I am learning to adjust to cooking for 2 people as my sweet children are no longer living at home, but there are plenty of great healthy meals to customize to smaller numbers. One of my favorite things to do is to make a salad that is full of vegetables with a protein staple at the center. It’s a great way to use left over chicken or beef. Changing the accompanying vegetables, using cooked and raw veggies and mixing a variety of lettuce and a new dressing all contribute to a wonderful, tasty meal. For this version, I used left over fajita meat. It is flap steak, a less expensive cut, but when sliced against the grain thinly, it is incredibly tender and perfect for a salad.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

for salad:

  • 1/2 -1 lb grilled flap steak, sliced thinly against the grain
  • 1 romaine heart, sliced horizontally
  • 10 ounces mixed baby greens of choice
  • 1 lb asparagus stalks, stems trimmed
  • 1 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
  • 10 ounces baby bella mushrooms, cut in half
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1 sliced avocado
  • 5 radishes thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup shaved red onion
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • Olive oil

for dressing:

  • 3 ounces mild Gorgonzola, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • Juice of half a lemon, squeezed
  • 1 -2 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Toss the trimmed asparagus with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 10-12minutes until tender and bright green. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a small skillet, heat a tablespoon of oil to medium heat. Sauté mushrooms for 5-7 minutes, season with salt and pepper and allow them to release their water. Set aside and in the same pan, heat a bit more oil and seasoning and sauté the corn until just turning golden. Place all the lettuce on a platter. Arrange all the vegetables around the exterior of the platter and place the sliced steak at the center. Take an ounce of Gorgonzola and crumble on the steak. Whisk together the remaining ingredients for the dressing. Drizzle all over salad or set to the side allowing people to serve themselves. Enjoy!