Southwestern Steak And Salad

Bev and I have come to the realization that it’s time to knock off some pounds and one of her solutions is to eat grilled meat and salad for many dinners. Since I like to grill, this seems like a great plan to me – I may have to occasionally post one of my lighter meals, such as today’s lunch salad with a little tuna on it, to show you I’m doing it :).

Bev had a recipe for a southwestern (SW) salad she wanted to try and we had a nice sized sirloin steak in the freezer, so SW night it was. I’m a fan of Bobby Flay’s cooking, because he cook’s a lot of things I like and I’ve tried enough of his recipes to trust them. So this turned out to be a Food Network meal, as the salad recipe also came from there.

For the meat, I trimmed it up, hit it with the Jicard on both sides, and marinated it for about 3 hours. Here’s the recipe for Bobby’s Chimichurri Marinade (I just mixed it by hand) and the Dried Chili-Mustard Sauce, which we also used.

Chimichurri Marinade:
· 6 cloves garlic
· 3 fresh bay leaves
· 2 jalapeno peppers, coarsely chopped
· 1 tablespoon kosher salt
· 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
· 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
· 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
· 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
· 1/4 cup finely chopped oregano leaves
· 3/4 cup olive oil
· Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Dried Chile -Mustard Sauce:
· 2 cups Dijon mustard
· 1/4 cup whole grain mustard
· 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
· 3 tablespoons warm water
· Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

Here's the steak on the grill.


I really liked the steak flavor and would use the marinade again. I was unsure if I’d like the sauce as it was pretty powerful, but it was perfect on the meat with the mustard tasting a little like horseradish. I’ll use it for beef again. Bobby said on his show the other day that he likes lots of flavor and this meal sure had it, but the beef flavor still came thru.

For the salad, Bev used the following Jamie Deen recipe, but decided the dressing needed something, and after the addition of a drained small can of Rotel, it was delicious.

Southwestern Avocado And Black Bean Salad

Ingredients
· 1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
· 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
· 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
· 2 or 3 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
· 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
· 2 avocados, peeled and diced
· 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained
· 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
· 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
· About 3/4 cup (3-ounces) grated pepper jack cheese
· Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the cilantro, oil, lime juice and hot sauce.
In a large serving bowl, add the lettuce, avocado, corn, beans, tomatoes, and cheese. Add the dressing and toss well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Here are some shots of the salad.




Sorry this ones a little blurry.


Bev loves to have grilled meat on salad and had hers this way with a little of the steak sauce drizzled around the plate.


I preferred mine as a chunk of meat with the salad on the side and the sauce in a small ramekin.


While this wasn’t serious diet food, it was healthier than many meals we eat and I would definitely have both the meat and the salad again.

Yesterday was BBQ day (more to come) and it was a perfect day for it. We opened up the house and enjoyed the cool breeze and not having to burn $3/gal propane.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Larry