Dinner Salad with Home made Croutons

This simple yet sophisticated salad is sure to please.  It goes great with fish or chicken entrees, or can stand on it’s own as a lite lunch.  The vinegar and heat from the Chipotle Tabasco compliment the tangy olive oil, salty cheese, and crunchy croutons perfectly.

Romain Lettuce, chopped or torn
Croutons
Romano Cheese, shaved
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Chipotle Tabasco Sauce
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Directions (per person):

Place 2-3 handfuls of lettuce in the center of a plate, forming a mound.   Apply the Chipotle Tabasco Sauce to the lettuce, about 5-6 shakes.  Place 4 Romano Cheese shavings on the lettuce, and then drizzle olive oil over the lettuce, cheese, and plate, probably about a tablespoon’s worth.  Season everything with the black pepper, and then place a handful of croutons on top of the lettuce.  Garnish the plate with drops of Chipotle Tabasco Sauce and serve.

To make the cheese shavings, simply run a vegetable peeler across a block of Romano Cheese, being careful not to break the shaving.  If you do break one, promptly put it in your mouth and try again.

croutons

You can make them out of any bread, even hot dog buns, and are a great way to do something with stale bread rather than throw it away. You can season them with anything you like.  Herbs, cheese, chili powder, sugar and spice, whatever.  Let your imagination go wild, you can’t really screw them up.  But today, I’m going to focus on a basic recipe that I love and seem to make the most.  The bread I’ll be using is week-old Grandma’s Bread, which I’ve decided makes the best croutons ever. Start by slicing the bread in uniform sizes.  I like mine about ½ inch thick, but you may like yours smaller.  Once sliced, turn the stack and slice in strips, then turn again and slice to get uniform cubes.

Place the cubes in a baking pan and drizzle with oil.  I like extra virgin olive oil, but you could use any that you like or have on hand.  Butter is especially delicious if you’d like to use it. Season with fresh-ground black pepper and kosher salt.  You won’t need a lot of salt because of the dressing you will be eating the croutons with later, so a couple of pinches for the entire pan should be sufficient.  Sprinkle with thyme, maybe ½ teaspoon for the entire pan.

Finely grate some Pecorino Romano cheese, sprinkle liberally on top, and then toss the croutons with your hands to coat with the oil and seasonings.

Bake at 350˚ for twenty minutes, then turn them with a spatula and bake for an additional 20 minutes.  They should be perfectly golden brown and very crunchy.