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Grilled Caesar Salad Recipe & More Caesar Salad Recipes


[1] Grilled romaine turns into a grilled Caesar Salad (photo © Wisconsin Cheese).


[2] Another look at grilled Caesar Salad (photo © Stagione Restaurant | Charlotte).


[3] A classic Caesar Salad (photo © Safe Eggs).


[4] A different way to serve Caesar Salad: without tearing the romaine (photo © Yondu | Facebook).


[5] Shave the parmesan for the garnish (here it’s served with an arugula and fig salad). Here’s how to shave Parmesan (photo © Ethan Stowell Restaurants | Seattle).

 

The original Caesar Salad was simply romaine dressed with lemon juice and parmesan cheese, and topped with croutons. As you’ll see in the history of Caesar Salad, it was an ad hoc salad: an “incidental” recipe like Cobb Salad, Toll House cookies and nachos, making use of ingredients on hand.

The anchovies, Dijon mustard, minced garlic and Worcestershire Sauce came later.

Before we head to the recipe, here’s a bit of Food 101:
 
 
PARMESAN VS. PARMIGIANO REGGIANO: THE DIFFERENCE

Parmigiano-Reggiano is one of the world’s great cheeses; it has been described by connoisseurs as the King of Cheeses. Production is limited to areas, ingredients and techniques set in law in Italy.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a D.O.P. protected trade name. Exclusive control is exercised by the Parmigiano-Reggiano Consorzio, the consortium of producers that presides over its production and sales.

Each wheel of cheese must meet strict criteria early in the aging process. The rinds of approved cheeses are heat branded on the rind with the Consorzio’s logo.

Wheels which fail to meet these criteria have their rinds stripped of all markings and cannot be sold as Parimigiano-Reggiano.

Parmigiano-style cheeses that are made outside of the Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions of Italy, and outside the jurisdiction of the Consorzio, anywhere in the world, are called Parmesan.

They are not subject to the standards of the Consorzio. The D.O.P. ensures that you get authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano, and all of the quality it ensures.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is much more expensive than parmesan: $37 per pound for a five-year-aged cheese, compared to #13 per pound for a domestic parmesan like BelGioioso.

If you’ve got the bucks, go for the best. Otherwise, pick up the parmesan.
 
 
RECIPE: GRILLED CAESAR SALAD

Thanks to Wisconsin Cheese for this recipe. They made the recipe with Cello brand parmesan, made in Wisconsin,
 
For The Lemon-Parmesan Vinaigrette

  • Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons sugar (this was way too much for us; we used a pinch of sugar instead)
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup (1 ounce) Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  •  
    For The Salad

  • 3 heads romaine lettuce, cut in half lengthwise
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 cup (3 ounces) Parmesan cheese, shaved
  • Croutons
  • Optional garnish: anchovy fillets
  •  
    Preparation

    1. MAKE the vinaigrette. Whisk the lemon juice, zest, Dijon mustard and sugar in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Whisk in the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    2. SHAVE the parmesan cheese for the garnish. Here’s how.

    3. GRILL the romaine. Grease the grill grate and heat the grill to medium. Cut the romaine hearts in half lengthwise, brush the cut side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

    4. GRILL them, cut sides down, until grill marks appear (about two minutes). Alternatively, you can grill the romaine, covered, over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally.

    5. TRANSFER the romaine to a serving platter. You can serve half the head of romaine, or cut it into quarters by slicing the half once more. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with shaved parmesan and croutons.

    Variation: After grilling, you can cut the grilled romaine crosswise into two-inch-wide strips to resemble a more traditional Caesar. Or, you can serve the leaves separated (photo #4) by cutting off the core and fanning the leaves.
     
     
    MORE CAESAR SALAD RECIPES

  • Classic Caesar Salad Recipe
  • Caesar Salad History
  • Caesar Salad Pizza
  • Original Caesar Salad Recioe
  • Grilled Endive & Grilled Bok Choy
  • Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing
     
     
    > CAESAR SALAD HISTORY
     
    > PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO CHEESE HISTORY

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    Lemonade Cocktails For National Lemonade Day


    [1] The Arnold Palmer, a mix of lemonade and iced tea, turned into a vodka cocktail (photos #1 and #2 © Seagrams Vodka).


    [2] It’s easy to make an Arnold Palmer at home: half iced tea, half lemonade. Turn it into a cocktail with vodka.


