Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad

I love a good mushroom. Portobellos are my fave. They are just so meaty and tasty. Why not make a salad where they are the star?!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad

2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 large portobello mushrooms, de-stemmed and cleaned
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, freshly ground
• 1/2 pound turkey Italian sausage, crumbled and cooked (optional)
• 1 heart of romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
• 1 roma tomato, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, sliced
• 2 ounces of small fresh mozzarella balls (the bite sized ones), halved

Ingredients for a simple lemon dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

Cut off the stem and clean your portobello mushroom caps.

In a shallow bowl or dish, add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, black pepper, and salt. Whisk together until your marinade is well combined.

Add your portobellos to the marinade and allow to soak for a few minutes on each side (I did 5 minutes for each side.).

While you wait for the mushrooms to soak in the marinade goodness, brown the turkey Italian sausage in a small pan (if you choose to add this to the salad).

There are a few ways to cook the mushrooms. You can either grill them outside, use a panini press, or pan grill them. I have a panini press pan for the stove so that’s what I used (mostly for the beautiful grill marks ;)). Do not dump out the marinade quite yet.

After you have marinated your mushrooms, place them on grill pan. Cook them for 4-6 minutes on each side.

While the mushrooms cook, work on the simple dressing. Place all ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup. Whisk until they are mixed well. Set aside until you are ready to serve.

Once the mushrooms have cooked, drunk them in the marinade and allow them to cool on a cutting board for a few minutes.

Prepare your serving plates by layering the lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, mozzarella, and Italian sausage. Slice the cooled mushrooms, and arrange them on top of the salad.

Drizzle with the prepared dressing, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

“A lucky man can stumble upon a treasure while an unlucky one can’t even find a mushroom.” – Russian Proverb

Chipotle Turkey Taco Salad

Taco salad. So easy to make in such a short amount of time. I tend to make mine heavy on the lettuce, light on the toppings, and hot spicy ground turkey. None-the-less, this is a great recipe to use for a group of 2 to a group of 10!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Chipotle Turkey Taco Salad

2-4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 recipe chipotle taco seasoning (can use 1 packet of taco seasoning instead, but add 1/2 tablespoon of chipotle chili powder)*
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 bag (8 ounces) shredded iceburg lettuce
• light sour cream, for serving (optional)
• shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese, for serving (optional)
• guacamole, either store bought or homemade, for serving (optional)
• salsa, either store bought or homemade, for serving (optional)
• chopped tomatoes, for serving (optional)
• sliced green onions, for serving (optional)
• crushed up tortilla chips, for serving (optional)
• favorite salad dressing, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Heat a large skillet/pan over medium high heat. Add ground turkey, and cook until browned.

Stir in the seasoning, chicken broth, and water. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Allow to cook uncovered for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Then serve in bowls over lettuce, and let everyone dress their salad as they see fit.

Enjoy!!

“I don’t think America will have really made it until we have our own salad dressing.  Until then we’re stuck behind the French, Italians, Russians and Caesarians. ” – Pat McNelis

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

More salad! After a crazy weekend of hanging out with friends out of town, we usually feel bogged down by the unhealthy food we consumed. This salad helps bring us back to a healthier side while being refreshingly delicious.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• Unsalted butter
• Good olive oil
• 2 cups salad greens
• 4 radishes, sliced
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 green bell pepper, julienned
• 1/8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper,  freshly ground

Directions:

Using either a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. (I usually just buy thin chicken cut chicken breasts at the grocery.)

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second deep plate or wide bowl, beat the eggs with water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and grated Parmesan.

Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, and shake excess flour off. Then dip both sides into the egg mixture so the chicken is fully coated. Finally dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan and cook the battered chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. (Add more butter and oil and cook the remaining chicken breast if they didn’t fit in the pan at the same time.)

While the chicken is cooking, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper together.

Toss the salad greens, radishes, tomatoes, and green bell peppers with lemon vinaigrette.

Place a mound of salad on each plate and top with the hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan if you choose to.

Enjoy!!

