Grilled Bread Salad with Spinach, Tomatoes and Blue Cheese

This salad may be my favorite thing about grilling, and it's all because of the bread.

Charred bread - crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and tossed with oil and balsamic. It's seriously the perfect bite. If you haven't grilled bread for salad before, you need to do it ASAP.

I first made this salad several years ago. It has changed a bit over the years so I am sharing this updated post.

When making this bread, you don't want soft, fresh bread. Buy day old bread, or buy your bread the day before. The best bread for this salad is day-old ciabatta bread. Slice it open down the middle, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and char it as little or as much as you want.

Once charred, you chop it into bite sized pieces and let it soak in an oil bath with cilantro and red onions for 15 minutes before finishing the salad.

At this point I guarantee you will be stealing pieces of the bread to eat!

The salad is finished with baby spinach, chopped tomatoes, blue cheese, balsamic vinegar, and a touch of sea salt and black pepper.

Grilled Bread Salad with Spinach, Tomatoes and Blue Cheese

Ingredients

• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 c good olive oil plus more for brushing the bread
• 1 loaf ciabatta bread, sliced open (see pics above)
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 2 c baby spinach
• 2 juicy red tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp blue cheese
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions

• Pre-heat your grill
• Put the onions and cilantro in a large bowl with the oil; let sit in the fridge while you prep the bread
• Brush both sides of the bread with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place on the grill for 4-7 minutes per side, depending on how charred you want it. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into bite sized pieces. Add the bread to the bowl with the oil/onions/cilantro and toss. Let sit 15 minutes.
• Add the spinach, tomatoes, blue cheese, and balsamic vinegar. Toss. Adjust oil/vinegar/salt/pepper.
• Serve immediately.

Crunchy Asian Slaw with a Peanut-Lime Dressing

Colorful and crunchy veggies with cilantro and peanuts, all tossed with a Thai-inspired peanut-lime dressing. Light, fresh, and perfect for entertaining! 

It's hard to believe we have been in this home for 4 years already. Prior to that we lived in our first home together for 9 years, and spent the second half of those years house-hunting looking for a home we could stay in forever.

When we first looked at our current home we liked the layout, the size, and the possibilities, but knew it would take some work. Ok, a lot of work. Then we stepped out onto the patio and were sold - a large, private, tree-lined back yard (gives us so much shade!!!) with an enormous flagstone patio (that needed a lot of work and we eventually replaced). But the best part of the entire yard is the garden wall that curves around the entire patio with a large garden behind it. We spent an hour sitting on that wall, looking at the trees, and talking about the house - and it was March in the Northeast so it was chilly. Immediately we made an offer.

Yes, we bought the house for the garden wall and trees.

One of my friends calls our backyard an oasis, and because of this we made plans to have dinner together on the patio. We were so determined to enjoy a night on the patio that we rescheduled twice due to weather! Then, last week, we had the most perfect Saturday. It was sunny with low humidity and a light breeze. We lit several torches around the garden bed and I made really easy centerpieces out of mason jars, groundcover and herbs, and floating candles to sit on our new table. An oasis it was!

My menu had to revolve around grilling and warm weather food, and since my friend loves Asian inspired food but never cooks it, I went in that direction.

We had edamame to start. Our main course was Jon's grilled beef negimaki. To go along with it I made noodles tossed in a sesame soy mixture with green onions and sesame seeds, and this amazing Asian Slaw.

This slaw is packed with so many crunchy veggies and just look at those colors! Just looking at this slaw makes me want it again ASAP! The dressing for this is awesome too - peanut butter, lime juice, and some heat from Sambal Oelek. It is thick enough to really coat all of the veggies but isn't too heavy at all. Surprisingly, even after being dressed, the leftovers held up fine in the fridge for 2 days! So feel free to make a lot of you want to have some leftover.

Thanks to our friends for sharing a great night of friendship and food with us!

Asian Coleslaw with a Peanut-Lime Dressing
Adapted From: Center Cut Cook

Ingredients

• 1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
• 2 carrots, julienned and then copped into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into 2 inch pieces
• 1 sm can water chestnuts, sliced
• 1 cucumber, julienned and then chopped into 2 inch pieces
• 2 green onions, sliced into 2 inch strips
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 1/3 c peanuts, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp natural, creamy peanut butter
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

• Combine the cabbage, carrots, pepper, water chestnuts, cucumber, green onions and most of the cilantro. Chill in fridge for at least an hour.
• In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vegetable oil, Sambal, hoisin, lime juice, ginger and garlic. Tip: I used the whisk attachment on my handheld immersion blender. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. 
• When ready to serve, quickly whisk the dressing before pouring it over the salad. Toss well, and then top with the remaining cilantro and peanuts. 

