Recipe(tried): Grilled Steak Salad with Green Beans and Blue Cheese

This is what we had for dinner last night. I used my own vinaigrette rather than the dressing called for in the recipe since I had it in the refrigerator. It is posted below the salad recipe. I have made this recipe as a side salad several times, omitting the steak and olives. If you don't care for olives, you can omit them. We do like kalamata olives that are called for in the recipe. I almost left them out last night but then decided to use them. I am glad that I did because they added another layer of flavor to this main dish salad. The salad will still be delicious without them. I roughly halved the recipe for DH and myself, using 1 New York Strip steak weighing a little over 1/2 lb., about 1/2 lb. of green beans and 1 1/2 to 2 cups of grape tomatoes.

GRILLED STEAK SALAD WITH GREEN BEANS AND BLUE CHEESE
"When buying green beans, look for the skinniest ones-they have the best texture. Offer plenty of crusty bread, and open a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to go with this hearty main-course salad."

1 pound slender green beans, trimmed

6 cups arugula (about 6 ounces) (I used mesclun.)
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/4 cups pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives, halved
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 8- to 9-ounce New York steaks

1 cup crumbled blue cheese (I used gorgonzola.)

Cook green beans in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water and cool. Drain. (Don't skip this step since it helps the beans to keep their lovely green color, and stops the cooking so they remain crisp.)

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Combine beans, arugula, tomatoes, and olives in large bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup oil and vinegar in small bowl.

Brush steaks with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Cut steaks crosswise into strips.

Toss salad with enough dressing to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among 6 plates. Top with steak strips. Sprinkle cheese over.

Makes 6 servings.
Bon App tit
June 2001

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BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE (sort of :-) )

1 1/2 tsp. to 1 Tbsp. prepared Dijon-style mustard
4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil

Place all ingredients except the olive oil in a jar and mix, letting sugar and salt dissolve. Slowly add olive oil a little at a time until all is incorporated.