Steak Salad

    Alright ladies and gentlemen, this is a TO DIE FOR salad. Brean makes fun of me and says that if I make something I really like, we're guaranteed to have it again the next week or so. (I suppose I should preface this and let you know this is only an amazing salad if you like blue cheese. Though Brean doesn't, didn't have any blue cheese, and still thought it was pretty good. I think he's crazy.) So without further ado -

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak
• 8 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 6 roma (plum) tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup walnuts
•  
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring

Directions

1. Preheat oven on broiler setting. Broil steaks for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Allow to cool, then slice into bite-size pieces.
2. On chilled plates, arrange lettuce, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Sprinkle with blue cheese and walnuts. Top with steak slices.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and smoke flavoring. Drizzle over salad.

      So, changes. Have you ever had the Blue Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad at Outback Steakhouse? They make their salad with these AMAZING cinnamon candied pecans, which is a perfect balance to the blue cheese. So I made it my mission to find something similar to switch out for the walnuts. (Oh, and I didn't add the mushrooms) So here is the recipe that I used for the pecans - kind of a lot of work, but totally work it. They really do make the salad from really good to AMAZZZZING.

Candied cinnamon pecans

• 1/3 cup pecans sliced-lengthwise
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Slice each pecan half into at least three lengthwise pieces.
3. Combine the cinnamon and brown sugar.
4. Toss the pecans with the melted butter, then with the cinnamon/sugar mixture, making sure to coat them all evenly.
5. Put the nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until sugar is caramelized.
6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and slide the pecans off of the parchment to cool.

     Make sure to keep an eye on the pecans - my second batch that I made were epic burnt piles of goo. I did add chopped green onions to this salad, which I would highly recommend. The measurements are really guesstimates - I would say make it to your personal specifications.
     This was also my first foray into mixing salad dressings! The first time I made this I was REALLY in a blue cheese mood, so I wanted blue cheese dressing. But I also wanted to try the dressing in the recipe. So I mixed them together. It was a fabulous smoky and cheesy mixture, and something I never would have thought of before this time. Cravings really are the beginnings of genius, I swear!

Factoid(s) of the day in no particular order:
1) Attitudes are like germs - whether good or bad, they are going to spread.
2) I love my weekly Glee (or Modern Family) nights. It's so nice to get together regularly with people that I enjoy hanging out with, with whom I can be myself, and who challenge me to think outside of the box on a regular basis.
3) I am going to listen to the Bible on shuffle! One of my resolutions for this year was to read the Bible. As with exercise, I really hate doing the things that are good for me, so I don't! For exercise, my compromise was to get a treadmill so that I could walk while I watch my shows (which I never have a problem making time for :P). So, I got the Bible on cd in order to listen to it on my way too and from work. I've been listening to books on cd on my commute for over a year, and I love the feeling of accomplishment as I check books off my list of to-reads. The reason to listen to it on shuffle is, and I'm sorry for moments of sacrilege, some parts of the Bible I find, well, boring! So, instead of skipping large chunks that I find less than interesting, I'll listen to the boring parts in small parts, mixed with interesting parts. The only problem I am seeing with this is that I will lose the context of the verse/chapter. But I am excited about this, and shall keep you updated if there are any interesting crossovers. Who knows, maybe I will write a book! :D