On a chilly day, there are times when I don’t feel like eating a big, delicious, nutritious salad because it’s ….. well, cold! There’s no need to skip the salad when you can grill everything.
I received a George Foreman grill for Christmas and decided to put it to good use. Even though I associate this appliance with grilled meat, it works really well with vegetables. And it certainly cleans up easier than my large stove-top grill pan.
This recipe is easily scalable. I made enough for my husband and me to have lunch. And this salad has a surprising amount of protein — one head of romaine lettuce packs in 8 grams while 1 ounce of pepitas adds another 9 grams. The tomatoes and onions are loaded with antioxidants and other goodies your body loves to soak in, so feel free to indulge!
For those following Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat To Live program, this complies with the weight loss plan if you leave out the blue cheese. Those on the life plan can include the cheese as your daily “cheat”.
Ingredients (serves 2)
2 heads of romaine lettuce (cut lengthwise)
½ pint cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
½ red onion (cut into ½ inch slices
2 ounces raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 ounces crumbled blue cheese (optional for vegetarians)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
balsamic vinegar (gently warmed over low heat, if desired)
Directions
1. Heat the grilling surface (or use a large skillet) to medium-high.
2. Rinse lettuce, shake out excess water and pat dry. Cut lengthwise.
3. Brush a thin layer of olive oil (or mist with a cooking oil spray) on both sides of the lettuce and onions.
4. Grill the lettuce for 2 – 3 minutes on each side.
5. Grill the onion for 3 – 4 minutes on each side.
6. Grill the tomatoes skin side down for about 5 minutes or until skin blisters. Do not flip.
7. In a small non-stick skillet, toast the pepitas for about 2 – 3 minutes, stirring constantly so they don’t burn.
8. Arrange vegetables on a serving dish. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar over the top and add blue cheese, if desired.
9. Serve warm immediately.
plasterers bristol says
This sounds lovely. Going to give this a go. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
Amy says
Thank you so much, Simon. I hope you like it!