Grilled Romaine Salad with a Homemade Buttermilk Dressing

Recently I have been hearing about how good grilled romaine salads are from several people. My mom has talked about a restaurant in Ellicott City called Coal Fire Pizza that has an amazing grilled romaine caesar salad on the menu. She started grilling her own romaine at home, so she can eat grilled salad on a budget, and I've always wanted to try it. One of my coworkers has also talked up the grilled romaine salad, so I figured it was time for me to see what the craze is all about. On Father's Day, Greg and I went to visit my parents and I brought over the fixings for a salad and we grilled the romaine. It was a really tasty salad - and very easy to make! I made a homemade buttermilk dressing to top the salad, and it was super yummy. Next time you have tons of buttermilk after only using a small amount in a baked goods recipe, make some buttermilk dressing! And, when you are looking for a new way to eat romaine lettuce, try grilling it to make this delicious salad. Enjoy!

Recipe for Grilled Romaine Salad with a Homemade Buttermilk Dressing

INGREDIENTS:
2 Hearts of Romaine lettuce, cut in half lengthwise, ends kept in place
Extra-virgin olive oil

Grilled Romaine salad with homemade buttermilk dressing

Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. of sunflower seeds
8 cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 Tbsp. of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup of buttermilk
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1 tsp. of lemon juice
1/4 tsp. of smoked paprika
1 tsp. of dried parsley flakes
1/8 tsp. of dried dill weed
1/4 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. of salt

DIRECTIONS:
Make the dressing first. In a medium bowl, mix the buttermilk and mayonnaise together until smooth. Then add in the pressed garlic, lemon juice and spices and mix to incorporate well. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Cover the bowl and put dressing in the fridge until you are ready to use. If you don't use all the dressing, any leftovers will keep for a week in the fridge in an airtight container.

Prepare the romaine for the grill. Put a very small amount of olive oil on each side of the romaine and brush the entire side (all you need is about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. of oil per side). Sprinkle salt and pepper over each side. Put the grill on medium heat - about 400 degrees. Place the romaine right on top of the grates of the grill and cook, watching the entire time, for about 2 - 3 minutes per side (or until it turns a little brown and softens). Take off the grill and divide grilled romaine onto 4 plates. Top each with the cherry tomatoes, sunflower seeds, Parmesan cheese, and buttermilk dressing. Sprinkle with a little extra black pepper, if desired. Yum!

Makes 4 servings. 

*The buttermilk dressing also works well as a marinade for chicken. I marinated 1 chicken breast in about 1/3 of the dressing for 45 minutes and then Greg put it on the grill. We served it along side the grilled romaine salad, and it made a delicious dinner!

Buttermilk Dressing recipe adapted from: Simply Recipes

Spicy Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Do you think it is strange for me to post a soup recipe on the first day of summer? I have always strayed away from making or eating hot soups during the warmer months, but I thought that this recipe seemed good for summer. We have been having this beautiful weather lately and I actually ate a bowl of this soup out on my front porch yesterday afternoon. Shrimp is something that is usually enjoyed in the summer, so I that is why I thought this soup would be just fine for me to try this week. Hopefully I have convinced myself and you that eating hot soup in the summer time is totally normal.

We have a ton of cilantro growing in our garden right now. Greg kept telling me I needed to make something with parsley because there was so much of it, so I was going to add it into a buttermilk ranch dressing recipe. Greg went out to grab me the "parsley," and when he put it into my hand, I immediately knew it was not parsley! There is no mistaking the smell of cilantro (unless you are Greg). Needless to say, I didn't put the cilantro in my dressing. I was thinking about what I wanted to make with cilantro. I always make Mexican food, so I thought I'd try something different. I had seen this soup years ago on Annie's Eats and knew I wanted to eventually try it, so that is what I made. The soup is hearty and spicy and healthy. Each serving has about 300 calories, and it's very filling. You can serve it alone or with a side salad. I also made homemade croutons to add on top of the soup, and they add a nice touch, but they aren't necessary. I included a recipe link for homemade croutons in case you want to add some crunch to your bowl! Enjoy.

