Foodie Chickie

This was seriously such an amazing salad. My husband(who put it together by the way) and I couldn't stop gushing about this. It really is restaurant quality and would be paired very well with a nice steak on Fourth of July. If you are going to grill. But it is seriously wonderful on it's own. The grilled bread paired with grilled peppers with the amazing yet simple salad dressing is terrific. This recipe takes Panzanella to a whole new level.

Grilled Panzanella Adapted from The Food Network

Ingredients:
Olive oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2-3 tablespoons champagne or red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 large ripe tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 large basil leaves(I did omit this)
3 tablespoons capers, drained(I did omit this)
1 red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into
3 large pieces 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
1/2 small baguette, cut into cubes

Directions:
Prepare the grill*. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside. Place the cucumber, tomato, basil and capers in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss together. Set aside. Toss the bread, onions slices and the peppers with olive oil. When the grill is ready, place them on the grill and cook for 4 minutes (we like our onions charred, so we leave them on longer). Turn them over and continue cooking an additional 4 minutes. Toast the bread on the grill until golden. Remove the vegetables from the grill and place on a cutting board. Cube the peppers, separate the onion rings and add them both to the cucumber mixture. Add them to the cucumber mixture. Pour the reserved vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss together. Serve warm.