Two Very Easy Sides

Warm Caprese Salad on Garlic Toast....

Blue Cheese Wedge

My gang loves the well rounded meal (and a well rounded Mommy! LOL!). We try to have a protein, a starch, and something green.

I like to serve the Warm Caprese Salad on Garlic Toast with chicken or fish. And the Blue Cheese Wedge with a steakhouse dinner or Lamb Chops.

Let's talk about the Caprese first...Many of us have had the Mozzarella Tomato and Basil Salad when dining out...this is a variation. I like to get a really crusty bread, a round Italian country bread or Chibata. I roast the Tomatoes, but you can also use Sun Dried Tomatoes packed in oil.

Fresh Mozzarella is key for it's soft texture...it will be juicy, but it will be well worth it for the milky texture. Mozzarella comes in many different textures from very dry (such as pre-shredded) and very moist, freshly made...these all have different applications. You have and will see me use this cheese in different ways. The fresh Garlic cloves will be rubbed on the toasted bread and you can't duplicate the aroma!

Let's get Caprese!

Olive Oil Cooking Spray

Round Crusty Italian Bread sliced to your liking

Pealed Garlic Cloves, the amount depends on how many slices of bread you have

A nice Bunch of Basil sliced in to thin ribbons

2 to 3 Ripe Tomatoes Sliced Thin

Fresh Mozzarella, if you don't have access to fresh, a close second is the Sargento Fresh Mozzarella Ball or similar product thinly sliced and pulled apart into pieces

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pre-heat oven to 425

You can roast the Tomatoes ahead of time...Spray a foil lined baking sheet and lay out your tomato slices

Roast until they are caramelized about 15-20 minutes, remove, drain off any liquid, and cool on a plate or tray.

Line the baking sheet with a new piece of foil and spray

Pre-heat the oven to 425

Place the bread dry on the sheet and toast...KEEP an eye on it so it doesn't burn

Remove from oven leaving the bread on the baking sheet...Leave oven ON.

Cool a little so that you can touch it

Rub the fresh Garlic Clove on the Bread

Lay your slices of Tomato, Basil, pieces of Cheese, in that order

Sprinkle a little Salt and Pepper over top

Put back in oven just 'till Cheese starts to melt but keeps it's shape about 3-4 minutes

remove from oven and give a small drizzle of Olive Oil

Delicioso!

Traditional American Wedge of Lettuce

The wedge is really making a comeback! The chilled Iceberg Lettuce and creamy dressing just says Yum! Mikee like the whole Blue Cheese thing with his meat!

This is so easy it will make you cheer!

This will serve 4

1 Firm Heavy Iceberg Lettuce Cut into 4 Wedges and rinsed well...dry on a paper towel

1 Bottle Ken's Blue Cheese Dressing

1 Container of Blue Cheese Crumbles

Pour dressing on Wedge and as much or as little as you like.

Sprinkle Crumbles to taste.

What was that? 3 whole minutes?! It looks and tastes sumptuous.

The Wedge is great with any kind of dressings and toppings (Even low fat dressings).

Say hello to an old classic!