    [3] We don’t have a photo of the Salted Watermelon Lemonade, but this Spicy Watermelon Margarita shows the Tajín rim. Here’s the recipe (photo © STK LA Steakhouse).

    Tajin Seasoning
    [4] Tajín seasoning: salt, cayenne and lime (photo © Industrias Tajín).

    Lemonade With Zest Rim
    [5] Lemonade with a rim of lime zest. You can mix the zest with some sugar if you like (photo © Saint Marc Pub Cafe | Huntington Beach, California [now closed]).

     

    August 20th is National Lemonade Day. You can whip up fresh-squeezed lemonade or make a fancier lemonade recipe. Or how about some lemonade cocktails—vodka, gin, and tequila all blend well with the sassy citrus.

    Here are two lemonade cocktails created by Seagram for today or weekend sipping. Seagram uses their flavored vodkas; but if you can’t find them, there are hacks. It’s easy to transition to a lemonade-flavored vodka like Absolut Citron.

    There are 25 more creative lemonade recipes below, both cocktails and non-alcoholic versions.
     
     
    > The history of lemonade.

    > The different types of lemons: a photo glossary.
     
     
    RECIPE #1: SWEET TEA ARNOLD PALMER

    An Arnold Palmer is a mix of lemonade and iced tea (here’s more about it).

    Seagram’s turned it into a cocktail with their Sweet Tea Vodka (photo #1). We happened to have Absolut Citron on hand instead and also hacked the recipe by using an actual Arnold Palmer (50:50 iced tea and lemonade) instead of straight lemonade.
     
    Ingredients Per Drink

  • 2 ounces Seagram’s Sweet Tea Arnold Palmer Vodka or lemon vodka
  • 4 ounces lemonade or Arnold Palmer half lemonade, half tea)
  • Garnish: Fresh mint, lemon wedges
  •  
    Preparation

    1. COMBINE the vodka and lemonade or Arnold Palmer over ice in a highball glass.

    2. STIR, then garnish with mint and lemon.
     
     
    RECIPE #2: SALTED WATERMELON LEMONADE

    Seagram’s makes watermelon vodka, but again, we substituted Absolut Citron and pressed watermelon juice.

    The “salted” component is a rim of Tajín Seasoning, a popular flavored salt that includes cayenne and lime. It’s a great addition to your spice shelf: It can be used on just about anything, savory or sweet.
     
    Ingredients Per Drink

  • 2 ounces of Seagram’s Watermelon Vodka or lemon vodka
  • 2 ounces lemonade
  • 2 ounces watermelon juice
  • 1 ounce club soda
  • Tajín salt rim
  • Garnish: watermelon wedge
  •  
    Preparationd

    1. RIM the glass with Tajín (moisten the rim and twist in a saucer or small plate of seasoning).

    2. PRESS cubes of watermelon to create juice.

    3. ADD the juice, lemonade, and vodka to a highball glass. Stir and top with club soda.

    4. GARNISH with a watermelon wedge.

     
    MORE LEMONADE RECIPES: COCKTAILS

  • Blueberry Lemonade Cocktail
  • Lemonade 485 Cocktail
  • Fizzy Sambuca Lemonade
  • Limoncello Lemonade
  • London Lemonade Gin Cocktail
  • Sparkling Melon Lemonade
  • Tequila Lemonade Recipe
  • Saké Lemonade Recipe
  • Tequila Lemonade
  •  
     
    NO ALCOHOL LEMONADE RECIPES

  • Arnold Palmer Recipe: half iced tea, half lemonade
  • Cucumber Lemonade
  • Fizzy Sambucca Lemonade
  • Frozen Lemonade
  • Homemade Lemonade Recipe, including sugar-free options
  • Jalapeño Lemonade
  • Lady Liberty Lemonade For July 4th
  • Lavender Lemonade Recipe
  • Lemonade Party Bar
  • Mint Lemonade Recipe, plus more lemonade tips
  • Peach Lemonade Recipe
  • Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie
  • Red, White & Blueberry Lemonade
  • Sparkling Melon Lemonade
  • Spicy Lemonade Recipe
  • Strawberry Basil Lemonade
  • Watermelon Mint Lemonade
  •  
    Plus:

  • Limeade Recipes
  •  

     
     

    CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

     
     

     
      

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    Potato Salad With Truffles: A Luxurious Recipe

    August 18th is National Potato Day. We could celebrate happily with a fully loaded baked potato or some fabulous fries. But when we received this recipe from Gourmet Attitude, we knew we had to make it. (There’s no National Potato Salad Day…yet.)

