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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Roasted Caesar Salad with Crispy Chicken Croutons



It's been a while since I've done a salad, so now's a good a time as any. This one appealed to me in that it is for two people rather than an army and the ingredients are fairly straightforward.

Roasted Caesar Salad with Crispy Chicken Croutons
adapted from Cooking Club of America
click to print

DRESSING
1/3 c mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced
Dash salt
Dash pepper

CROUTONS
3/4 c corn flake crumbs
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces

SALAD
1 romaine lettuce heart, halved lengthwise
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 450ºF. Coat small rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Whisk dressing ingredients in small bowl; reserve 2 tablespoons.

After combining the ingredients, I went the lazy way and poured the dressing into a small bowl without scraping the larger bowl. I guessed that what remained in the prep bowl was enough to coat the chicken.

Place corn flake crumbs in shallow bowl.


Combine chicken with reserved 2 tablespoons dressing in medium bowl to coat.


Roll chicken in crumbs, pressing lightly to coat. Arrange in single layer on baking sheet.


Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned and no longer pink in center; remove chicken.


Brush cut-sides of romaine with oil.


Place, cut-side-down, on same baking sheet. Bake 3 minutes or until slightly wilted.


Arrange on serving plates. Drizzle with enough of the remaining dressing to lightly coat. Sprinkle with chicken and cheese.



I didn't think I'd like this at all. Hot wilted lettuce? Yuck! That said, I liked it. The middle of the lettuce was cold and still crunchy, but the wilted part was like, extra lettucy, if that makes any sense. It was sort of like spinach. I wouldn't ever order it in a restaurant or break my neck to make this but I certainly wouldn't be opposed to it if I happened to have the stuff laying around. The chicken is great! I really liked the nuggets, though I'm not exactly sure why. That it's like making Chicken McNuggets at home is not ruled out. Eight minutes in the oven was perfect.

During the Big Kitchen Clean of 2013, I emptied my kitchen of any and everything that was expired or just old. If Rodney had ever laid a finger on it, it was time for that thing to go! Worcestershire was included in that category and unfortunately, I hadn't purchased more to replace it. When I reviewed this recipe before shopping, a lack of the good stuff wasn't considered. I'm sure it's exactly what this recipe seems to be missing.

Possibly because I skipped lunch and was ready to jump on a cow and start chewing, this recipe only served one with extra chicken and a great majority of the dressing leftover. If I remember, I'll take the chicken to work with the dressing as a dipping sauce.

Cost:
  • mayonnaise: $0.41
  • milk: $0.03
  • Dijon mustard: $0.15
  • lemon juice: $0.02
  • garlic clove: $0.08
  • corn flake crumbs: $0.51
  • boneless skinless chicken breast halves: $1.96
  • romaine lettuce heart: $1
  • extra-virgin olive oil: $0.18
  • shredded Parmesan cheese: $0.44
Total: $4.78 or $2.39 for each of two servings.

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