California steak salad
Ingredients, for 6 servings:
1 5 oz. bag baby arugula leaves
1 10 to 16 oz. bag iceberg, romaine or butter lettuce mix
1 6 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, well drained
2 Roma tomatoes, cut into half-slices or 1-inch chunks
1 red bell pepper, sliced into bite-size strips
1 large carrot, grated
3 stalks of celery, cut crosswise into
thin crescent-moon slices
1 6 oz. package Tyson pre-cooked steak strips (or any leftover steak, cut into bite-size pieces)
1 to 2 tsps. grated black pepper
Toppings:
6 oz. crumbled feta cheese
4 oz. (1/2 cup) toasted pine nuts
1 bag or can of crispy French fried onions
Dressing:
1 Tbsp. hot wing sauce, or other cayenne-based hot sauce
2/3 cup sour cream or yogurt
2 T. finely minced parsley or cilantro
Instructions:
Combine lettuce greens, vegetables and steak strips in a large salad bowl. Grate black pepper over all, and toss well. (The larger, heavier ingredients such as the steak, tomato chunks and artichoke hearts tend to settle at the bottom, so the mixture may need to be re-tossed between servings.)
Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, mug or gravy boat. Set out the dressing, and the topping options next to the salad bowl for individuals to combine to their taste.
Serve with a glass of oaked Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Maui Splash Pineapple wine.
Options: Other greens such as spinach or spring-mix, red cabbage and fresh basil leaves can add texture and/or flavor. Fresh sliced mushrooms, green/yellow bell pepper, sliced radishes, heirloom cherry tomatoes, finely sliced or grated red onion, chopped green onion or wild leek, and even sliced apples combine nicely with this basic salad. Canned black olives, mandarin oranges and water chestnuts also work well. Chunks of ham, pre-cooked small shrimp, crab meat, or chicken strips are lighter alternatives to the steak.
Oil and vinegar, raspberry vinaigrette or Italian dressing are less-heavy alternatives to the spicy sour cream dressing. Ranch or bleu cheese are good with the steak salad; honey mustard or French dressing are tasty with salads containing chicken strips or ham.
Topping options include croutons, tortilla strips, sunflower seeds, sliced toasted almonds, walnuts or pecans, grated parmesan, crumbled goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, golden raisins, dried cranberries, and crumbled cooked bacon or "bacon bits".