    Gourmet Attitude specializes in everything truffle: fresh truffles, frozen truffles, truffle butter, truffle cream, truffle honey, truffle oil…we’re too hungry to go on.

    The recipe was created by Denise Woodward of Chez Us, a recipe blog with many fans.

    So thanks Denise, thanks Gourmet Attitude, thanks to America’s potato growers, and thanks to the truffle hunters who scour forests in France and Italy, looking for the best truffles.
     
     
    TRUFFLE SUBSTITUTES

    Fresh black winter truffles ($95/ounce) and fresh black summer truffles ($79 two ounces) may be too much of a luxury for most of us. So here are some substitutes:

    While the aroma and flavor of truffles are unique, dry porcini mushrooms can be substituted in most recipes.

  • Soften whole dried porcini mushrooms in hot water for at least 15 minutes before adding to a dish. You can also use the soaking liquid instead of water for boiling the potatoes.
  • You can buy ground porcini mushrooms
  •  
    With or without truffles or porcini, you can substitute one or two tablespoons of truffle oil for the olive oil in the recipe.
     
    And it’s a perfectly good potato salad recipe without any truffles or porcini.

     
    > The History Of Potatoes

    > The Different Types Of Potatoes

    > The Different Types Of Truffles

    > The Difference Between Fungus Truffles, Chocolate Truffles & Candy Truffles

    > 25 More Potato Salad Recipes
     
     
    RECIPE: BLACK TRUFFLE POTATO SALAD

    Serve this potato salad with grilled meats and seafood; baked ham; fried, grilled, or barbecued, chicken; brats; and with a classy burger.

    It can be served warm, room temperature, or chilled from the fridge.

    Ingredients

  • 1 pound red or Yukon gold baby potatoes, cut into small quarters
  • 1 cup celery, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 shallot, peeled and sliced thinly
  • 6 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
  • 2 tablespoon black summer truffles, minced
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, freshly cracked
  • Black truffle slices for garnish
  •  
    Preparation

    1. BRING water to a boil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Season with kosher salt. Add the potatoes and cook only until fork tender, about 20 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking…

    2. MAKE the dressing. In a jar, combine the olive oil, vinegar, thyme and minced truffles*. Shake to combine.

    3. PLACE the cooled potatoes, celery and shallots in a large mixing bowl. Pour on the dressing and lightly fold to mix.

    4. SERVE in a bowl or on a serving platter. Garnish with some truffle slices*.

     
    USES FOR TRUFFLE OIL

    If you buy it for this recipe, there are other dishes that would enjoy a brushing, spray or toss of truffle oil.

  • Grilled Proteins: Brush or spray on grilled or roasted beef, lamb, poultry and seafood.
  • Starches: Spray or toss with fries and other potatoes, pasta, polenta, and risotto.
  • Vegetables: Spray or toss with cooked asparagus, cauliflower, corn, mushrooms.
  • Vinaigrette: Replace some of the olive oil in a classic vinaigrette; use it to make marinated mushrooms.
  • Tartare: Mix into beef, salmon or tuna tartare; drizzle it on beef carpacio
  • Snacks: Spray on popcorn and potato chips.
  •  

     


    [1] A very luxurious potato salad with black truffles (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Gourmet Attitude).


    [2] Problem: Who gets the garnish of truffle slices?


    [3] Black winter truffles. See our Truffle Glossary for the different types of truffles.


    [4] Dried porcini mushrooms don’t taste like mushrooms, just like an orange doesn’t taste like a grapefruit. But it adds its own special flavor to the potato salad (photo © Caviar Russe).


    [5] Truffle oil is delicious as a dip with fries, Here’s more about truffle oil (photo © La Tourangelle).

     
    ________________

    *Substitute ground porcini mushrooms for the minced truffles, and sliced porcini mushrooms for the truffle slices. The different types of mushrooms.

      

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    Egglife Egg White Wraps: Delicious, Low Calorie, Gluten Free


    [1] California turkey wrap. Here’s the recipe (photo © Patrick Maese).


    [2] Make a dessert crêpe, here with summer peaches and vanilla yogurt (photos #2, #4, #5, #6 aqnd #7 © Egglife Foods).


