Summer Steak Salad

i love a great steak. it's one of the 101 reasons i, personally, could never be a vegetarian. (among the other reasons, bacon, shrimp, crab cakes, bacon, cheese burgers on the grill, bacon . . . )

what better way to feel good about enjoying a juicy steak then on top of a bed of field greens with fresh, local tomatoes and avocado. note to self, a little crumbled, crispy bacon would have made this salad even better - feel free to add it yourself.

i happened upon this marinade out of desperation. i was simultaneously out of chili powder and cumin, which meant i couldn't make my old standby favorite steak marinade. what i did have was a packet of fajita seasoning. i know, i know, shame on me but at least it was a simply organic seasoning packet. anyway, i simply added the seasoning packet to orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, and garlic and let it sit overnight.

in a pinch, or even with plenty of time, this is an excellent marinade!

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Summer Steak Salad
makes 2 salads

4 cups field greens
2 tbs lime juice
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp honey
garlic salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado, diced
2 small-medium tomatoes diced
1/2-3/4 lb steak marinated in steak marinade (below) overnight and grilled/seared

in a medium bowl whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. toss with field greens and divide among 2 plates. arrange avocado, tomatoes, and sliced steak over field greens and enjoy.

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Steak Marinade

juice of 1 orange
juice of 1 lime
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 packet simply organic fajita spices

whisk all ingredients together and add beef. let sit in fridge 2-24 hours.

White Bean Tuna Salad

i have been debating writing this one post because i am afraid i may fail. and, in turn, if i do, i'd have to admit this to all of you instead of just beating myself up about it privately. but, i think it's time to come clean.

i am on day 4 of a self-imposed 31-day clean-eating challenge. i am taking a paleo approach to the next month - as in, if a cave man couldn't have eaten it, neither will i. that means nothing from a box, nothing processed, no gluten, no diary, no sugar, and no alcohol. but, it means i can eat unprocessed meat, seafood, fruits, veggies, nuts, beans, and seeds. i am also allowing myself spices, vinegars, and olive oil, coconut oil, and grapeseed oil.

my decision came after a super-indulgent vacation spent mostly eating, drinking, and sleeping (with the occasional break from those activities to hike, kayak, play tennis, and swim). while i loved every minute of our family vacation, i felt tired all the time and lacked energy even though i was sleeping up a storm. i also want to try and get rid of my migraines (or at least discover my triggers) once and for all.

i will undoubtedly miss cheese, chocolate, and wine the most (not necessarily in that order) but i keep reminding myself it is only 1 month - and dang, will a cocktail taste good on august 22nd.

the reason i am telling you this is you will see this reflected in the next month of recipes here at good clean fun. i figure this is okay considering the last couple months seem to be pretty dessert and cocktail heavy. hopefully you will still enjoy the recipes - if not, see you in a month!

this white bean tuna salad is the perfect lunch for this month as it is full of protein! this salad takes me back to my first apartment right out of college. i remember by roommate at the time (still one of my besties now:) made this tuna salad and i loved it! the tuna and white beans keep me full for hours while the light vinaigrette dressing and zing from the red onion give this salad the zip it needs.

sometimes i eat this straight from the bowl but i usually have it on a bed of field greens or wrapped in a piece (or 2) of crisp romaine. luckily, this salad is just as good (if not better) the next day. just stir well, and enjoy!

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White Bean Tuna Salad
serves 3

2tbs olive oil
2tbs red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
5oz can tuna, drained
1/2 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped

whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic in a medium bowl. stir in tuna, beans, onion, and tomatoes. stir leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Lemon Parmesan Quinoa Salad

i am always looking for ways to use quinoa. i figured it would be a great substitute for pasta salad so i tried one of my favorite pasta salad recipes with quinoa. it turned out to be a hit.

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i like to throw whatever vegetables i have on hand into the salad. today it was cherry tomatoes and fresh garden peas. a simple lemon parmesan vinaigrette is a great dressing for this light, chilled salad.

this side dish also doubles as a main dish because it's packed with protein. i would have added some broccoli if i had it on hand.

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Lemon Parmesan Quinoa Salad
serves 4-6

1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 1/2 cups fresh garden peas (raw or cooked)

rinse and strain quinoa and add to medium pot. add chicken stock and bring to a boil. reduce heat to low and cover. simmer 15 minutes. remove from heat and keep covered for 15 minutes.

meanwhile, whisk together oil, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, and parmesan cheese. uncover quinoa and let it cool another 15 minutes. stir in tomatoes, peas, and lemon parmesan vinaigrette.

serve at room temperature or chilled.

