Italian Salad with Asiago Cheese Crisps

Hey, everybody! I'm so excited to share my amazing new recipe with you all. I'm currently in a Halloween show where audience members are led through a park on Mercer Island and the actors scare them. It's very fun, but also time consuming. On Friday (which was opening night), I had the day off of school. I used my time to develop and make a delicious recipe for Italian Salad. It's the perfect fuel to power you before any activity, like sports, dance or a performance. Instead of eating plain pasta, Doritos and drinking Gatorade before you exercise, try making and eating this.

Italian Salad with Asiago Cheese Crisps
Serves 3 - 4

Ingredients
2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 large romaine heart, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
16 mini mozzarella balls
1 cup freshly grated asiago cheese
3/4 cup julienned basil
Balsamic vinegar

Preparation
1. Preheat grill to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat chicken with a little bit of olive oil (this amount will vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces) and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill for about 4 - 5 minutes on each side, or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, onions and mozzarella balls in a bowl. Set aside.

3. Heat a medium-sized pan to medium heat. Sprinkle in the asiago cheese in an even layer. Cook for about 5 - 6 minutes, until the cheese layer is super crispy. Using a flat plastic spatula (one that you would use to flip a pancake or a burger), lift the edges away from the pan. Remove from heat. Drain excess fat from cheese off into the sink. Slide the cheese onto a paper towel (you may need a little extra help from your spatula to do so). Absorb all grease and let cool.

4. Toss about a 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar into the salad. Mix well. Top each individual serving with basil. Break off pieces of cheese crisp and garnish the salad. Serve.

I have written the script for my new "The Importance Of" video! I'm very excited to post it. I'm not sure when I'll have time to film though... I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

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