MUSHROOM SALAD, AND A BURGER

I had a mushroom salad at one of my local favorite spots the other day. It was a special and it was delicious! Ever since, I have been dreaming of it, and knew that it was just a matter of time before I recreated it. The weather has been kind of miserable, not really salad weather, so I opted to make it a side and not a main course. I paired it with a grass-fed beef burger on a sprouted grain bun, which I felt was hearty enough to stand up to the pouring rain. If you'll notice, the salad really takes up most of the plate. This is the bonus to eating loads of veg, you can eat a ton of food.

Mushroom Salad
2 portobello mushrooms, sliced
4 shitake mushrooms, sliced
1/4 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 head of frisee, root end removed
1 small head of romaine or little gem lettuce, torn into pieces

olive oil
balsamic
parmesan

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, then add mushrooms. Cook until they are golden. Season with sea salt and pepper.

While mushrooms are cooking, combine the lettuces in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss. Top with cooked mushrooms and grated parmesan cheese.

DETOX DINNER

This meal was inspired to Robin's recent detox. Especially as the weather gets warmer, it's a good idea to have a couple of go-to salads for nights when you do not want to turn the oven on. These are really light dishes, but you could always add some garbanzos or leftover chicken to make them more main course meals.

Above is a miso soup I whipped up in just a few minutes by adding some sliced carrots and asparagus to boiling vegetable stock or water. When those begin to soften, add sliced shitake mushrooms, finely shredded kale and then lower the heat to a simmer. Whisk in white miso to taste, being sure not to let the soup boil after the miso has been added.



Avocado & Onion Salad
Thinly slice a white onion and toss with lemon juice. Set aside.
In another bowl, add sundried tomatoes, sliced avocado, finely chopped fresh mint. Add the onion. Drizzle with olive oil and add more lemon juice as needed. Season with salt and pepper.




Detox Delight-
Like almost any salad, vary the ingredients based on the season and what you have in your fridge. Here, I shaved some raw asparagus, chopped some pea shoots, artichoke hearts and romaine and added some kelp noodles. The kelp noodles are crunchy, but they don't have that briney seaweedy taste that can sometimes be overpowering. Mix everything together, season with salt and pepper and toss with olive oil and ume plum vinegar. Ume plum vinegar can be found in the asian section of the supermarket, but if you can't find it substitute lemon juice.

This is one of my favorite main course salads. It is fairly light, yet filling. I love to make this after an evening yoga class or after the husband returns from a night of basketball. The best part about it is the cleanup-there hardly is anything. Everything is cooked on the grill so there are no pots and pans.

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons mustard
1/3 cup fresh oregano or marjoram
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1 head romaine lettuce, quartered-root intact
1 bunch asparagus
4 slices baguette or country loaf
1 bunch broccoli, blanched and shocked*
1/2 cup feta

Combine garlic, mustard, oregano and 1/4 cup olive oil in a blender. Season with salt and pepper. Put half of the marinade in a large bowl or large ziploc bag, add shrimp and toss to thoroughly coat. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Heat a grill or grill pan. Drizzle romaine, asparagus, baguette and broccoli with olive oil and place on grill. Remove when warmed through. Grill shrimp until golden and cooked through. Chop vegetables and put in a large bowl. Add shrimp and feta. Toss with remaining marinade and serve over grilled bread.