Beef-Asparagus Salads

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil or salad oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry or red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 12 ounces sliced cooked beef or turkey, cut into thin strips (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 pound asparagus spears or one 10-ounce package frozen asparagus spears
• Leaf lettuce
• 4 small tomatoes, sliced
• 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• Fresh basil (optional)
• Basil Mayonnaise

Instructions

1. For marinade, in a screw-top jar combine oil, lemon juice, sherry or vinegar, and lemon-pepper seasoning. Cover and shake well. In a mixing bowl combine beef or turkey and onion. Add marinade. Toss lightly to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook asparagus in boiling salted water for 10 to 15 minutes or till nearly tender. (Or, cook frozen asparagus according to package directions.) Drain asparagus. Rinse with cold water. Let stand, covered with cold water.
3. Drain beef and onion, reserving 3 tablespoons of the marinade for Basil Mayonnaise. For salads, line 4 salad plates with lettuce. Cut the tomatoes to slices in half. Around the outer edge of each plate, alternately arrange one-fourth of the tomatoes and one-fourth of the cucumber, overlapping as necessary. (Place the rounded edges tomatoes toward the outer edges of the plates, forming petalike shapes.) Then, using one-fourth of the mushrooms, arrange a ring inside the cucumber-tomato ring. Drain asparagus spears. Arrange one-fourth of the asparagus and one-fourth of the beef mixture in the center of each plate. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired. Serve with Basil Mayonnaise.
4. Basil Mayonnaise: Mix together 1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing, 3 tablespoons served marinade, and 1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed.