Beat the Heat...Get out of the Kitchen!

When we were young and hip, okay~we may still be young, but the kids may not think we are hip, (prime example...I was driving Riley and her friend to gymnastics today and I told them I would put the radio on, and I was trying to sing along....they looked at me and got their MP3 player out....), we used to eat out ALOT!

One of the things I really liked was the grilled Caesar salad from The Belvedere Inn, in downtown Lancaster. Well, because kids take a small fortune to raise, we tried to re-create their recipe....I think it was Nicole (thanks, again) who helped this recipe along....we used to lunch together all the time when the kids were little.....feeding the kids whatever kid friendly meal we had, and then creating special things for us to enjoy.

Anyway, it was way to nice (and hot) to be inside cooking at the stove tonight so I took it outside. What are some ways that you guys beat the heat with cooking? Please post your comments and ideas!!

Start with romaine lettuce ($3.99 at Costco for this whole pack)!!

Lay lettuce on the cutting board...

Cut in 1/2...brush lightly (maybe 1 tsp. per lettuce 1/2) with olive oil:

Lay lettuce, cut side down, on preheated grill; grill for 3-4 minutes per side....

also grill shrimp or chicken.

Remove from grill to platter:

Serve with bread (this was a potato scallion from Costco);

Assemble salad and enjoy.

Grilled Caesar Salad - Serves 4

3 Heads of Romaine (Cut in 1/2)

1 lb. Shrimp, raw-deveined-shelled

Salt and Pepper

Croutons of choice

Caesar Dressing of choice (I used Culinary Treasures, Fresh Garlic Caesar from Costco)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat grill. Cut romaine in 1/2 and lightly brush with olive oil. Toss shrimp with salt and pepper (I used Tastefully Simples Garlic Pepper and some fresh ground sea salt).

Add shrimp to grill pan and begin grilling. When shrimp is about 1/2 way cooked, add romaine lettuce and grill approx. 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from grill to a serving platter. To assemble your grilled caesar salad, place a grilled romaine on your plate and drizzle with salad dressing. Top with shrimp and croutons. Serve with slice bread. Enjoy!

HAPPY EATING!