Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

I've really been slacking on the blog lately - whoops! It's just been really busy around here planning a wedding ya know!!! :-) So this is a really healthy salad that is not lacking any flavor - it sounds kinda strange to grill lettuce right??? Well, try it because it's delicious!!! And.... are you scared of using anchovies like I used to be? So there's now a tube of anchovy paste that you can buy so you don't have to touch or smell those hairy fishies - and seriously they add a salty flavor that isn't fishy - so just try it. Plus the tube can be stored in the fridge for a recipe that calls for anchovies later on, ya know?!? Sidenote, we don't have a grill right now so I used my cast iron grill pan indoors to make this meal. If your house doesn't have proper ventilation like mine, open a window because it'll get smokey. Awright, Awright here's how I made it...

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Serves 2

ingredients

• 2 large cloves garlic (we like garlic in dis house)

• 1/4 cup EVOO, plus more for brushing

• 2-4 anchovy fillets or 1/2 TBSP anchovy paste

• Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus zest

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

• French bread cubes, toasted about 1 cup

• 2 romaine lettuce hearts, halved lengthwise

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

directions

1.  Preheat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Make the dressing by combining garlic cloves, olive oil, anchovy paste, lemon juice/zest in a blender until smooth and season with S&P.

2. Pound the chicken with a mallet until about 1/8" thick. Season with S&P, garlic powder and some dressing on both sides. Grill the chicken until golden brown and crispy (3 minutes per side), set aside to rest before chopping.

3. Toss the toasted bread cubes with some olive oil, S&P and garlic powder in a non stick skillet until tasty. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Brush the romaine with some dressing on both sides and grill until charred, 2 minutes on each side. Chop and place in a large bowl. Chop up the chicken and add to the bowl with the romaine along with some Parmesan, croutons and some dressing. I also added some halved grape tomatoes to ours as well but that is optional. It's all about what you like! Season with S&P and add more dressing as needed.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Food Network.