Grilled Romaine Hearts with Peppercorn Dressing

Grilled Romaine Hearts with Peppercorn Dressing

Grilled Romaine Hearts with Peppercorn Dressing is a dish suggested by one of our customers.  It sounded good, and he was right, our Creamy Peppercorn Salad Dressing has the right taste drizzled on them. We adjusted the recipe, and made it number of times to get the seasoning, cooking temp and time right. Use as a side dish, or as a salad entree, depending how many you make.  The flavor of the Italian Herb oil brushed on before grilling makes it a delicious accompaniment for Italian dishes or just about anything grilled.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 Stalks of Romaine Hearts, Sliced in Half Lengthwise
⅓ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for the grill
1 Tablespoon Italian Herbs Seasoning
Creamy Peppercorn Salad Dressing, prepared according to the directions on the package

Directions:
Prepare the Creamy Peppercorn Salad Dressing according to the directions on the package, about an hour before using to let the flavors develop. We also have the recipe below.

Prepare a medium heat grill.

Add the ⅓ olive oil to a small mixing bowl, along with the Italian Herbs Seasoning. Whisk well to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the herbs to flavor the oil and mingle.

Place the romaine hearts cut side up on a cutting board. Lightly brush the seasoned olive oil mixture on the cut side of the lettuce. Lightly oil the grill grates. Place the cut stalks cut side down on the heated grill. Don’t close the lid. Grill for 2 to 2 ½ minutes, depending how thick the lettuce stalks are. Remove from the grill and transfer to a serving platter. They should have a nice golden char to them, warm on the outside but cool on the inside. You might have to make them several times to get the technique just right. Too long and the stalks will be limp and burned. Not long enough and you won’t have the caramelized char.

Serve the Grilled Romaine Hearts immediately with the Creamy Peppercorn Salad Dressing spooned on them. These are a great accompaniment to grilled chicken, steak, any Italian dish, or even grill Portobello slices as the entree.

Creamy Peppercorn Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
½ Cup Sour Cream
½ Cup Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
1/3 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
4 Teaspoons Creamy Peppercorn Salad Dressing Mix

Directions:
Add the sour cream, mayonnaise and milk to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Whisk in. Add 4 Teaspoons of the Creamy Peppercorn Salad Dressing Mix. Whisk until combined well and is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for an hour to let the flavors develop. Can be stored in a container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

You can substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream and mayonnaise. You might have to add a bit more milk to get to the right consistency. You can also use low-fat sour cream and yogurt according to your personal taste.