Grandmom's Macaroni Salad

This is one of those dishes that takes me back to childhood, and now I make it often for my family. It is such a simple recipe with simple ingredients, but is one of my favorite sides for burgers, dogs, grilled chicken, or really any summer party or BBQ food.
You know those mac salads that you sometimes get at a diner in a little cup and they are all wet with way too much mayo? And they are a bit too sweet? That's not this salad.

I have a few tips to make this the best mac salad you will every try. First, you have to cook the pasta to al dente. You want it to still have a bite, so definitely rinse it with cold water as soon as you drain it. Overcooked, soft mac mixed with mayo is not what you are going for! 

I use only carrots, red onion and green pepper. It's important to dice them into the smallest dice you can get. You don't want them to stand out in the salad, but simply give flavor and some texture. 

I add my mayo in 2 steps and end up with a perfectly creamy mac salad. The first time I add it I mix it up and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour. When you take it out it will look almost dry. That's when I add the rest of the mayo and veggies. Oh - and it must be Hellman's Mayo!!!!

Finally, don't be scared to season it! Salt and pepper only, but be generous and keep tasting every time you mix. 
Timewise, this is a really quick salad to pull together. The water takes a few minutes to boil and then the pasta only takes 5 minutes to cook. During that time I chop my veggies, and then the mixing only takes a few minutes. I'll even pull this one together for a weeknight meal as long as I have an hour to let it chill in the fridge. 

Add caption

So forget those sweet, wet mac salads that have given macaroni salad a bad name and give this one a try! I guarantee it will be the one everyone asks for! 
Grandmom's Macaroni Salad
Original family recipe
Ingredients

• 1 lb macaroni/elbow noodles
• 6 Tbsp mayonnaise, separated (amount is approximate)
• 1 carrot cut into a small dice
• 1/4 red onion cut into a small dice
• 1/2 green pepper cut into a small dice
• Salt and pepper, approximately 1 Tbsp each

Directions

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously and then add your noodles. Cook to al dente, approximately 5 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water and drain well. Transfer noodles to a large mixing bowl.
• Add half of the mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, cover, and place in the fridge for one hour. 
• Add the veggies, and slowly add more mayonnaise until you get the creaminess you want - remember, you don't want it to be too wet. Continue to season with salt and pepper, tasting as you go.
• Chill until you are ready to serve, stirring before serving. 

Grilled Corn Salad with a Chili-Lime Vinaigrette

Sweet summer corn - isn't it the best?

My favorite way to prepare it is grilled - charred, to be exact - and that is what inspired this salad.

Charred corn is packed with smoky flavors, so pairing it with something bright and zesty with a touch of heat works perfectly. I used cilantro and lime for the bright and zesty flavors, grilled red onion for some sweetness, crunchy red pepper for texture, spicy jalapenos for heat, and a dressing featuring chili and lime to pull it all together.

This Grilled Corn Salad can be eaten as a salad or you can really get creative with it. Picture it on fajitas or tacos - the perfect topping! Put it on top of grilled chicken or fish. Or just grab some chips and scoop it up like salsa!

I will definitely be making this one a few more times before the summer corn runs out.

Check out two of my other favorite summer corn recipes here -
     Grilled Corn with a Chipotle Lime Butter
     Mexican Grilled Corn Salad with with Citrus Aioli.


Grilled Corn Salad with a Chili-Lime Vinaigrette
Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ingredients

• 6 ears corn, cleaned (remove husks and all silk) and washed
• 1 red onion, sliced into rings (don't separate within the rings)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• Handful of cilantro, washed and chopped
• Olive oil, salt and pepper

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• Juice from 1/2 of a lime
• Zest from 1/2 of a lime
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper

Directions

• Mix all of the dressing ingredients together and chill until ready to serve.
• Heat grill to medium high
• Brush/spray the corn and red onion with olive oil; season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill until charred in spots (to your liking), about 15 minutes. 
• Stand the corn on end. Using a sharp knife, remove the kernels into a bowl. 
• Chop the grilled red onion
• Add in the red pepper, jalapeno and cilantro
• Toss with the dressing and serve. 

