the most delicious salad EVER...for now at least

So I have an unfortunate tendency to stick to what I like. Don't get me wrong, I can be daring and adventurous and all that, but when I know what I like, its comforting to just keep enjoying it over and over again. The problem is, of course, that then I get sick of it and never want to see it again. This fall, I abused a salad. Don't call the police or anything, it wasn't too serious, and I've realized my mistake and we've both moved on. But I just loved this salad so much, I couldn't say no. The combination was usually mixed greens/cherry tomatoes/sliced mushrooms/goat cheese/Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Gorgonzola dressing. The dressing was a little bit sweet and I loved the way it played with the tangy goat cheese. Problem is, now the thought of that salad makes me want to avoid salad altogether! Blegh! All that sweetness??? Who needs it in a salad, anyway?

Point is, I've moved on to greener pastures. In an effort to get myself back to salads and still avoiding that particular salad, I have been experimenting with tangier things. Today, I had this idea for the following salad, just made everything up as I went, and was blown away by how delicious it all turned out. I saved the extras of it to have for dinner again tonight. Uh oh, here we go again...

Components:
Your Favorite Mixed Greens (mine is presently a mixture of mâche, radicchio, and frisée)
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, cut in half
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Marinated and Broiled Mushrooms
Chick'n Strips (or real chicken if you prefer)

For the Mushroom Marinade:
Portabello Mushrooms
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Goddess Dressing
1 tsp minced garlic

For the Chicken Sauce:
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
2 tsp soy sauce (low sodium, please!!!)
1 tsp minced garlic

I marinated the mushrooms for 20 minutes and then put them on the top shelf of my oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. I sautéed the chick'n strips in the sauce for about 3 minutes and they absorbed all of it pretty nicely.

Finally, mix all the components and enjoy the most delicious salad...ever (maybe?).