Ingredients

• 1 (8-inch) piece of French bread, crust trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 head romaine lettuce, washed and dried, torn into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• Grilled Shrimp, recipe follows

Directions

Grilled Shrimp:

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows

Olive oil, for brushing

Preheat a grill or broiler to medium-high. Combine the shrimp, Essence and oil in a mixing bowl and toss to combine. Thread the shrimp onto 4 skewers. When the grill is hot, place the shrimp on the grill and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through. Serve on top of the Caesar "Lite" salads.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch

Published by William and Morrow, 1993.