Yakitori Chicken with Cold Veggie and Soba Noodle Bowls

Grilled chicken with a cold salad has become a staple in our house during the hot weather.  We have made a lot of variations of this meal, and our most recent may just be one of my favorites - Yakitori chicken over a cold veggie and soba noodle salad with a hoisin-soy dressing.

Yakitori chicken is a grilled and skewered chicken and is so simple, with only three ingredients in the marinade. Since the chicken is in chunks and skewered, it cooks faster than a large breast. You also get a lot of great caramelized bits from the sugar in the marinade. 

Once the chicken is cooked, everyone can put together their own bowl. While my husband skipped the noodles (he has been so good about avoiding carbs most nights! I don't have his will power..), I filled my bowl with all of the veggies and some noodles. And of course my daughter could not turn down pasta. 

The dressing was sweet and savory and tied everything together without masking the amazing flavor from the Yakitori marinade. Again, a great weeknight meal that comes together quickly, especially if you do some prep ahead of time. 

Yakitori Chicken with Cold Veggie and Soba Noodle Bowls Marinade recipe: Oishii Bowl recipe an original creation by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations
Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts cut into cubes
• Marinade: 
• 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 c mirin
• 1-2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 5 green onions cut into 1 inch pieces each
• 6 bamboo skewers
• Chopped romaine lettuce or Napa cabbage (or both!)
• Chopped carrots
• Bean sprouts
• Cucumbers, chopped
• Cilantro
• Broccoli florets
• Red bell pepper, chopped
• Mushrooms, sliced
• Radishes, sliced
• Sugar snap peas
• Cooked and chilled soba noodles
• Dressing; mix together: 
• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce

Directions

• Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour them over the chicken in a shallow dish. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. 
• Soak your skewers in water for 20 minutes before you are ready to cook.
• Put your chicken on skewers with green onions between every 2 cubes of chicken. Grill until done (internal temp of 165). 
• Put noodles in one side of a bowl and create your salad on the other. Top with the dressing and grilled chicken. 

Grilled Chicken BLT Salad with a Bacon Balsamic Vinaigrette and Blue Cheese

We're back to grilling season here in the Northeast! Jon will grill year-round, but once the warm weather hits it makes grilling so much more enjoyable. He can actually stay outside and enjoy a beer while grilling instead of having to run back in the house.

The grilling bug has officially hit so last week when I asked Jon what he wanted for dinner I should have known to expect "something on the grill" as his answer. Fine with me - keep the mess outside! Then he asked for grilled chicken and salads and I immediately thought about the gourmet medley of tomatoes I just bought that morning. And what goes better with greens and tomatoes than bacon? I decided to make a BLT salad with a warm bacon dressing.

I kept the chicken simple with just some garlic, onion, salt and pepper and a quick zest of lemon rind before going on the grill. I also kept the salad simple - I chose spinach as my greens (romaine for Jon), some grilled red onion, fresh multi-colored tomatoes, cucumbers and green onions. There was a reason for keeping everything simple - this dressing. It is seriously over the top good - I mean, it's a dressing pretty much made from bacon and its grease, how couldn't it be? Then you get the tang of balsamic and the bite of the blue cheese all poured over the crisp, cold salad. Heaven!

Grilled Chicken BLT Salad with a Bacon Balsamic Vinaigrette and Blue Cheese
Original recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations
Makes 3 salads

The Chicken

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Zest from 1/2 of a lemon
• Squirt of lemon juice

Mix all of the ingredients and pour over the chicken for 2 hours. Grill until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving. 

The Salads

• 1/2 of a red onion cut into rings
• Greens of your choice; we used Romaine lettuce and spinach. 
• Tomatoes, chopped; I used a medley of yellow, campari, grape and kumatos (brown tomatoes)
• Green onions, chopped
• Cucumber, chopped
• Crumbled blue cheese

Divide ingredients among bowls. Top with the sliced chicken and dressing and blue cheese. 

The Dressing

Source: Guy Fieri

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2 tbsp chopped red onion
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a saute pan over high heat. 
• Add the onions and bacon and cook until the bacon is crispy, about 6 minutes. 
• To the same pan add the balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and stir to combine. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. 

