Sunday, May 23, 2010

Adreon's Caesar!


So I've been on this Caesar Salad kick lately...like making one for dinner every night for 2 weeks. Yikes right! I mean I know it's not the worse meal, but depending on the dressing, it could be a little fattening.

I named this post after my dear friend Adreon...she made this for me once, and I can't get enough of it. Of course I had to “Ieesha Infuse” it, I added blackened Chicken Breast with Lemon juice.

Items needed:

Saute pan
Small cookie sheet
Mixing Bowl
Ieesha’s B Mix
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 Organic Lemon
1 Organic Chicken Breast
Garlic Caesar Dressing
Ken’s Lite Parmesan Dressing
Cracked Black Pepper
Organic Croutons


So first things first! A salad isn't a salad without the perfect dressing! I was at a restaurant the other day and order a Caesar and it was GROSS. How can you go wrong with a salad right? Well ya can! Trust me!

Let’s get back to the dressings. Yup I said dressings with a “s”! Two is what you need!

Vons/Safeway/Pavilions Garlic Caesar Dressing & Ken's Lite Parmesan Dressing (I think I need to make this tonight). If you live in an area that doesn't have a Vons...try to find a Garlic Caesar dressing. This is a must…but I’m sure you will deal with what ya find!

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees!

So now that that’s out the way...let's get to the chicken! I'm all for organic chicken these days but it's not a big deal if you don't have any in the fridge. Place the chicken breast into a Ziploc bag, seal, and pound a few times until it’s a little thin. I find it VERY hard to grill a fat chicken breast (cooks unevenly).

This is a good time to put some olive oil into a sauté pan on med-high heat. We're about to sear the chicken to keep that moisture in...yea buddy! If you’re using a stainless steel sauté pan, I find it helpful to heat the pan before adding the olive oil (prevents sticking).

Now generously cover each side with Ieesha’s Blackening Mix (Ieesha’s B Mix).

Now...for the seasoning..I go heavy because I don't use salt that much..but do what you like. I actually make this ahead of time and place in a separate container to use the extra later....I love blackening my foods!

Ieesha's B Mix:

Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Cajun Seasoning (not too much..because of the salt)
Basil
Trader Joes 21 Salute Seasoning
Cumin
Chili Powder
Paprika

I like to smack the breast a few times with the B mix…just to make sure the seasoning will not fall off before transferring into the pan. Place the chicken breast in the pan and sear it for 2 minutes on each side! Let the smoke roll…don’t be afraid baby..don’t be afraid. Immediately transfer the chicken breast into the cookie sheet cover and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let the chicken rest while you finish preparing salad. This is critical…resting allows the juices to stay in the meat!

Next, using the freshest romaine lettuce, chop in nice medium chunks. This is my technique: I rinse the lettuce really well. I chop off the bottom, pull apart the leaves and stack them on top of each other. I then slice them horizontally into four to five rows and then chop vertically! Dry lightly and set aside.

Mixing Adreon’s Caesar….now let me be frank..I’m NOT a fan of following measurements. You will understand this as you read more of my postings. All I’m going to say is add the same amount of each dressing, squeeze some fresh lemon juice and add a handful of shredded parmesan cheese. Time to get dirty…mix it all up with your freshly washed and manicured hands lol..or a spoon.

Using tongs, place the yummy salad mixture in a nice white square dish. Okay, okay…any plate will work…but an all white dish is so sexy!

Slice the chicken breast into strips or however you like and place on top of salad…place a lemon wedge on the side…if you’re like me..I like the zest of a lemon. Top off with a few croutons and bon appétit!

Hope you enjoy!
II