Grilled Caesar Salad

Caesar salad freshly made with quality ingredients has been making a comeback lately. There's no excuse for the mass-produced style with gloppy dressing and too-much parmesan. Caesar should have a bright, briney dressing, crisp, fresh lettuce and something crunchy, usually croutons.

In this version, the classic salad gets a smoky summer twist by spending time on the grill. I first had a grilled Caesar salad years ago at Casey Jones in La Plata, Md., and I loved it. The lettuce doesn't need much time on the grill--between 1 to 2 minutes is enough to char its edges and impart a little smoke while keeping most of the greens crisp-fresh. I also used the grill to toast the bread for croutons.

Because not everyone is fan of anchovies (their loss, I agree), I made the dressing instead with Worcestershire sauce (which, by the way, contains anchovies). You could just as easily mash a tablespoon or so of chopped anchovies into the dressing.

Grilled Caesar Salad

Italian bread, cut into three 1-inch thick slices
1 garlic clove, cut in half
Olive oil
Seasoned salt, to taste
3 romaine lettuce hearts, cut in half through the stem so the leaves stay connected (do not separate leaves)
Grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Dressing:
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Rub both sides of each slice of bread with the cut sides of the garlic clove. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Brush the cut side of each romaine heart with olive oil.

2. Prepare hot coals for direct-heat grilling. Arrange the bread slices and lettuce hearts (cut-side down) on the grill. After 1 minute, flip over the bread and check the lettuce. Remove both when done: the lettuce is done when the edges are charred; the bread should be charred on both sides. Cut the toasts into 1-inch croutons.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and whisk until emulsified.

4. Arrange two lettuce halves on a plate, cut-side up. Scatter a few croutons over the lettuce, drizzle with about 1 tbsp. of dressing and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Grilled Chicken Tacos

Chicken tacos are a fun treat in our house. I sometimes get them at Chipotle; sometimes make them in a pan at home. But it's a super special treat when we get to have them with grilled chicken. There's just no match for that charred smoky flavor.

I marinated this chicken in a simple mixture of olive oil, lemon juice and spices and grilled thick slices of onion along with the chicken. For serving, I kept it simple: shredded cheddar, guacamole and some lime wedges.

Grilled Chicken Tacos

1 1/2 lb. boneless-skinless chicken thighs (about 4 thighs)
2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced into rings about 3/4-inch thick
2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for brushing the grill pan
2 tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp. fresh chopped oregano
Corn tortillas, warmed (wrap with paper towels and microwave on high 30 seconds)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Guacamole (see recipe)
Lime wedges

1. Prepare hot coals for direct grilling. Brush a grill pan with olive oil and set on one side of the grill.

2. Place chicken and onions together in a small roasting pan or other large, shallow bowl. Mix together olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt and oregano and pour over chicken and onions, turning to coat them evenly.

3. Grill the chicken on the grill for 5 minutes. Turn and grill another 5 minutes until browned and cooked through. At the same time, grill the onions on the hot grill pan, turning as they char. When cooled, chop the chicken.

4. Serve the grilled chicken and onions with corn tortillas, shredded cheese, guacamole and lime wedges.

Simple Grilled Salmon

Happy Memorial Day. Is it summer? Not officially until June 21--25 days from now. But unofficially, Memorial Day kicks off summer and thus summer grilling season. All week, I'll be looking at various ways to incorporate good smoky flavor into food and drink, most of which won't require a grill, since I don't have regular access to one.

When I do get a chance to grill, I like to keep it simple, and there's nothing simpler than grilled salmon. With good, wild salmon, little needs to be done besides grilling it to add a little smoke and bring out its fresh flavor. A squirt of fresh lemon is a nice touch, as is fresh chopped herbs.

Simple Grilled Salmon

Makes 4 servings

1 1/2 lb. fresh salmon fillets (cut into two pieces for easier handling)
Olive oil
Sesoning salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 lemon

1. Prepare hot coals for direct-heat grilling. Heat grill. Brush salmon with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt (or plain salt) and pepper, to taste.

2. Place salmon fillets skin-side down on the hot grill, cover, and grill for 5 minutes. Remove lid and, using a metal grilling spatula, turn fillets over. Replace cover and grill for another 3-5 minutes (3 minutes will be a bit pinker; 5 minutes will be well-done).

3. Cut off the skin and serve on a platter with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of outdoor grilling season, a time-honored cooking method that I, alas, rarely get to partake in. I love living in the city, but one of the few drawbacks of high-rise life is that you can't have an outdoor grill since, you know, it's a fire hazard.

However, I actually do have a Weber charcoal grill, it's just someplace else--my mother's beach house in Oregon, 2,900 miles from here. So when we go visit her, I try to make good use of the grill and one of my favorite dishes is Grilled Chicken Fajitas--something I've made since I was in high school.

As grilled dishes go, this is pretty easy: marinate the chicken and cook it over hot coals. If you have a grill pan, you can also grill the vegetables over the coals (if you don't, you can cook them separately in a large frying pan on the stove).

Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Inspired by Chicken Fajitas, The New Basics Cookbook, Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 limes, juiced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 sweet onion, sliced into thick rings
1 green bell pepper, cored and seeded
8 flour tortillas (fajita size, about 6-8 inches diameter)

1. Combine olive oil, lime juice, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Add chicken breasts and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours while you prepare the coals for grilling.

2. Prepare hot coals for grilling (I recommend using charcoal and a paper or electric starter, not gas or lighter fuel).

3. Flatten the bell pepper and brush the onion slices and pepper with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Remove chicken from marinade and grill over hot coals until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes on each side, turning halfway through. Remove and allow to rest about 5 minutes. Slice across the grain of the meat into long strips about 1/2-inch wide.

5. Place a grill pan on the grate over the hot coals. Cook the onion and bell pepper in the pan until softened and brown around the edges, about 7-9 minutes. Slice into strips.

6. Serve the fajitas on flour tortillas, with garnishes such as guacamole, tomato salsa, sour cream and shredded cheese.