Best Hearts Of Romaine With Roquefort And Toasted Pecans Recipes

BRAISED HEARTS OF ROMAINE

Steps:

• Trim root end of each heart (keeping heart intact), then halve heart lengthwise.
• Heat butter in a deep 13- to 14-inch skillet (or a 12-inch straight-sided skillet) over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add romaine, cut sides down (halves will fit very snugly in pan), and cook, turning once, until golden but not cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Add wine and boil until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and briskly simmer, partially covered, until ribs are tender, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer romaine with tongs to a platter (remove any peppercorns that stick to romaine) and boil liquid, uncovered, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes.
• Pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve over romaine.

HEARTS OF ROMAINE SALAD WITH APPLES, CHEESE AND HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Vinaigrette: In a container, whisk together the vinegars, sugar, sweet mustard, salt and vanilla. Whisk in the oil. Makes a generous 1 cup of vinaigrette.
• Salad: Arrange the romaine on individual salad plates.
• To prepare the peeled and cored apples, cut each half into 1/4-inch thick slices, then cut each slice into thirds.
• Place the apples in a small bowl and toss with enough of the vinaigrette to coat the pieces. You can prepare the apple mixture up to an hour ahead. Important: If you coat the apples with the dressing any longer than that, they will absorb too much of the vinaigrette, which overwhelms the apple flavor.
• Divide the apple mixture among the salads. Top each serving with a portion of the cheese and then a portion of the hazelnuts.
• Drizzle an extra bit of the vinaigrette over the greens and around the edges of the salad. Serve.
• Alternatively: Instead of hearts of Romaine lettuce, consider a mixture of baby spinach, hearts of Romaine and/or other mixed young greens. You could also substitute feta or white cheddar, aged gouda, etc. for the blue cheese.
• Another serving option would be to assemble the entire salad on a large platter instead of individual salad plates.

ROMAINE WITH APPLE, PECANS AND BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mash cheese with a fork. Add vinegar, mustard, juice and yogurt; stir to combine thoroughly.
• In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients. Toss with 1/2 cup Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing.