Romaine Hearts With Goat Cheese Dressing Food

HEARTS OF ROMAINE WITH CREAMY FETA DRESSING

Steps:

• Cut each heart of romaine in half lengthwise. Arrange romaine on a serving platter.
• For dressing, in a food processor or blender combine Basic Vinaigrette, 1/2 cup cheese, the water, oregano, garlic, and salt. Cover and process or blend until smooth.
• Drizzle dressing over romaine; sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Top with 1/4 cup cheese. To serve, cut romaine halves crosswise into quarters. Basic Vinaigrette
• In a small screw-top jar combine oil, lemon juice, and vinegar. Cover and shake well. Out of feta? Use goat cheese (chèvre) instead. For a change of texture, use baby greens in place of the romaine. Go Middle Eastern and use a teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander instead of the oregano. For an Asian spin, use 3 tablespoons peanut oil and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil for the olive oil, lime juice for the lemon juice, and rice wine vinegar for the white wine vinegar. Want a French Vinaigrette? Add 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard and 1 tablespoon minced shallot. Want a heartier flavor? Use red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar in place of the white wine vinegar.

ROMAINE HEARTS WITH GOAT CHEESE DRESSING

Steps:

• In a skillet, cook bacon over medium, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• In a bowl, whisk together cheese, milk, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle romaine with dressing, and top with bacon.

ROMAINE HEARTS WITH RED PEPPER VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Place chopped romaine on a platter or in a salad bowl. To a food processor, add roasted red pepper, vinegar and parsley. Process, then stream in extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. remove processor bowl and drizzle dressing over salad, serve.

HEARTS OF ROMAINE WITH BLUE CHEESE AND BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lay the bacon strips on a roasting rack and bake in the oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. (To make bacon curls: Wrap each slice of raw bacon around a metal skewer in a barber-pole fashion and lay the skewers on the roasting rack.) Pat dry with a paper towel. When cool enough to handle, break into pieces or in half, if using curls.
• Put the egg in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat. Set aside for 10 minutes. Drain the egg and roll it between your palm and the counter to crack the shell, then peel under cool running water. Rub the egg through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside.
• Remove the large outer leaves from the romaine hearts and rinse. Chop these leaves into bite-size pieces and spin dry. (Use an extremely sharp knife to minimize bruising the edges.) Halve the hearts through the cores to make 4 wedges. Rinse under cold running water and shake to air dry.
• Divide the wedges among 4 plates. Mound some of the chopped romaine on top and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon about 1/4 cup of Blue Cheese Dressing over each salad and top with some of the sieved egg and bacon. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.
• Pulse the mayonnaise, blue cheese, buttermilk, shallot, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and celery seeds in a food processor to make a chunky but pourable sauce. Stir in the parsley and season with plenty of pepper. Use immediately or refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.