    [3] Add your favorite fillings and roll into a wrap (photo © All I Need Is Aldi | Facebook).


    [4] Turn a bagel and lox into an Egglife wrap.


    [5] Turn your favorite salad into a wrap. Here, a Greek salad wrap.


    [6] How about an Asian chicken salad wrap? Here’s the recipe.

     

    Our Top Pick Of The Week choices are always wonderful finds. For people who want great taste with few calories, Egglife wraps are at the top of the Top Picks.

    Egglife wraps are a healthful, tortilla-like wrap made with cage-free eggs instead of flour. Once you taste them, you’ll wonder why they haven’t been available in stores for years.

    Not only are they delicious, but they’re a great source of protein, 5-6 grams per wrap; less than 1 carb, and only 25 to 35 calories. Compare that to an eight-inch tortilla wrap for 130 calories (or worse, a 10-inch wrap, 200 calories).

    It’s not just the calories and protein; it’s the flavor!

    Egglife egg white wraps are comprised of 95% egg whites or more. They’re all natural, dairy free, fat free, grain free, soy free and vegetarian.

    They accommodate almost any diet* and are a delight to eat.
     
     
    FABULOUS FLAVORS

    If there had only been the Original flavor, Egglife wraps would have been satisfying.

    But even better, there are wonderfully seasoned varieties that add so much more flavor to anything you make with them.

    We even enjoy them on their own, as 25-calorie snacks!

    In addition to Original, the flavored varieties include:

  • Everything Bagel Egg White Wraps
  • Italian Egg White Wraps
  • Rye Egg White Wraps
  • Southwest Egg White Wraps
  •  
    You’ll have fun matching the flavors with your favorite fillings.

    At $5.99 per package of six wraps, they’re affordable, too (the price goes down with multiple purchases online).
     
     
    GET YOUR EGGLIFE WRAPS

    Head to Shop.EgglifeFoods.com.
     
     
    WAYS TO USE EGGLIFE EGG WHITE WRAPS

    Egglife egg white wraps can be served cold or room temperature, straight out of the package; or warmed up as you prefer. Since they’re fully cooked and ready-to-eat, they don’t need to be heated.

    But warmed, they may be even more delicious.

  • Microwave. If you want to heat your wraps in a microwave, 10 or 15 seconds will do it, depending on your microwave.
  • Stove top. If you want to warm up your Egglife wrap on the stove top, place a skillet over medium/high heat, and warm the wrap for 15-30 seconds per side.
  •  
    Then:

  • Fold your wrap part-way and fill it like a taco.
  • Make grilled cheese in the microwave, skillet or panini press.
  • Make a sandwich wrap or burrito by folding it in half first, filling it, then rolling it lengthwise. We filled the wrap sandwiches, variously, with avocado, burgers, Caprese (mozzarella, tomato, balsamic, basil), chicken and pesto, egg salad or hard-boiled eggs (that’s eggs times two!), hummus, PB&J (it works with the Original wrap), tuna and veggie medley (cucumbers, mushrooms, shredded cabbage and lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and zucchini).
  • Make crêpes or omelets for breakfast, lunch or dessert with your favorite filling—sweet or savory. Then fold or roll (the first recipe we made was our mother’s cream cheese and jelly omelet: spread with cream cheese and strawberry preserves).
  • Cut the wraps into strips for soup and salad garnishes, as is, or browned in a skillet (recommended).
  • Cut and fry them into a base for nachos.
  • Layer them into a lasagna.
  • Make something elegant. We cut the wraps into pinwheels filled with different roes, including salmon and flavored whitefish and trout roes.
  •  
    There’s a wealth of recipes on the brand’s website.
     
     
    ARE YOU ON A SPECIAL DIET?

    There are plenty of recipes on the Egglife website, including choices flagged for specific diets:

  • Fat Free Diet
  • Keto Diet
  • Paleo Diet
  • Gluten Free Diet
  •  
     
    HOW EGG WRAPS CAME TO BE

    Necessity was the mother of invention. Founder Peggy Johns needed to eliminate carbs and sugar from her diet: “Easier said than done,” she notes.

    But she’d worked in the egg industry since she was 15, and knew “pretty much all there is to know about eggs, including that they are high in protein and low in carbs—exactly what the doctors said I needed. So I started experimenting.”