“Friends are the bacon bits in the salad bowl of life.” – Anonymous

Southwest Chopped Salad

Chopped salads…I love that you can make any themed “chopped salad.” They are exactly what they sound like…a combination of randomly chopped things! This recipe came about since I had a bunch of random things in my fridge. Hope you find the results yummy.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Southwest Chopped Salad

2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears of corn)*
• 1 hatch green chili, seeded and diced
• 1 small or 1/2 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1.5 teaspoons chili powder
• 8 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed**
• 1/4 cup sour cream, low-fat
• 1/4 cup milk, low-fat
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1/2 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, keeping the white & green parts separated
• 2 cups mixed greens of your choice
• 1/4 cup monterey and cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 avocado, diced

*We grilled corn this past weekend and had some left over so I added the already grilled corn to the ground turkey and bean pan instead of roasting it in the oven.
**I also had half a can of white beans left over from the weekend so I also used that instead of the black beans.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F, and spray a foil covered pan with non-stick spray.

Cut the corn from the cobs with a sharp knife. In a medium bowl, toss the corn*, green chili, and sweet potato with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place mixture onto a large baking sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes. Make sure to toss the vegetables every 10 minutes, until corn and green chili pieces begin to brown and sweet potato softens.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, cook the turkey until browned. Add cumin, chili powder, and beans and stir to combine. Cover, reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

To prepare the dressing, whisk the sour cream, milk, chipotle chili powder, lime juice, and white parts of green onions in a small bowl. (Save the green parts of the green onions as a salad garnish.) Cover with saran wrap until ready to use, and place in fridge.

Remove vegetables from oven and let cool slightly.

Begin plating the salad by dividing romaine among serving plates. Top with ground turkey mixture, corn mixture, and finally sprinkling with green parts of the green onions.

Garnish with grated cheese and chopped avocados, and finish with dressing.

Enjoy!!

“To remember a successful salad is generally to remember a successful dinner; at all events, the perfect dinner necessarily includes the perfect salad.” – George Ellwanger

Chicken & Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

Spinach, strawberries, mangoes, and chicken…oh my!! Sometimes my husband and I are tired of the regular old salad. This revamped light salad combines vegetables and fruity goodness with a little protein to boot.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Chicken & Strawberry Spinach Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons strawberry jelly (or jam)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 mango, diced (I prefer mine to be slightly under-ripe)
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, reduced fat
• 2 – 3 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup cinnamon-roasted walnuts

Directions:

Season 2 chicken breasts on both sides with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium sized pan.

Place the chicken in the pan and grill until cooked through, (an instant-read thermometer should register at 160°F) about 3-5 minutes per side. Once cooked, remove from heat to cool for a few minutes.

While waiting for the chicken to cool, place jelly (or jam) in a medium bowl and whisk in vinegar then 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the dressing with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the strawberries, mango pieces, feta, and spinach to bowl and toss to coat evenly in dressing.

Finally, slice the grilled chicken. Place the spinach mixture in the middle of a plate and top with sliced grilled chicken and sprinkle candied walnuts.

Enjoy!!

“Strawberries are the angels of the earth, innocent and sweet with green leafy wings reaching heavenward.” – Terri Guillemets

Asian Steak Salad

Healthy Asian-Cuisine…could be an oxymoron most of the time. My husband LOVES Asian food (good thing he married me :D). This is a healthier way to enjoy the flavors of Asia. I made this with steak to switch it up, but you could definitely use the marinade on chicken as well. In my mind, steak + Asian flavors + salad is a WIN WIN. Happy cooking and eating!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Asian Steak Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients for the salad:

• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/8 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce, low sodium
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1.25 lbs steak
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 bell pepper, julienned
• 4 cups mixed greens (ex. arugula, baby spinach, romaine, etc.)

Ingredients for the peanut dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter, smooth
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Thai chili paste
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Place the garlic, ginger, red pepper, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, and white wine in a bowl and whisk until fully incorporated. Place the steak with the marinade in a shallow container that can be sealed or in a gallon sized Ziploc bag. Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

While the steak is marinating, start on cutting the carrot, green onions, and bell pepper.

Toss the veggies with the mixed greens and set aside.

Next start on the dressing. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and sauté until fragrant and softened. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.Meanwhile combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, rice vinegar, chili paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, and cilantro in a food processor and mix thoroughly. Add the cooled garlic and ginger and oil. Pulse until the mixture is blended. Gradually add the remaining olive oil until the dressing is a creamy consistency.

When you are ready to eat, pull the steaks out of the fridge. Grill steaks on high heat for 5 minutes on each side for medium steaks.

Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Place the greens on a plate, top with the sliced steak, and drizzle the peanut dressing.

Enjoy!!

“To the ruler, the people are heaven; to the people, food is heaven.” – ancient Chinese proverb