Sometimes a salad for dinner is just the right thing to do. Especially now when the temperatures are high and our collective moods are low, salad is the perfect way to replenish our vitamins and fill our bodies with the healing power of vegetables. But it doesn't have to be just a flimsy bowl of greens. Hearty salads made with roasted vegetables, grilled seasoned protein and a sprinkle of cheese are so filling they'll make you forget you're missing the sides (although pairing one with some crusty bread is always a good idea). This salad, full of Herbes de Provence seasoned lean sirloin, earthy beets and sweet corn, will nourish you body and soul, and make you feel like you're dining in a Parisian bistro.
Roasted beets and herb-rubbed steak make this salad a meal
Fresh beets can seem intimidating to prepare, but if you wear gloves (or don't mind having purple fingers for a day), they are really easy to do. You can roast them whole, skin on, drizzled with olive oil and wrapped in foil, then remove the loose skins when they cool, or peel them, slice them, toss with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast that way. You'll get a little more texture if you prepare them that way, and that's the way I did it for this recipe. The corn can also be roasted right on the cob and removed when cooled, or cut from the cob first. I actually used frozen corn for this because it was all I had, and added it to the beets during their last minutes in the oven for a quick roast.
Only one serving dish to wash tonight - win!
The steak is rubbed with Herbes de Provence, a delightfully fresh mix of dried thyme, savory, oregano, marjoram and lavender. It add a distinctive "Frenchness" to anything you season it with. I also added some dry mustard to my rub, but brushing the steaks with a little Dijon mustard would produce the same effect. Traditionally, I top this with medallions of fresh soft goat cheese, but I was out, so instead subbed in some Reggiano grated on the microplane. It's salty nuttiness was a good match for the steak. For dressing, I went with our house Italian (Good Seasons made with apple cider vinegar and canola oil), but a balsamic vinaigrette or Dijon vinaigrette would also work well. I'd avoid a creamy dressing because the beets will turn the whole thing pink. Trust me - I've done that before and our dinner looked like jello. The addition of sliced button mushrooms and English cucumbers added some cool freshness to the whole plate, but you could add any fresh veggies you like. I paired it with my cheddar drop biscuits in lieu of warm baguette because I didn't have one. Give it a try the next time you need a boost (or the next time you don't want to do dishes).
French Bistro Grilled Steak, Roasted Beet & Corn Salad (serves 4)
Ingredients:
8 cups leaf lettuce, torn
4 cups roasted sliced beets, cooled (to roast beets, peel, slice, drizzle with olive oil, season with kosher salt and pepper and cook on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees until fork tender)
1 cup roasted corn, cooled
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced English cucumbers
4 (4 oz) steaks
2 tsp Herbes de Provence
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
Canola oil
2 oz soft goat cheese, sliced or crumbled, or parmesan cheese, grated
Vinaigrette dressing of your choice
Method:
Line a large platter with lettuce. Top with beets, corn, mushrooms and cucumbers. Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare steak. Make a dry rub for steaks by mixing Herbes de Provence, mustard, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and salt in a bowl. Brush steaks with canola oil on both sides. Sprinkle each side of each steak with rub and massage it into the meat. Rest meat for 10 minutes while grill heats. Heat grill to high, and spray with non-stick spray or brush a little canola oil on grates. Grill steaks to desired doneness - for the 1 inch sirloins I used, 3 minutes on each side produced a perfect medium rare. Rest steaks for 5 minutes after removing from the grill, then slice. Top salad with steak slices, and top steak with cheese. Drizzle with dressing and serve extra on the side. Bon appetit!
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