Cheaty Ceasar

I'm developing a love for salads. Just making them up as I go. And when the ceasar salad craving came. I made my version.

I used romano lettuce, chicken breasts and bacon in a vinaigrette packed with parmeggiano reggiano. Yummy!



I have one of those pans that you can take the handle off, so I just plonk three-four well seasoned chicken breasts in the pan and brown them off on both sides. Then I add some strips of bacon into the same pan and put the whole thing it in the oven at 220 degrees. The chicken takes about 15-20 minutes depending on size, and the bacon will be done before then. Just remove it when crispy.



The salad dressing is my standard vinaigrette, and then I add loads of freshly grated parmesan cheeze. And yes I know in the original recipe you add ancovies and wostershire sauce.



I like that the chicken is not too hot when I put it in the salad so it doesn't wilt it. It gives me enough time to make some crutons from old bread. Use the same pan with the drippings in it. Add herbs and a couple chopped cloves of garlic and two good handfulls of diced bread. Turn the bread around the pan to soak up the herby/garlicy/bacony goodness.



Then I just tear up my washed romano lettuce. Mix it in the dressing and top it off with sliced chicken, bacon and crutons. Yum!

Quickie: Cauliflower Soup

I couldn't really decide weather to put this under the classic category but decided on quickie. It is so easy and quick. And I made it the other night out of a beautiful seasonal Norwegian cauliflower.

Cauliflower soup brings up a lot of memories for me. At the cabin at Hogstad (doesn't exist any more), summer afternoon, Momo (my grandmother) in the kitchen. Mum and her singing "Fondor", boullion powdwer especially imported from Germany for maing the soup.

The way I learnt it from them is to lightly boil the cauliflower in boullion water and then make a rue, adding the cooking water and a splash of cream.

The other night when I was craving the soup but I didn't have cream.

Cauliflower Soup

1 cauliflower
Knob of butter
2-3 tablespoons of flour
1/2 litre milk
Water to thin to desired consistency
1 cube of chicken or vegetable boullion (I used a fond kind for the first time, worked well)
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a big pot and add the four to make a rue. Let it cook out a little to remove the rawness of the flour. Add your milk while wisking, let boil up and add hot water (from your kettle) to get your desired thickness. Add your stock, salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the greens off your cauliflower and make into smallish bouquets add them to the soup and just let steep for about five minutes untill the little cauli trees are tender.

You don't want the soup to boil too vigerously and burn on the bottom. Use a wooden spoon and stir regularily.

Serve with a fresh grinding of pepper. Maybe some sort of bread. Totally satisfying.