    She believed there had to be a more delicious way to eat clean. She began replacing flour with eggs, turning carb-heavy foods like wraps into low-carb, low-calorie, zero-sugar, gluten-free replacements for bread, among other foods.

    After a lot of trial and error, she developed egg white wraps and used them in recipes that her family loved. Her sons’ football team were also fans. The kids began coming to her house to eat her recipes.

    And then it occurred to her that she could help people like herself with the wraps.

  • If you want to cut carbs and sugar, get Egglife wraps.
  • For everyone, they’re a more flavorful alternative to bland tortillas.
  • If you want to eat more creatively, you’ll have fun turning the wraps into everything from crepes to salad garnishes—no cooking required. (Well, just heating, if you want your food hot.)
  •  
    All of Peggy’s hard work was worth it many times over. We can’t thank her enough for Egglife egg white wraps.

    ________________

    *Except for vegans and people with egg allergies.

     

     
      

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    Chocolate Covered Figs Recipe & More Recipes For Fig Season

    While National Fig Week is the first week of November, figs begin their season as a late summer fruit. A good produce department should be full of them right now.

    Have you ever tasted a fig at peak ripeness? Whether it’s enjoyed as a hand fruit, served with cheese for dessert, accenting a charcuterie board, a topper to a green salad, salad, churned into ice cream or sliced into breakfast cereal, fresh in season are as good as it gets.

    The peak of fresh fig season is just a few short weeks, so grab them when you see them. If your supermarket doesn’t carry fresh figs (ours doesn’t), head to a specialty produce store.

    Different varieties of figs mature at different times, so keep checking. California figs are among the best you can buy.

    Note that figs have a delicate skin. It may scar or flake a bit in transit, but that’s just part of being picked at peak ripeness, when the fig is most flavorful but also the most fragile.

    The different types of figs.
     
     
    RECIPE: CHOCOLATE COVERED FIGS WITH SEA SALT

    This is an easy recipe. Kids who are old enough to handle hot melted chocolate can make it. Prep time is 20 minutes.

    Just as with plain figs, you can serve these with cheese for dessert. Fresh figs pair well with a wide variety of cheeses, from sharp blue cheeses to creamy Brie and Camembert, to tangy goat cheese.
     
    Ingredients

    Use California figs for the tastiest results.

  • 12 fresh figs with stems
  • 12 dried figs
  • Fine sea salt
  • 1 bag (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Garnish: Flaked sea salt (substitute coarse sea salt)
  •  
    Preparation

    1. LINE a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rinse the fresh figs under running water and pat dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

    2. SPRINKLE both the fresh and dried figs with fine sea salt to lightly coat the bottom portion of the fig.

    3. PLACE the chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir. Continue to microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate chips are completely melted.

    4. WORKING one fig at a time, hold the fig by stem, dip in melted chocolate 2/3 or 1/2 way up the fig, depending on how much chocolate you want. Sprinkle the chocolate with flaked sea salt.

    5. SET the figs on the baking sheet. Let sit until the chocolate hardens. You can also place the tray in the refrigerator to set the chocolate more quickly.

     


    [1] Dip figs in chocolate and add a sprinkle of sea salt. The recipe is below (photos #1 and #2 © California Figs).


    [2] A close up. Use both brown and green figs for more visual appeal.


    [3] Just picked: brown turkey figs. The brown turkey fig is similar to the more common black mission fig, but is often larger, squatter and more syrupy on the inside (photo © Heather Barns Wesual | Unsplash).

     
    > THE HISTORY OF FIGS
     
     
    MORE FIG RECIPES

  • Arugula & Fig Salad With Popcorn
  • Chestnut, Fig & Honey Stuffing
  • Dried Chocolate Dipped Figs
  • Fig & Brie Bruschetta
  • Fig & Maple Fizz Cocktail
  • Fig, Goat Cheese & Pancetta Crisps
  • Figgy Blue Cheese Bacon Bites
  • Fig Panna Cotta
  • Grilled Halloumi Cheese With Figs
  • Pasta With Prosciutto & Goat Cheese-Fig Sauce
  • Prosciutto & Fig Appetizer Pinwheels
  • Roast Loin Of Pork With Gingered Figs & Jalapeños
  • Ways To Use Dried Figs
  • Ways To Use Fig Spreads
  • Ways To Use Fresh Figs
  •   

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