Grilled Steak Salad w/Cherries, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese | Renee's Kitchen Adventures

Monday, August 19, 2013

Grilled Steak Salad w/Cherries, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese


I'm not sure what happened to summer this year.  It's been end of September fall-like cold for the past few days. Below normal temperatures for weeks.  It's the middle of August. It's all very wrong.  In fact the entire season has been odd, unseasonably cool and wet. I'm stomping my feet like a 2 year old in protest to Mother Nature.  Cold and wet, nope, not a fan!  But summer is NOT over yet! 

I am a huge fan of steakhouse steak salads.  But, I'm not much of a salad eater when the weather turns cold.  Since summer isn't over just yet, and they say there is more summer like temperatures in our near future, I am sharing this MOST AWESOME steak salad with you.  If you are like me and prefer to eat salads when the temperatures are up there, make this one before time runs out!

It's a very simple salad with simple ingredients that just combine so beautifully.  Tender Boston lettuce topped with grilled warm steak slices that have been marinated in some of the homemade vinaigrette, tart dried cherries, tangy blue cheese, and crunchy walnuts all topped with a zippy, super simple, red wine vinaigrette.


I realize not everyone is a blue cheese fan.  I adore blue cheese, but I do have a son that isn't so fond of it.  He replaced the blue cheese with goat cheese and said it was delicious! I also think feta would be a suitable substitute.   As for the walnuts, I used Emerald Glazed Walnuts.

We like the sweetness they give salads.  But you could substitute plain roasted walnuts or just leave them off the salad all together, and you will still have a great salad.

For the steak portion of this salad, I used a flat iron cut of steak.  I like flat iron for several reasons.  1. It's reasonably priced.  2. It cooks up quickly.  3. It's very tender.  Of course, you could substitute a flank steak cut or a sirloin cut if you choose, and it would be fine too.  Just keep in mind, the nutritional information given for this recipe is based on the flat iron cut of steak.  (To learn more about cuts of beef and how to prepare them visit this site HERE

If you are a fan of grilled steak salads, you MUST put this salad on your menu!  It's restaurant quality food at home for half the price.  Trust me!



Grilled Steak Salad w/Cherries, Walnuts and Blue Cheese
adapted from Allrecipes



Servings - 4   Serving Size - 1/4th of recipe   Points Plus per serving - 11 Points+
Calories -  393.1,   Total Fat - 25.4g,   Carb. - 16.8g,   Protein - 25.4g,   Fiber - 2.2g

12 oz. flat iron steak
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to your liking
2 large heads of Boston lettuce, washed, spun, and torn into pieces
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1.  In small bowl, or a small glass jar with lid, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper.  Whisk or close lid and shake well.  Remove 3 TBS of mixture for marinade.  Cover and refrigerate the rest of the vinaigrette.  

2.  In a gallon sized zipper bag, add the flat iron steak along with the 3 TBS of vinaigrette.  Close and and put in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to 1 hour to marinade.  

3.  Heat grill pan to hot.  Remove steak from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Discard marinade.  Spray grill pan with cooking spray and grill steak to your liking.  We like med/rare.  Allow steak to rest for about 5 to 10 minutes once done, then cut into thin strips on an angle.  

4.  Divide the lettuce between 4 plates.  Top lettuce with 3 oz. steak strips per salad.  Sprinkle each salad evenly with the cherries, blue cheese and walnuts.  Drizzle each salad evenly with the refrigerated vinaigrette.  Enjoy! 

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I admit, this is a bit of a calorie/fat splurge with the steak-blue cheese-walnut trifeca...but trust me, it is so worth it!  I was introduced to this recipe via Allrecipes Allstar Program and the Beef, It's What's for Dinner campaign but altered the recipe a bit to my liking.  

I cannot even believe my youngest son is back to school already!!  This weekend I'll be moving in the other two college kids into their apartment.  Then what?  Um.  Maybe some free time??  Is it possible that free time actually exists?  lol  Even though all the kiddos are back to school, I refuse to believe summer is over yet.  This salad is the perfect salad to enjoy on a warm summer's eve...and I know there are still a few of those left!!  

On a side note, I have joined several other very talented food bloggers in launching a brand new recipe sharing facebook page called Save This Recipe!  If you are a blogger, and follow my blog, don't be surprised if your beautiful pictures and wonderful recipes show up on this new page.  I know a few of you are already familiar with it, but if you aren't, pop over and give it a look.  So much good food!! ( and I hope you don't mind me showing off your recipes!  If you don't want me to share your page, just drop me a message here or at my email. )  Also, feel free to like Save This Recipe so you can get updates on your Facebook feed.  I think you'll see, there is something for everyone there! 


13 comments:

  1. LOL...I love this abnormal cool weather for August! I'm not a hot weather fan at all! I'm usually stomping my feet like a 2 year old and whining that it's tooooo hot! Great post! Your food pics are mouth-watering! =D

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    1. Oh we are so opposite, Lillian! haha Thanks for the compliments on the photo!

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  2. Ha, we've been still hot! I'm looking forward to cooler weather. This salad looks so good! I'm a blue cheese fan so I'm all over this.

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    1. I love blue cheese too! I can eat it plain and be happy!

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  3. Summer seems to have escaped us early this year too. We went to an amusement park over the weekend and I actually bought a sweatshirt when we got there- was totally unprepared for chilly weather in August! Your salad looks awesome!

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    1. I hate when you can't depend on the weather to be what it's supposed to be! :) Hopefully we've still got some warm weather left this year!

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  4. This summer has been the worst summer for nice weather. When I can say that I spent 2 - 2 1/2 weeks total in the pool that is a disappointment! Just the chemicals to keep it open wasn't worth opening it! I was glad it was open when Crissy and lil man was here because it was in the 90's but, otherwise it's too chilly for me! The steak salad sounds wonderful. I'm a fan of blue cheese too. I could eat salad all summer long. This is a great variation! What in the world are you going to do with free time...Lol!

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  5. You are such a talented cook Renee! This salad looks like restaurant quality.

    I hear you about summer being over already - how can that be? Sounds like you might actually have some extra free time once the kids are all moved. We had some cool weather earlier but this week things have heated up again.

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  6. Yummy! Thanks for sharing your recipe, Renee! I enjoy steak in various ways and this is one of those unique ways to serve steak. I have tried a lot of reputable steak recipes from various restaurants and I have to say, it's quite a delightful treat! I'll try your recipe with my friends during lunch.

    Sam Francovich @ Grill At Quail Corners

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  7. Renee, I love this #salad combo of #steak, #walnuts, #blueCheese and especially the addition of #healthful #tartcherries. I must remember to use these more often! YUM! I, of course, would chop this deliciousness, because it's what I do! :)

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    1. It would be a good chopped, KC. :) thanks for stopping by.

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  8. This steak salad looks fantastic, Renee! I love the combination of blue cheese with steak!

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    1. Me too!! I need to make this salad again soon! Thanks for stopping by Sandra!

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