Well, the heat has set in for the duration of the Summer here in Las Vegas. And with that leaves my cravings for comfort food and for something a little bit lighter and full of fresh ingredients. So when I started craving a salad that had some substance to it, steak came to mind. Good steak. Grilled steak. Medium done. Cut thin. And the ideas just went from there.
Now, I must also tell you that I am a person that LOVES color in my salads. Green salad - blah. Give me rich colors. By the way, did you know that the richer the color in your vegis and fruits, the more nutrients they have? It's true! Anyway, back to the salad. So when I went to the store to get the ingredients, I grabbed a red bell pepper, yellow cherry tomatoes, avocado (yes, I am an avocado hoarder), red leaf lettuce, arugula, and some top sirloin steak.
Then it was off to the dressing isle. I had in mind what I wanted - something with balsamic vinegar. But not a straight up, pucker your lips, vinaigrette. And then this little beauty jumped right off the shelf and into my cart. I have to admit, generic dressings kind of scare me. But Private Selection (distributed by Kroger, aka Smith's here) has some AMAZING salad dressings. And this was no disappointment. We LOVED it. Four Leaf Balsamic Vinaigrette and Marinade. I did not use it to marinade the steak, I didn't want an overkill of tang. Mostly grilled flavors with a hint of balsamic vinegar. It was a fantastic compliment and I highly recommend it.
Grilled Steak Salad
Ingredients:
1 top sirloin steak (approx. 8 oz.)
1 package yellow cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 package arugula leaves
2 avocados, cubed
Blue Cheese crumbles
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Directions:
1. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper and place on grill. Cook for over medium high heat for 4-6 minutes on each side, or until desired temperature is reached. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 3 minutes. Thinly slice and set aside.
2. While steak is grilling, place peppers and cherry tomatoes on a grill tray and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat for 6 minutes or until vegetables are at tender crisp stage, slightly charred.
3. Place lettuce and arugula in a shallow bowl. Top with avocados, grilled vegis, steak slices, blue cheese crumbles, and 1-2 Tbs. of dressing.
Serves 4