If you’re lucky enough to have leftover steak, you’re lucky enough.  At our house, red meat is well-loved, but kept in its healthy place. So we invest in a good quality product  and eat it usually only once a week. If there’s a little left, and it’s steak, there’s usually a next day steak sandwich for my husband, Dave. Occasionally, though, there’s more than a little left  and I make a steak salad or tacos for us both. Maybe steak and eggs if we’ve been really good. A tiny bite for the pups could be forthcoming, too.

(Rosie at the dog park doing Rosie things)

Sometimes our eastern sky looks like one of these two photos below and fixing dinner needs to happen quickly so we can get outdoors.  (Both photos shot off my deck.)

This simple steak supper comes together fairly easily, though boiling a little quinoa takes some time. Since the steak is cooked already, the cook has that time to chop the rest of the late summer treasure salad ingredients, set the table, and pour the wine. I had leftover green beans, but if you don’t, use what you have.  I’m often enamored of salads with a combination of fresh and cooked ingredients. You may be, too.  Try this:

“GREEK” STEAK SALAD WITH QUINOA

serves 2                  Doubles easily

Read through the ingredients before beginning. This salad includes a few already-cooked ingredients such as quinoa, green beans, and steak.  Leftover mushrooms? Throw them in, too. By the way, the recipe works wonderfully with leftover pork tenderloin, as well.

SALAD INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups shredded fresh greens–your choice
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil julienne
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh oregano (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
• 1/4 teaspoon each Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• Pinch (1/8 teaspoon) crushed red pepper
• 3/4 cup cooked quinoa– first tossed with a drizzle of olive oil and seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 cup cooked green beans
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup diced English cucumber (or more to taste)
• 2 scallions, minced
• 1/4 cup pitted, sliced kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup diced feta cheese (4 ounces)
• 1 large ripe tomato, cored and diced
• 1 ripe avocado, washed, peeled, pitted, diced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (Slice the other half of the lemon to use as garnish.)
• 6 ounces strip steak ( cooked: rare), trimmed, and sliced very thinly

DRESSING:

• 1 tablespoon good-quality red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Generous pinch each kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, gently toss together all of the salad ingredients except the steak. Taste and adjust seasonings. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or shake them together very well in a lidded jar.  Drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss thoroughly.  Taste and adjust seasonings once more. Divide the salad between two large plates or bowls and top each with half of the sliced steak. Grind a bit of fresh black pepper evenly over each plate. Garnish with fresh lemon slices.

{printable recipe}

WINE:   Red  Côtes du Rhône  (France) or a California Central Coast Syrah blend such as 2015 Côtes de Tablas.  (Tablas Creek Winery)

If you liked this, you might like my

Steak with Homemade Potato Chip Salad:

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

It was a day for songs like “Moon Shadow.”  The eclipse darkened Colorado Springs skies a bit, but little more. I kept thinking, “We should have gone to Casper!” I made a little Eclipse in a Breakfast for fun:

I hope your eclipse was all you needed it to be.

courtesy NASA:

Steak on peacefully,

Alyce