Grilled Romaine with Guacamole Dressing

Serves 2 - 4

Sunset Magazine, June 2011

I really enjoyed making this simple recipe - different, fun, interesting to look at, and yummy. I would love to serve it to guests, or double/triple it for a summer grilling potluck.

To make the dressing: Whirl 2 t. olive oil, ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 T fresh lime juice, ½ ripe avocado, ½ t. finely chopped garlic, 2 T. chopped cilantro, ¼ t. kosher salt and 2 T. water in a food processor until smooth.

Next, combine 1 T. olive oil with ¼ t. cayenne (I used a few drops of chipotle Tabasco sauce). Halve 2 hearts of romaine lettuce lengthwise and brush them with the oil mixture.

Heat grill to medium (350-450 degrees). Cook oil-rubbed greens directly on the grill, turning once, until slightly softened and streaked brown, 5 to 6 minutes total. Drizzle the warm greens with dressing and sprinkle with ¼ cup crumbled Cotija cheese (I used non-fat feta) and ¼ c sliced green onions (I forgot to use these).

Laurie’s notes:

For the dressing, I plan to use just one garlic clove next time; this was VERY garlicky! Also, I don’t carry a food processor, just a small chopper attachment for my immersion blender. It was big enough to handle this small job. The recipe made about 50% more than was needed for 2 romaine hearts, so you could easily grill sufficient romaine for 6 people (3 hearts) without increasing the dressing.