The Lazy-ish Cook: Warm Mushroom Salad with Goat Cheese, Shallots and Almonds

I love smittenkitchen.com . I have gotten untold recipes and recipe inspirations from that blog since I first started reading it almost 2 years ago. It was smittenkitchen that told me I could make a cake using whole clementines (yes, rind and all). It was smittenkitchen that gave me the recipe for the PERFECT crust (which she used in a savory galette but which I have used for pretty much everything that required a crust since I discovered it).

Today, smittenkitchen provided the inspiration for this salad, which has immediately secured a place in my frequently performed repertoire. Absurdly delicious AND healthy? The bite of arugula, the hearty goodness of mushrooms AND the creamy, melty decadence of goat cheese? All in under 10 minutes? I'm a goner.

I'm sure that the original recipe is delicious. The only reason I didn't follow it exactly is that I was missing some of the ingredients. So I made some adjustments to the dressing recipe (sorry for my lack of precise measurements... I was hungry!), and also to, well, almost everything. So check out the original if you're interested. Here is my interpretation:

Makes 2 main course servings

3 Tbsp white wine

extra virgin olive oil

a splash of balsamic vinegar (1 Tbsp?)

2 tsp sugar

two small shallots

gourmet mushroom blend (I think my package was 4 oz)

1.5 Tbsp butter

herbs de provence

black pepper

salad greens (I used baby spinach and arugula)

thinly sliced almonds

goat cheese

1. Toast the almonds. Keep an eye on them!

2. Mince one shallot and put in a bowl. Add the wine, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Mix it all together and let it sit.

3. Roughly chop the remaining shallot and rinse the mushrooms. Melt the butter in a skillet and add the chopped shallot and mushrooms. Season to taste with herbs de provence and black pepper. Saute until the mushrooms and shallots are done (tender but not mushy).

4. Add olive oil to the shallot/wine/balsamic/sugar mixture (probably an equal part of olive oil to the rest of it). Stir until well blended.

5. In a salad bowl, toss the greens with the dressing until evenly coated. Divide onto dinner plates and top with the mushrooms and shallots, followed by the toasted almonds. Finally, crumble goat cheese over the top.

Enjoy!