Happiness at Steak

Ever go to a restaurant and have a salad so completely delicious and fantastic that it transcends saladness and becomes something more akin to nirvana? A salad so remarkable that it couldn't possibly have been good for you? Silly, that's 'cause it wasn't good for you at all! That feeling of virtue you experienced while passing over the "Entrees" section of the menu in favor of the "Entree Salads" section has you all confused. In many cases, you actually could have had any number of seafood options, half a roast chicken sans skin, a small filet mignon or - gasp - a sandwich on actual bread for fewer calories and fat grams than you just ingested in...wait for it...salad dressing.

Because that's the thing, isn't it? It was just the dressing. Barring other ingredients we all know are bad for us like fried chicken, gobs of cheese or french fries (I swear, there's a place near my house that puts fries on its steak salad...e-mail me. I'll tell you where to find it), it was probably the dressing that single-handedly took your sensible, practically vegetarian dinner and turned it into a Big Mac with large fries.

It's just so crazy because salad dressing's sole purpose is to impart flavor, but, typically, it's primary ingredient is oil. Oil, while lovely and necessary in many cooking scenarios, isn't really all that tasty. Making your own salad dressing could not be easier but I can hardly think of any trick in your cooking arsenal that you'll get more mileage out of. Plus, people ooh and ahh like you just Mastered the Art of French Cooking when you give them fresh salad dressing when all you really did is whisk some stuff together. Plus, making your own dressing allows you to invert the traditional 4-parts-oil-to-one-part-vinegar dressing ratio on its ear in favor of your waistline and cardiovascular health!

Check out the following recipe for a lovely steak salad - my favorite kind of fatty salad - only without the fattiness. Choose lean steak, hard or crumbly cheeses and lovely, fresh, delicious, low fat homemade dressing and run with it from there.

Bistro Steak Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 16 oz. steak (my preference would be a NY strip, fat trimmed AFTER cooking or a skirt steak)

red wine vinegar

kosher salt

fresh cracked black pepper

4 cups arugula

3 roma tomatoes, quartered lengthwise

1/2 cup sliced cucumber

1/3 cup shredded carrots

1/2 onion, sauteed in cooking spray until browned

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

about 12 Kalamata olives, chopped

1/2 cup fresh croutons (I judge you if you use croutons from a box...might as well put balsa wood on your salad)

3-4 T. Homemade horseradish vinaigrette (as below)

Instructions:

Sprinkle steak with red wine vinegar, salt & pepper. Grill to your liking. Allow to rest 5 - 10 minutes before slicing into 1/2" slices.

In the meantime, sautee onions until evenly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Toss arugula & vegetables, blue cheese, olives & onions together in a medium mixing bowl. Add 2 T. dressing, toss again. Add croutons. Toss. Taste and add more dressing if desired. Top the salad with 1/4 to 1/2 of the steak, depending on appetite.

Horseradish Vinaigrette

3 T. Red Wine Vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. wostershire sauce

2 tsp. dijon mustard

2 T. prepared horseradish (or more, to suit your taste)

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

1 1/2 T. Olive Oil

Instructions:

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl with high enough sides to allow for whisking. Drizzle olive oil slowly into mixture, whisking quickly and constantly. Oil is fully emulsified when it is no longer visible but dressing is thickened. Chill until ready to use.