Salad Days
The thought of a hot oven and heavy food is as oppressive as the heat and humidity. I’ve been relying much on salads, since the local, organic lettuces are so fine.
Last night was Firecracker Chicken Salad from Cook’s Country (new website when I checked today), with leftover chicken tenders and romaine tossed with a spicy dressing, chow mein noodles, and mandarin oranges.
I’ve searched the web, and have not been able to find a menu that includes, or a recipe for, Houston’s Club Salad, which was a favorite of mine in college. From other descriptions, and memory, I’m going to try a salad of romaine, chicken tenders, avocado, hard-boiled egg, crumbled bacon, and honey mustard dressing. I’ll post a recipe if I succeed.
If I can find some promising looking steak this weekend, we’ll have steak with arugula and parmesan. This recipe came from an email solicitation for The Quick Recipe; it convinced me to buy the book. I’ve probably used this single recipe, though, more times than I’ve used the entire book.
Tuscan-Style Steak with Arugula and Parmesan
Serves 4
Time: 30 minutes
For the best results, use high-quality extra-virgin olive oil and genuine Parmesan cheese. The greens may be washed and dried up to a day ahead of time, but the vinaigrette should be made the same day for the best flavor. If the arugula is very mature, tear the leaves into 2 or 3 pieces. Serve a crusty loaf of bread alongside to soak up any remaining vinaigrette and juices from the steak.
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
(about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 boneless strip steaks, 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick (8 to 10 ounces each),
trimmed of exterior gristle and patted dried with paper towels
8 cups loosely packed arugula
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, cut into thin shavings
1. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, oregano, and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, season the steaks liberally with salt and pepper. Lay the steaks in the pan and cook, without moving, until a well-browned crust forms, about 5 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip the steaks. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook 3 to 4 minutes more for rare (120 degrees on an instant-read thermometer) or 5 to 6 minutes for medium-rare (125 degrees). Transfer the steaks to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Divide the arugula evenly among 4 individual plates. Cut each steak crosswise into thin strips and arrange the steak over the arugula. Drizzle any juices that collected from the meat over the greens. Rewhisk the dressing and drizzle it over the steak and greens. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.