and grill the other side. All you're trying to do here is get some grill marks and smoky flavor. You still want the lettuce to be crunchy. The total time on the grill should be less than 3 minutes or it will start to wilt and get soggy.

Now it's time to dress it. Sprinkle on the grated parmesan cheese, then cooked bacon, then drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on top. Now it's ready!

The first question I usually get when I serve this is "How do I eat it?" I think the easiest way is to just pick it up with your hand and bite into it. Kind of like eating a hot dog. Of course it's perfectly okay to use a knife and fork and cut it if you prefer. Either way, I promise you will get nothing but compliments when you serve this salad.

Enjoy!

Lynn

Prosciutto Wrapped Grilled Asparagus

I wanted to take a semi-healthy appetizer to a party this weekend. I also wanted it to be something that would taste good at room temperature so that I wouldn't have to worry about keeping it cool or warm while it was being transported. I decided to grill some fresh asparagus wrapped in prosciutto. This is more of an assembly process than a recipe. Here is what you'll need:

fresh asparagus
sliced prosciutto
grated parmesan cheese
olive oil

Start by preheating your grill. You'll want it at about 450 degrees or hotter. Now trim the tough ends off of the asparagus. I do this by holding a piece close to the top, then grabbing the end and bending the top and bottom towards each other. The bottom will snap off at the tough part. Do this with each spear. Now take the prosciutto out and cut each piece in half long ways. Take 1 spear and 1 slice of prosciutto and starting at the bottom, wrap the prosciutto around the asparagus ending close to the top. You won't need to use anything to hold it there as the meat will stick to itself. Repeat for each spear until all are done.

Move all the pieces onto a sheet tray then drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle with cracked pepper. They don't have to be covered completely with the oil, this is just so that they won't stick to the grill. Don't add any salt because the prosciutto and parmesan have enough salt in them already. Now lay them in a single layer on the grill to cook. I had to do mine in two batches. Once the bottom starts to brown, turn the pieces over to grill all the sides. If your grill is nice and hot, this will only take 3-5 minutes. When they are done, remove them and immediately sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top.