Steak Salad Bowl

I don't really eat red meats very often. Growing up it was a challenge for my parents to get me to eat about 2oz of steak at one meal. I remember hiding quite a bit of steak in my napkin on a few occasions. Sorry Mom and Dad! I still don't gravitate towards it regularly, but every now and then a steak just sounds good. One of my favorite flavors actually is red meat with blue cheese. The paring is tangy, salty and savory all at once. In Mexico on our honeymoon, Aaron and I had the most delicious blue cheese sauce with steak (we had it twice in one week actually it was so good) that I still dream about. Last week I had a blue cheese Juicy Lucy which was quite tasty as well. Another of my favorites is steak on salad. Usually a salad with steak strips has tomatoes, red onion, and blue cheese with some type of vinaigrette. All of the those flavors combined is so satisfying and feels like so much more than a lettuce salad. 

This meal didn't start as a salad, and it definitely is not your traditional salad- no lettuce to be found. As I was cooking the vegetables, I decided that all of these things combined in a bowl with blue cheese and dijon vinaigrette would be amazing. It was. I loved all of the different textures and flavors together in one bite. Aaron missed out because he had everything separated on his plate and he didn't have any blue cheese- salad is a little bit of a bad word in his vocabulary. So, you can do what you like but especially do not forget the blue cheese sprinkled over your steak! Enjoy!

Steak Salad Bowl

Serves 2-3

Steak

1 lb flank steak

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 sm shallot, shopped

1/8 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

salt & pepper

Place steak in a shallow dish. Season steak with salt and pepper. Add garlic, shallot and sauces. Marinate for several hours or overnight. 

Bring to room temperature for about 1 hour before grilling. Heat grill and cook on each side for about 3-5 minutes or until medium rare. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. 

Brussels Sprouts

Use this recipe

Green Beans

1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed

salt & pepper

grill seasoning

Cover beans with water and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 1-2 minutes until beans are cooked but still slightly crunchy. Drain water and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and grill seasoning. 

Roasted Potatoes

3 small, red potatoes, diced

olive oil

salt & pepper

grill seasoning (I use Mrs. Dash)

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spread potatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and grill seasoning. Roast for about 15 minutes and then redistribute potatoes on baking sheet. Roast for another 10-15 minutes until potatoes are browned and crispy on the outside. 

Dijon Vinaigrette

2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard

1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp honey

1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients and whisk together. Season with course salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add more mustard and/or vinegar to taste. 

Salad Bowl

3-4oz steak

1/2 cup green beans

1/2 cup Brussels sprouts

1/4-1/3 cup roasted potatoes

1/2 large tomato or 1 small, diced

Dijon vinaigrette

blue cheese crumbles

Combine vegetables, potatoes and steak in your bowl. Top with blue cheese and drizzle with vinaigrette. 

Bacon, Beans, and Potatoes

I have a confession. I like bacon. Real, crispy bacon from a pig. I feel guilty even saying it. This is a big deal for several reasons. 1.We never had bacon in our house growing up. My grandfather had a heart attack when I was young and from that point forward my parents followed a low fat, heart-healthy diet. Bacon was shunned and never entered our house. I would sometimes sneak some crisp bacon when we would go out for brunch after church on Sundays. 2. Bacon is really not very good for you. Two slices of medium cut bacon have over 7g of fat, 2.3g of saturated fat, and 92 calories. This is almost equal to eating 1 tablespoon of butter. No need to expand on that thought. 3. I am a dietitian. My job is to promote healthy eating and usually when I am working with patients, bacon is not usually something I include in their meal plan. 

 Besides bacon and the occasional sweet potato fry, I do eat healthy. I love fruits and vegetables. I get my diary servings in, I eat lean proteins, and I try to limit my intake of refined carbohydrates.  But somehow bacon has snuck in a little more often than it ever has before. It probably doesn't help that my husband has told me on several occasions "I think bacon is one of my favorite foods." I haven't been able to tell yet if he is eating the Brussels sprouts I have been making lately because he really likes them or because I add crumbled bacon to them after roasting them (which is delicious by the way).

 When I do buy bacon I try to buy a good quality bacon like center cut bacon which has less fat, or my new recent favorite nitrate-free bacon when I can find it. I do buy turkey bacon on occasion as well, but it really do not compare to pork bacon. Depending on what it is added to, turkey bacon can be an excellent substitute. The good thing about bacon is that you don't have to use a lot in a recipe to get the salty flavor that bacon adds. So, I confess, I am a dietitian, and I eat bacon. . . in moderation. One slice or two with eggs and toast every now and then, sprinkled on a spinach salad on occasion, or added to potatoes like the following recipe is reasonable I think. This recipe has become a favorite at our house. I made it for a dinner party one night and it was a big hit. It it is a simple way to enjoy fresh green beans and potatoes with only a little prep. Most of the work is done in the oven. If you are my parents also against bacon, it can be omitted. Enjoy!

Beans & Potatoes

2-3 small red potatoes per person, diced

½ pound green beans, cut or broken into 1 ½ inch pieces

2 slices bacon, cooked until crispy and then chopped into pieces

1 scallion, chopped

1 oz of cheddar cheese, shredded

Grill seasoning

Olive oil

Salt

pepper

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Spread potatoes onto baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and grill seasoning. Toss to coat. Bake for 15 minutes
3. Add green beans to potatoes toss to coat with olive oil and seasonings. Bake for an additional 20 minutes until vegetables are browned and becoming crispy. Turn once during cooking time.  
4.  Spoon mixture into a serving bowl. Add scallion, bacon, and cheese.