Mexican Grilled Corn Salad with Citrus Aioli

One of the summer's stars is definitely fresh, sweet corn.

I have mentioned this in my blog before that every week or 2 in the summer, my dad drives across the river to a small farm stand in NJ. He always comes back with the best tomatoes, zucchini, and of course, corn.

I like corn on the cob, but my favorite way to enjoy this summer treat is off the cob. The other night I decided to take it out of the husks and grill it for a salad.

If you have corn to use, make this salad. I thought it was out of this world good! There are so many flavors going on that just WORK together - the sweet corn, the salty cheeses, the bright cilantro and the bright and creamy dressing - seriously, O.M.G. good!

I made a few minor changes by adding grilled red onion, omitting the melted butter, changing the quantities, serving it at room temp (not hot), and in general changing how it was all put together (I simplified it). I plan on making this for every gathering I have as well as every one I go to for the rest of the summer - it was THAT good! So please do yourself a favor and make this ASAP. You will thank me!
 

   

Mexican Grilled Corn Salad with Citrus Aioli

Adapted from: Food and Wine

Ingredients

(serves 4)

• 5 ears of corn, shucked and cleaned
• 1/4 of a large red onion, sliced into rings.
• Olive oil, salt, and pepper
• 1/3 c mayonnaise
• 1/4 tsp finely grated lime zest plus 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest plus 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard (or more, if needed, after tasting)
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (or less - depends on how much heat you want)
• 1 oz crumbled queso fresco
• 1 oz crumbled cotija cheese
• handful each of fresh parsley and cilantro, chopped

Directions

• Make the aioli: mix the mayo, lime zest, lime juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, Dijon, garlic, and cayenne. Season with salt. This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.
• Heat your grill to high. Brush the corn and red onion with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the corn 8-10 minutes until cooked and slightly charred. Let cool before cutting the kernels off the cob and chopping the onion.
• Toss the corn kernels and chopped onion with the cilantro and parsley. Add in the dressing slowly (I didn't need to use all of mine) and then add in the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
• Serve immediately.  

   

Grilled Lemon-Oregano Chicken and Chopped Vegetable Salad

Lemons inspired part of this meal. I had a bunch to use, so I came up with a lemon, oregano and garlic marinade for chicken. And on a 90 degree day, grilled chicken over a crisp and cold salad is the perfect dinner for me.

My other inspiration came from 2 ciabatta rolls sitting on my counter. My favorite thing in a summer salad - grilled ciabatta bread. Cut a ciabatta loaf (or a roll for a smaller salad/less people), spray with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until charred to your liking and then slice into bite sized pieces.

Grilled Lemon Oregano Chicken and Chopped Vegetable Salad

The Marinade

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 c light olive oil
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano

Combine all ingredients and pour over the chicken. Marinate, covered, in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours.  Heat grill to high and grill chicken until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving over the salad.

The Salad

You can use whatever you'd like. My salad consisted of:

• Mixed greens
• Sliced red, green, orange and yellow peppers
• Chickpeas
• Marinated artichokes
• Cucumbers
• Fresh mozzarella
• Fresh basil
• Grilled ciabatta bread.
• Salt and pepper

I didn't need to add dressing - the marinated artichokes, basil, salt and pepper added enough flavor.

Grilled Thai Chicken Salad

Grilling season is finally here in the Northeast! This opens up an endless number of meal options as we grill everything - meat, fish, veggies, potatoes, even noodles in a foil packet.

I tend to eat healthier when we grill. No creamy, cheesy sauces; no breaded chicken or chops, and nothing fried. My favorite grilled meal is marinated chicken with a hearty salad, like this Thai Chicken Salad. I actually made this one last fall and can't wait to fire up the grill to make it again soon.

 

Grilled Thai Chicken Salad

Inspired by: Grilled Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

Ingredients

The Marinade -

• 1/2 c rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• A few dashes of cayenne pepper
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce

The Salad

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 bag broccoli slaw
• 1/2 head of bok choy, chopped (except for the top 2-3 inches)
• 3 green onions
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped
• Optional: cilantro

The Dressing

• 1/2 c olive oil
• juice from 1/2 of a lime
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tsp spicy Thai chili sauce

Directions

• Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
• Mix the salad ingredients; keep cold until ready to serve.
• Make the dressing shortly before dinner - just mix everything well, taste and adjust.
• Grill the chicken until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from the grill and let rest at least 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Modernized Ramen Noodle Salad

   

When I was younger (let's just say back in the 80s) it seemed like someone always brought a Ramen Noodle Salad to parties. I tried it a few times but was never really wowed by it. I mean, it's raw, cheap, crunchy ramen noodles mixed with some veggies and a sweet dressing. I wonder who first created this recipe and thought it was a good idea to mix these noodles with salad? Hmm, I wonder if it was an accident and the noodles fell in to the bowl. Now I'm really interested in tracing this recipe back to its origins! Does anyone know?

I made the original Ramen Noodle Salad once about 10 years ago and failed miserably...  I can't believe I'm even admitting that. I mixed the dressing the night before I planned on taking it to a party which  made everything wilt horribly. I didn't even discover my mistake until 25 minutes before we were leaving for the party so I ended up having to pick up a dessert at the last minute so I wouldn't show up empty handed. At least I can blame it on the fact that I had no interest in cooking at all 10 years ago and luckily I now know better.

Fast forward to 10 years later when I'm talking to Jon about what to make for dinner and he said "how about that Ramen noodle salad?" I guess he forgot that we never actually ate it, but for some reason he was craving it.

I didn't feel like running back to the supermarket so decided to wing it using ingredients I already had on hand. I think the traditional recipe calls for Napa cabbage. I already had romaine lettuce so used that. I also added some veggies not in the traditional recipe, and I pulled together a dressing based on some things I have made in the past.

The end result - a light, fresh salad with great texture from the crunchy veggies and noodles. I'll definitely make this modernized version again! I served it with grilled chicken that had been marinated in a soy/sesame/garlic/sriracha mixture.

Modernized Ramen Noodle Salad

Ingredients

• 1.5 heads romaine, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1/4 cucumber
• 1/2 c soybeans, cooked and chilled
• 1 package crunchy ramen noodles, crumbled (not cooked)

 For the dressing

• 2/3 c vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp granulated sugar

Directions

• Mix all ingredients for the dressing and chill. Shake well before serving.
• Mix all of the veggies for the salad and chill.
• Before serving mix in the noodles and toss with the dressing.

Lemongrass Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Rice Vermicelli Salad

  

Here is my first "it's too hot to cook" post of the summer! Over the summer I still do a lot of cooking in the house, but most of our proteins and even veggies are made on the grill. And then there are some nights when I don't even want to turn the stove on at all and I crave light and healthy meals. This Vietnamese pork and cold noodle salad is light and refreshing - perfect for a hot summer night.

Besides not wanting to stand over a stove, I was inspired to make this dish because of my desire to use 2 specific ingredients - the pork chops I picked up as well as a package of rice vermicelli noodles my dad had recently brought me from a day trip to Philadelphia's Chinatown. I came across a recipe on the Food and Wine web site for Lemongrass Barbecued Pork with Rice Vermicelli Salad. 

I never used lemongrass in my own cooking before - I have only enjoyed it in restaurants. As soon as I cut of one end my entire kitchen was filled with the best lemony aroma ever - I knew this was going to be a good marinade! The pork marinated in this lemongrass mixture for several hours before grilling.

The sauce/dressing starting by making a paste of jalapenos and garlic followed by some cilantro and lime juice. Bright yet spicy!

The original recipe called for only noodles, carrots and cucumbers in the salad. I added a few ingredients to make this more of a salad that reminded me of these Vietnamese spring rolls.

This really turned out to be the perfect summer meal. It was satisfying and filling yet healthy. Simple yet packed with so many flavors. Bright and refreshing yet spicy. I'll definitely make this one again - soon!

Lemongrass Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Rice Vermicelli Salad
Source: Food and Wine

I made several small changes to the recipe noted below in italics.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs boneless pork loin  (I used a pork tenderloin and did not slice it until after it was grilled)

Marinade:

• 3 large stalks of lemongrass
• 4 large garlic cloves (for the marinade)
• 2 large shallots, thickly sliced
• 1.5 Tbsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp Asian fish sauce (I haven't found a fish sauce I like so I used a mixture of approximately 2 Tbsp Worcestershire, 1 Tbsp vegetable broth and 1 tsp hoisin sauce in place of the fish sauce)
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce

Salad:

