Days Ahead Salad

Sometimes I just crave steak! I have a long history here. Grandma Rose was a caterer and in the 60’s steak was the most requested catered dinner. Boy, could she cook a pan seared steak! There were times when it just seemed too much. Steak again! Today, of course we know more about nutrition, and steak has lost some popularity. But it still has a rich place. If you are one that just steers away from beef, chicken can be added to this salad in a pinch. If you’re busy and want a great nutritious meal ready when you get home this is the meal for you.

There are certain vegetables that keep well after they’re prepared and there lies the secret. Prepare the foods on your weekend to use for the work week. Your meats can be cooked then refrigerated and used within 3 days or can be frozen into small serving sizes … ready to pull from the freezer to use.

Recipe

2-3 Pound Flank Steak
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Onion powder

For grilling: Drizzle oil on all surfaces of the steak and add garlic and onion powder. Set aside until almost room temperature. Cook on a hot grill 4 minutes each side. Flip over to avoid burning … more than once. This doesn’t toughen meat as once thought.

For pan sear:  Add powders to meat and set aside to become close to room temperature. Add oil to a skillet large enough to hold the flank steak without lapping over. Turn heat to moderate/high (not quite smoking hot). Add meat and cook each side for 4 minutes. Turn as need to avoid burning.

Let meat rest 10 minutes after cooking. Cut meat lengthwise with the grain about every 2-3 inches. Next cut thinly across the grain to produce strips. Serve warm or cold over your salad.

Chicken breast can be treated much the same. However, the thickness of the chicken breast determines the length of cooking. Eating rare chicken meat is never recommended here.

Vegetables:

1 English cucumber-scrub and partially peel, leaving strips of peeling or don’t peel at all-cut into bite size pieces
4 Large carrots-peeled and sliced thin
2 Ribs of celery-cut into bite size pieces (optional)
1 Red bell pepper-cut into bite sized pieces
1 Green or yellow bell pepper or both-cut into bite size pieces

Mix these together and place into a container with a good seal. Ready to go when needed. Keeps for about 4 days.

Additional vegetables:

Cherry tomatoes to be rinsed just before use then added.
Cilantro or basil to be rinsed just before use then added.
Avocado sliced just before use.
Packaged pre-washed and chopped romaine lettuce

Salad dressing and optional additions:

Dressing: Measure the following ingredients in a medium size bowl: 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2-1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 2-3 teaspoons sugar, 1 garlic clove-minced, 1 tablespoon grated parmesan, and a shake or two of Italian spices-optional. Whisk vigorously. Keeps for a week in my refrigerator.

Feta or blue cheese crumbles (optional)
Sliced green onion (optional)

Constructing the salad:

Layer the romaine on the bottom of your salad bowl.

Spoon on chopped vegetables as much as desired.

Add vegetables from the additional list as desired.

Add cooked meat.

Sprinkle with feta and green onions.

Use about 1/4 cup (4 T) salad dressing, pouring over individual serving.