Grilled 'Steak' Salad with Caper Vinaigrette

Here's another entree salad with great all-veggie protein, this time using the new vegan 'beef' strips from Yves Veggie, in place of beef tenderloin. Interestingly, I noticed that Yves is now using Gardein protein in their formula, so I'm happy to see that vegan meat companies are collaborating! Check out all their products at yvesveggie.com

This recipe is much quicker for a vegan than a meat-eater, since normally beef would need to grill for quite some time. For the Yves 'beef' strips, you'll need two packages (12 ounces) for this recipe; heat an indoor grill pan over medium heat and coat with cooking spray, then grill the 'beef' for about 7 minutes, stirring frequently so the strips cook evenly on all sides.

Meanwhile, bring 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 3 cups (1-inch) cut green beans and cook for 3 minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. (Note: I was a little short on green beans - closer to 2 cups - but figured it didn't make enough of a difference to run out and buy more!)

Combine the 'beef' and green beans in a large bowl. Add 4 cups watercress leaves, 1 cup halved grape tomatoes, 3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (buy a package pre-sliced to save prep time!), and 8 ounces of canned hearts of palm (rinsed and drained; although the original recipe didn't specify to do so, I cut the hearts of palm into slices, since they are canned in batons). If you don't like how peppery watercress is, you could gourmet mixed greens instead.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon capers, 1 tablespoon mustard, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 tsp. raw sugar, and 1/8 tsp. black pepper. Although the original recipe called for honey mustard, I found that Dijon worked just fine for a vegan-friendly option. I also omitted the salt that the dressing called for since the Yves 'beef' already has salt in it.

Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss to coat. 2 cups of salad make a main dish serving of 230 calories. Add some bread on the side and you're ready to go!

Cost:
vegan beef strips $7.98
green beans $0.88
watercress $1.99
grape tomatoes $2.49
presliced mushrooms $2.49
hearts of palm $4.39