Best 5 Romaine And Gorgonzola Salad With Roasted Garlic Dressing And Spiced Pecans Recipes

APPLE GORGONZOLA SALAD (BUCA DI BEPPO COPYCAT)

Steps:

• Start by making the candied walnuts. Preheat your oven to 225. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg white and water until foamy, about 30 seconds.
• Add the walnuts and stir to coat.
• Add the walnuts to a strainer in your sink. Try to prop it up on something so that the walnuts can drain, and leave it there for 2-3 minutes.
• Meanwhile in a large ziplock, shake together sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Add the egg white-coated walnuts, seal, and shake. Make sure they all get coated really well.
• Dump the walnuts on the prepared pan and spread them out in a single layer, breaking up clumps.
• Bake at 225 for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
• In a blender, add the white wine vinegar, oregano, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, and red onion (if you think you can eyeball it pretty well, you don't have to finely mince it first, just throw in what looks like it will be 2 tablespoons minced. Be conservative!)
• Blend together. Open the spout while the blender is running and slowly pour in 3/4 cup olive oil. Set aside.
• Wash and chop the lettuce into bite size pieces, drying it in a salad spinner if you have one. (I love my salad spinner. It's so fun!)
• Core the apples. Chop one into bite size pieces, and thinly slice the other one. Put them immediately in a medium bowl with the lemon juice, stirring to coat. (This is to prevent browning, and is only necessary if you are interested in pretty presentation.)
• Add all the romaine to a large serving bowl. Add at least 1/2 cup of the dressing, or more. Stir to coat. Add the chopped apples, 1/2 to 1 cup candied walnuts, most of the gorgonzola, and most of the cranberries. Toss together.
• Top the salad with additional walnuts, gorgonzola, and cranberries. Layer the sliced apples on top however you like.

ROMAINE SALAD WITH BREADCRUMBS AND SIMPLE DRESSING

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a bunch of grinds of pepper (about 20 grinds) and cook, stirring constantly, until the crumbs are golden brown, about 5 minutes. It's important to stir the whole time to make sure that they do not burn--which will happen if they sit too long in the skillet untouched. Once golden, immediately transfer them to a plate to cool and stop the cooking process. Set aside.
• Whisk the yogurt, mustard, Worcestershire, lemon zest and juice, garlic, 3 tablespoons water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 20 grinds of black pepper in a small bowl until smooth, creamy and combined.
• And add the romaine to a serving bowl. Sprinkle in 3/4 cup of the breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup of the Parmesan and the dressing and toss until the lettuce is nicely coated. Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs and Parmesan on top and serve immediately.

ROMAINE WITH PAN-ROASTED GARLIC DRESSING

Steps:

• In a small skillet, combine the garlic cloves and the oil. Over a low heat, caramelize the garlic until browned and soft, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer garlic cloves to a blender or food processor. Add the vinegar and mustard. Blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly pour in the reserved garlic oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Chop the lettuce into bite-sized pieces and put in a large salad bowl. Pour the dressing over the lettuce and toss to coat. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top and serve immediately.

GRILLED ROMAINE WITH BALSAMIC DRESSING

Steps:

• For the balsamic dressing: In a blender, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Gorgonzola, basil, garlic, a pinch each of salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons water. Blend until the dressing is creamy and the garlic and basil are finely chopped.
• For the grilled romaine: Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat.
• Lightly brush the cut sides of the romaine with the canola oil. Place the romaine on the grill cut-side down and cook until grill marks form and the leaves are slightly charred, 1 to 3 minutes. Arrange on a platter cut-side up.
• Drizzle the romaine with the dressing. Sprinkle with the Gorgonzola and torn basil and serve.

GRILLED ROMAINE SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Mix olive oil, white sugar, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Place tomatoes in the bag, seal, and shake to coat. Arrange coated tomato halves cut side up on a baking sheet. Bake tomatoes 2 1/2 hours in the preheated oven. Remove from heat, and let cool.
• In a blender or food processor, finely chop the shallots. Add vinegar and brown sugar, and process until smooth. Slowly add 1 3/4 cups oil, processing frequently, so as to thicken the mixture.
• Preheat grill for high heat. Brush romaine hearts with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Place romaine hearts on the preheated grill. Cook 5 to 10 minutes, turning frequently, until slightly charred but not heated all the way through. Serve warm on salad plates surrounded by tomato pieces and drizzled with the shallot dressing.