Recipe for Spicy Brazilian Shrimp Soup 

INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbsp. of Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
1 red bell pepper, chopped small
1 small jalapeno pepper, minced (leave a few seeds for more heat or remove all)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups of canned crushed tomatoes
5 cups of water
1 cup of white Basmati rice or other long-grained white rice
1 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 tsp. of salt
1 can of coconut milk (13.5 ounces)
1 pound of frozen large shrimp, thawed and peeled
Juice from 1/2 small lemon
Juice from 1/2 small lime
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro leaves
Sliced avocado, for garnish
Homemade Croutons (add 1 clove of pressed garlic to olive oil for garlic croutons)

DIRECTIONS:
Put the olive oil into a large pot and set over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add in the onion, red pepper, and jalapeno pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add in the crushed tomatoes, water, rice, red pepper flakes and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and then adjust the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook for about 10 - 12 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and bring the soup back to a simmer. Add in the shrimp and stir. Allow the shrimp to cook for about 5 minutes (the shrimp will turn pink when it is done). Stir in the lemon juice, lime juice, black pepper, and cilantro. You can serve immediately or allow the soup to sit for several minutes before serving. Divide into soup bowls and garnish with avocado slices and croutons, if desired. Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay good for a couple days.

Makes approximately 8 servings. Each serving has about 300 calories (without the avocado and croutons).

Recipe Adapted from Annie's Eats

Do you love shrimp but  not sure about eating soup in summer? Try this sweet & spicy marinated shrimp recipe!

Toasted Almond Joy Cupcakes

Mmm, who wants to eat a cupcake? I do! These cupcakes are quite spectacular! I had it in my head that I wanted to make chocolate coconut cupcakes, and I was basing it off of this coconut cupcake recipe. I checked the web for ideas, but I couldn't really find any recipes that had chocolate and coconut combined in the batter of a cupcake. So then I called my mom for ideas, and she said she didn't think it would work. But why? Chocolate is good, coconut is good, why wouldn't they be doubly as good in one cupcake? She couldn't answer my question, but she told me to trust her. I did, even though I was tempted to try it out. I held back, and instead I created these cupcakes, and they turned out better than I could have imagined. They start with a basic chocolate cupcake, then are topped with the best cream cheese frosting, and then they are sprinkled with toasted coconut and toasted almonds. And if that isn't enough to put them over the top, they are then drizzled with a dark chocolate ganache. YUM. I didn't get to eat many cupcakes because Greg hoarded them all - that's how much he liked them. We did share some cupcakes with my parents on Father's Day, and they were a huge hit with both of them. I have to  give my mom some of the credit since she convinced me not to mix the chocolate and coconut together in the batter!

I did have a hard time naming these because "Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, Toasted Coconut, Toasted Almonds, and Chocolate Ganache" was way too long of a title. So I came up with "Toasted Almond Joy Cupcakes." I think it works.

This recipe makes 18 delectable cupcakes. In case you want to make 6 cupcakes rather than the full 18, I went ahead and made it easy by putting the correct measurement for 6 cupcakes in parenthesis after each ingredient. You're welcome!

Recipe for Toasted Almond Joy Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:
For the chocolate cupcakes
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. of Dutch-processed cocoa powder (3 Tbsp.)
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. of very hot water (3 Tbsp.)
2 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour (3/4 cup)
3/4 tsp. of baking powder (1/4 tsp.)
3/4 tsp. of baking soda (1/4 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. of salt (a little over 1/8 tsp.)
2 sticks plus 1 Tbsp. of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature (5 2/3 Tbsp.)
1 2/3 cup of granulated sugar (1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp.)
3 large eggs, at room temperature (1 large egg)
2 Tbsp. of heavy cream (2 tsp.)
1 Tbsp. of pure vanilla extract (1 tsp.)
1 1/2 tsp. of chocolate extract - optional (1/2 tsp.)
3/4 cup of low-fat plain yogurt (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup of granulated sugar (for brushing, to keep cupcakes moist)
1/2 cup of water (for brushing, to keep cupcakes moist)
For the cream cheese frosting 
2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature (5 1/3 Tbsp)
1 1/2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened at room temperature (1/2 package)
2 cups of powdered sugar, sifted (2/3 cup)
1 1/2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract (1/2 tsp.)
3/4 tsp. of pure almond extract (1/4 tsp.)
For the topping
1 cup of sweetened shredded flaked coconut (1/3 cup)
30 raw almonds, chopped (10)
For the chocolate ganache
4.5 ounces of semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup of heavy cream
*Any extra you can store in an airtight container for later use, you will have extra if you are only making the 6 cupcakes.

DIRECTIONS:
First, toast the coconut and almonds for the topping. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the coconut and almonds in a single layer on a baking pan. Put in oven and cook for about 5 minutes, toss around with a spoon, then cook for another 5 - 10 minutes or until toasty-looking. Remove from oven and set aside.