• 1/2 lb rice vermicelli (this stuff goes far - I used 4 "nests" from the package and could have fed 6 people)
• 4 medium garlic cloves
• 3 Thai chiles or 1 jalapeno, thickly sliced
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/3 c Asian fish sauce (I used my substitution again, making sure it equaled 1/3 c total when mixed)
• 1/2 c chopped cilantro
• 1/2 c finely chopped mint
• 1/4 c fresh lime juice
• 1/3 c water
• Veggies: sliced cucumber, red pepper, carrots, green onions, some sort of crunchy green (lettuce or Napa cabbage), bean sprouts

Directions

• In a food processor, finely chop the garlic, lemongrass and shallots. Add the sugar, fish sauce (or substitution), lime juice, vegetable oil and soy sauce and process to a paste. In a large shallow dish, coat the pork with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (I marinated this for 5 hours).
• About 30 minutes before you plan to eat: In a large bowl, cover the rice vermicelli with cold water and let soak until pliable, about 20 minutes. In the meantime, bring a pot of water to a boil (the only time you will need your stove!) Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Drain the rice vermicelli and add it to the boiling water. Cook, stirring, until barely tender, about 1 minute. Drain the vermicelli. Rinse the vermicelli in cold water and drain thoroughly.
• Make the dressing: In a mortar, using a pestle, pound the garlic cloves to a paste with the chiles and sugar. Stir in the fish sauce, cilantro, mint, lime juice and water.
• Grill the pork: Light a grill (heat to medium high). Lift the pork from the marinade, leaving on some of the flavorings. Grill the pork over a hot fire until nicely charred, about 2 minutes per side. Because we grilled a tenderloin instead of slices, we used Jon's tried and true method for grilling pork - sear on all sides over high heat; place foil on the grill, put pork on the foil, and let it cook over medium heat until temp reaches 150 degrees max; remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
• Plate everything: place noodles on your plate and add veggies; top with some of the dressing. Slice the pork into thin slices and place over the salad.  

 

Spicy Ginger Garlic Grilled Shrimp over a Crunchy Romaine Salad

I think last week may have been our final week of warm, summer-like temperatures. We have had an amazing fall, and have been enjoying spending evenings outdoors cooking and playing without needing jackets - I love it!

Even though it's getting cooler we will still grill. Heck, Jon will even shovel a path to the grill if we have snow on the ground. But luckily last week he didn't have to do that, and was able to stand outside in the warm sunshine while grilling up some shrimp.

I picked up some shrimp for Jon not knowing what I'd do with it until I realized I was craving this Grilled Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing that I first made last year. I used it as my inspiration for this Spicy Garlic Ginger Grilled Shrimp over a Crunchy Salad. I created a spicy marinade, used the dressing recipe from the original salad, added some rice noodles, and changed up the salad ingredients a bit.

Jon liked this one - great flavor, a bit of heat, quick and easy, and healthy. I'd say that's a successful meal. I made the same dinner for myself but used a chicken breast instead of shrimp.

Spicy Ginger Garlic Grilled Shrimp over a Crunchy Romaine Salad
Inspired by: Grilled Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

The Shrimp

• 1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled (I used 21-25 count shrimp)
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp ginger, minced
• 2 quick dashes rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce, depending on how much heat you want
• Before cooking: juice from 1/2 of a lime
• Skewers

Directions:

• Mix the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chili garlic sauce. Pour over the shrimp and marinate in the fridge for 4+ hours.
• When you are ready to cook, skewer the shrimp and squeeze lime juice over them. (note - I used metal skewers. If you are using wooden skewers make sure you soak them in water for 20-30 minutes so they do not burn.)
• Heat a grill to 400 degrees. Place skewers on the grill and cook approximately 4 minutes per side, until cooked through.
• Remove shrimp from the skewers and place atop the salad.

The Salad

• 4 c chopped Romaine lettuce (makes 2 salads)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced into rounds
• A few slices of red onion
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• Cooked rice noodles
• Other items you could add: fresh bean sprouts, cooked pasta noodles, baby corn, cilantro, cucumbers, radishes.

Mix all of the veggies and toss with the dressing. Plate the rice noodles and put the salad on top. Top with the shrimp (or chicken)/


The Dressing
Mix these ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use:

• 1 1/2 Tbsp light olive oil
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Pinch or 2 of sugar
• 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp Sriracha sauce
• Few dashes each of salt and freshly ground black pepper