Summer has finally arrived on the West Coast and we are loving it. We try to spend as much time as possible outside, it’s just too hot to be inside. Truth be told my daughter really won’t have anything to do with being indoors, if she can play in the garden all day long she is happy. It’s also getting harder to get her inside for lunch these days and so I take snacks & fruits outside and she nibbles away.
If your home is anything like mine, by the time her nap rolls around and I get a chance to catch up on the 101 things that need to be done, it can almost seem like an inconvenience to sit down and prepare a nutritious lunch for myself! I know I need it though because I always feel better for having fueled up on high energy foods.
I made this salad today for lunch and thought you would also love it. It tastes simply amazing. It’s so quick and easy, it has wonderful blend of flavors, (gourmet if I do say so myself!) and it is of coarse, healthy. If you are expecting company this weekend, it would be a great addition for a BBQ that would WOW your guests.
Warm Pears Salad with Shitake Mushrooms, Pecans and Goats Cheese
Prep Time: 15 minutesServes: 4 4tbsp olive oil, divided 1 1/2tbsp rice vinegar 4tsp Dijon mustard Pinch sugar or 1/2 tsp agave nectar Pinch of salt & pepper
4 handfuls of mixed greens 2 ripe pears, washed, cored and quartered. Slice length ways. 1 cup sliced Shitake mushrooms (*my picture does not include mushrooms, but it is sensational with them added!)
1/4 Cup goat’s cheese, crumbled 1/4 Cup walnuts or pecans (optional: toasted)
1. If toasting walnuts/pecans, heat oven at 350 and place on baking tray for a few minutes. Don’t let them burn!
2. Combine 3tb Olive Oil, Vinegar, Mustard, Pinch of Sugar/Agave and S&P. Whisk to blend and set aside.
3. Heat 1tb Oil in saucepan over med high heat, add mushrooms and saute, stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes. Gently add pear slices to mushrooms and warm.
4. In a large salad bowl gently toss together greens and add 3/4 of dressing dressing. Portion onto 4 plates.
5. Add sauteed mushrooms & pears on top of greens, then crumble goats cheese on top and drizzle remaining dressing. Sprinkle with toasted nuts and serve immediately.
Enjoy – And please let me know how it turns out 
These are my thoughts on living a healthy and simple life. I'm a modern mom with some traditional ideas. At home, I try to clear the confusion from all the conflicting health and parenting advice with some common sense and a natural philosophy. This is the sanest way I know how to navigate the 21 century.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Yay! Earth friendly, health friendly and delicious! Thanks for the recipe. Over at greenbabyguide.com we’re hosting our first ever blog carnival. Starting on July 24th, any blogger can get a piece of the action by commenting on our “Thrifty Green Thursday” post. Just write a post on a simple way that families can save money while going green. Then comment on our blog including the your thrifty green topic and include a link back to us in your post. We hope you join us next Thursday (and every Thursday thereafter) with your own thrifty green tips!
Joys last blog post..Isabooties Product Review