Make the cupcakes.
Adjust oven temperature to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with paper liners. Put the cocoa powder in a smallish bowl. Add the hot water (I brought the water to just a boil and then let it cool for about a minute) to the cocoa powder and then whisk together until the mixture is smooth. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift ingredients together.

Put the softened butter and granulated sugar into a medium saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring almost constantly, until the butter is fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, then use an electric hand mixer set on medium speed to mix until the mixture becomes cool, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time into the mixture, and mix well on low after each addition. Add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and chocolate extract and blend. Add in the cocoa mixture and blend until smooth. Set the hand mixer on low speed, and then add in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Keep the mixer running, and then add in 1/2 of the yogurt, another 1/3 of the flour mixture, the rest of the yogurt, and finish with the flour mixture. Blend together until just incorporated.

Divide the cupcake batter into the liners (I use a cookie dough scoop for less messes). Put the cupcakes in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes. Rotate pans halfway between baking. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to let them cool completely.

To help with keeping the cupcakes moist, brush each one with sugar water. Put 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water into a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir constantly until it comes to a simmer and sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat. Lightly poke the tops of each cupcake with a fork. Dip a brush into the sugar water and brush the tops of each cupcake with the mixture.

For the frosting
Put the softened butter and cream cheese into a large bowl. Blend together with an electric hand mixer set on medium-high speed until smooth. Blend in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add in 1/2 of the powdered sugar and blend on medium speed until fully incorporated. Add in the rest of the sugar and blend again until completely smooth.

Frost the cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting. Line cupcakes on a pan. Sprinkle each one with the toasted coconut and toasted almonds.

For the chocolate ganache
Put the finely chopped chocolate into a small bowl. Put the cream in a small saucepan and set over medium heat until it just comes to a boil. Immediately pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until completely smooth. Let cool for a minute before topping cupcakes. Use a fork or spoon to drizzle chocolate ganache over the tops of each cupcake. Sprinkle on more coconut and almond mixture, if desired.

Put the cupcakes into an airtight container and store in the fridge until ganache hardens (about 20 minutes). If not serving right away, keep in the fridge until ready to serve. Cupcakes can be stored for up to a week in the fridge.

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe Adapted from: Annie's Eats

Chocolate Ganache Recipe from: All Recipes

If you love chocolate and coconut, try the recipe for coconut truffles!

Tropical Hearts of Palm Salad (Inspired by Paladar Restaurant)

As some of you may know, one of my favorite restaurants in the Annapolis-area is Paladar Restaurant. It has so many fun and exciting Latin items on the menu. Paladar shared with me their amazing sweet potato taco recipe last summer and I make them over and over again. This winter, I was inspired to make Paladar's potato, chorizo, and goat cheese tacos after seeing it on the menu, and they are incredible. I've never had a meal at Paladar that I did not absolutely love!

Yesterday I met a friend for lunch at Paladar, and I ordered the tropical hearts of palm salad and a bowl of gazpacho. I've had the hearts of palm salad many times before, and today I attempted to recreate it in my kitchen. It turned out pretty well - it's not exactly the same, but fairly close. The salad was really easy to make and it is very healthy! For those of you who don't know much about hearts of palm is,  they are a veggie that is harvested from the center of palm trees. How cool is that? I first thought that hearts of palm were the same thing as artichoke hearts, but they are completely different. Hearts of palm are grown in places such as Costa Rica and Ecuador. They are high in potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamin A. This salad also has other really healthy ingredients, like avocado, mango, and black beans. It's tropical tasting, refreshing, and it's filling enough to eat for lunch or even dinner. Enjoy!

Recipe for Tropical Hearts of Palm Salad
INGREDIENTS:
1 can of black beans, drained
3 stalks of hearts of palm (from can or jar), sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 very ripe mango, cut into smallish cubes
1 half of a ripe (but not too ripe) banana, cut very thin and then in half
1 Hass avocado, cut into smallish cubes
5 cherry or grape tomatoes, seeds removed and cut into small pieces
Juice of one large lime
1/8 tsp. of coarse sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. of extra-virgin olive oil
6 - 9 tortilla chips, crushed into smallish pieces

DIRECTIONS:
Put the beans, hearts of palm, mango, banana, avocado, and tomatoes into a medium-sized bowl. Pour the lime juice over the salad and toss well. Add in the salt and olive oil and toss again. Divide salad amongst 2 - 3 dishes and top each salad with crushed tortilla chips.