Girlfriends’ answer to today’s power lunch: light but hearty Tuscan salad with seared steak. Sizzling steak over grilled romaine and marinated veggies.
I mean, what happened to power lunches? In the 80’s, you were killin’ it if you were out having lunch with a client in your spiffy red “power tie” or in your Victoria Principal-football-shoulder-padded jacket.
Three olives in those three martinis? You betcha! Plenty of steak and potatoes on those plates. You didn’t just have the boss’s blessing…
he was picking up the check.
Things are different now. Today people are getting kudos by not going out for lunch. Sad, but true. If you’re really somebody, you may not even eat lunch! Down a green insta-caffinate-protein-mega-slim shake and you’re good to go.
Well, we all have days like that. (The I-don’t-have-time-for-lunch-days, not the 3 martini days. Those are long gone, at least for anyone who wants to keep their job.)
And this is a keto chocolate almond smoothie for those days when all you have time for is a fast shake. Fortunately though, every now and then I get a chance to snag one of my girlfriends away from their office and treat them to a “Power Lunch” at my place.
A power lunch to me has got to have red meat, steak preferably. But nothing so heavy it will slow you down the rest of the day. Salad anyone?
When I think of dynamic women who take chances and live life with passion, Diane Lane in Under the Tuscan Sun jumps to mind. Ok, so she was kind of on a verge of a nervous breakdown through the whole movie and ran all over the Tuscan countryside chasing some pretty boy twit.
I don’t care. I still love that movie. Maybe it’s the groves of olive trees, the old house she renovates, new friends and old friends coming together around the table, or maybe it’s just Italy?
A little while ago, I was able to talk my friend Ann out of the office. She came over for lunch and I got to hear all about her family trip to Tuscany this past summer. This is the inspired grilled Tuscan Salad with Steak we had for our own power lunch that day (minus the martinis).
Another Salad You’ll Love
Ruth Chris’s Copy Cat Chopped Salad
GRILLED TUSCAN SALAD WITH STEAK
Tuscan Salad with Steak Recipe – So fresh and satisfying! I love grilled lettuce, Mediterranean veggies, and a big juice steak ❤️ | www.lakesidetable.com
Ingredients
- 1 head of romaine lettuce cut long ways in half
- 1 tablespoon herb butter (or plain unsalted butter)
- 1 tablespoon butter ,melted
- olive oil
- 1 cup roasted red peppers ,cut into long strips
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives rough chop
- 1 yellow bell pepper diced
- 1/2 cup pine nuts toasted
- shaved parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces steak room temperature
- 1 tablespoon butter
- kosher or Maldon salt
- pepper
- 4 tablespoons vinaigrette dressing or your favorite dressing of choice
Equipment
- griddle or grill pan
- cast iron skillet or a pan that can go from stove to oven safely
- mixing bowl
- cutting board & knife
- tin foil
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
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Drizzle olive oil over open face of romaine halves.
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Turn stove on medium and place lettuce halves face down on hot grill pan.
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Turn another burner on medium/high and heat your oven safe skillet there. Dry the steak, lightly coat it with melted butter*, and sprinkle with salt. Test the pan to see if it’s ready by dropping a few drops of water onto it. If the water jumps and sizzles, it’s ready.
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While lettuce is on the stove, combine the chopped vegetables in a bowl with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette.
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After the lettuce gets some nice grill marks or a little char from the griddle, take it off, and place it face up on your plates.
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Sprinkle with salt and drizzle 1 tablespoon vinaigrette on each half. Divide the veggies equally on top between the two halves. (Sprinkle toasted pine nuts and red onion on top, optional). Set aside.
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When the steak skillet is hot, gently place the meat on it. For a medium-rare temperature, sear it for 3 minutes on each side. Then top it with 1 tablespoon herb butter and place it in the oven for 7 minutes.
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When the steak comes out of the oven, carefully take it out of the pan, tent it with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
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Slice it against the grain and divide it equally over the salads.
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Salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Notes
*Why dry the steak and then rewet it with butter? By drying the meat first, you keep the steak from steaming in it’s own juices. Dry meat = great sear. Adding a light rub of butter also helps brown the meat. And what isn’t better with butter? Special thanks to my girl, Deb Hatfield! Thank you for teaching me this stove to oven method for cooking steaks, plus the addition of the herb butter. So Ruth Chris! I can not tell you the last time I had steaks on the grill. This is so much better! It’s easy, clean, and fool proof. Thank you so much, Deb!
