Healthy Caesar Salad

As a mother and wife I am constantly on the search to create family recipes in a heart healthy manner. My children love salads, especially Caesar salad. Unfortunately, the dressing used to create this dish is high caloric and not the best choice usually. So I began googling and my search garnered me a recipe that my children enjoyed.

Healthy Caesar Salad

Ingredients
2 large fresh portobello mushrooms (about 4 ounces each)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise dressing or salad dressing
8 cups torn romaine lettuce
1/2 cup fat-free croutons
1 to 2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions
Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp cloth. Remove stems and gills from mushrooms. Brush mushrooms lightly with olive oil. For a charcoal grill, grill mushrooms on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 5 minutes. Turn and grill 5 to 7 minutes more or until tender. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place mushrooms on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as directed above.)

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon-style mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and pepper. Whisk in mayonnaise.

Slice grilled mushrooms. Toss lettuce with dressing in a very large bowl. Divide among serving plates. Top each with sliced mushrooms, croutons, and cheese.

The dressing for traditional Caesar salad has approximately 160 calories and 16 grams of fat in a 2-tablespoon serving. But the dressing in this Caesar salad, developed by Dr. Richard Collins, The Cooking Cardiologist, has just 17 calories and virtually no fat.

*This recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens Heart Healthy Living Magazine.