Best Balsamic Vinaigrette

i try and have a salad everyday at lunchtime. i am not always successful and most days my lunch falls around 3pm, but i find if i have lots of lettuce and already mixed up dressing, i am more successful in my attempt to eat veggies for lunch. if you are earning a nutrition degree through an accredited online college, you would know how important it is to get in your daily servings of vegetables.

i'm not talking about store bought, pre-made, cannot pronounce the majority of the ingredient dressing. i am talking super-easy, homemade, real-deal ingredients dressing. more often than not, my favorite is balsamic vinaigrette so i make up a big batch and try to always have it sitting in the fridge. when i open the fridge it taunts me. "i dare you to chop up a big salad and drizzle me on it. i double-dog dare you."

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ok, i'm not crazy and this vinaigrette won't talk to you but it will help you enjoy your salads. it's good. it's really good.

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Best Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tbs dijon mustard
3 tbs pure maple syrup
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp crazy janes mixed-up salt
1 tbs minced garlic
30 grinds of pepper

mix all ingredients together in a large container with a tight fitting lid (i use a big mason jar) and shae vigorously. store in fridge. will keep for quite a while in the fridge (about a month).

note: this dressing gets thick when refrigerated. to avoid this, simply pull it out and let it come to room temperature 30 minutes before you want to use it (although it tastes find cold and thick).

The Wedge Salad

everything old is new again. case in point, the wedge salad is back en vogue. seriously, the wedge is back baby. it has popped up on virtually every menu not just the steak houses (where it appears, it never went out of style).

of course, i had to jump on the bandwagon because the wedge is a chef's dream. it's super easy yet has a fabulous presentation. when i say easy, i mean easy. step 1: wash head of iceberg. step 2: cut into quarters. step 3: drizzle with dressing and toppings. step 4: eat.

yes, it is slightly more effort than that considering i cooked my own bacon to crumble, i had to chop the tomatoes and make the dressing. but even including those things the prep time was minimal.

some like ranch (like my wonderful husband) but i am firmly in the blue cheese dressing camp. since iceberg lettuce has virtually no flavor, i like the tangy bite of gorgonzola. so, because i am writing this blog and therefore utterly and absolutely in charge, i am drizzling blue cheese all over my wedge.

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The Wedge
serves 4

1 head of iceberg lettuce
4 strips of bacon, cooked (i give details of my bacon method here)
4 campari tomatoes

wash lettuce and remove core being careful to keep head intact. cut into 4 quarters and pat to dry. place on plate and drizzle with buttermilk blue cheese dressing (see below). crumble one piece of bacon over each quarter. chop tomatoes and sprinkle one tomato over head quarter.

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Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing
(adapted from Epicurious)

1/2 cup olive oil mayo
1 cup plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup coarsely crumbled blue cheese (i like gorgonzola or buttermilk bleu)
1/3 cup buttermilk (or more to desired consistency)

whisk all ingredients together in container with lid. refrigerate and let flavors meld for at least 2 hours.

After Christmas Salad

i hope you all had a wonderful christmas weekend! it was good to relax and take a break from blogging, but it's also good to be back.

i don't know about you, but after a couple weeks for cookies, carbs, parties, and libations i am ready for a couple of vegetables. thus, the after christmas salad was born.

i basically just used what i had laying around the house - crisp romaine, juicy pears, crunchy walnuts, and creamy gorgonzola cheese. a quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette later and the greens are suitable for consumption.

toss togther, eat, repeat. i have a feeling that will be three important steps to get me back to normal this week.

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After Christmas Salad (also known as Pear and Gorgonzola Salad)
serves 2

1 heart of romaine
1 ripe pear
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola
1/4 cup toasted walnuts

wash and chop romaine - i like to chop mine into very small bite-sized pieces, almost shredded.  toss lettuce with balsamic vinaigrette. divide romaine onto two plates. wash and cut pear into bite-sized pieces. top each salad with half the chopped pear and sprinkle each salad with half the gorgonzola and half the walnuts.

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Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbs dijon mustard
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp honey

combine all ingredients in container with tight fitting lid (a mason jar works beautifully).  shake vigorously. keep remainder in fridge. will last about a month if refrigerated.

Balsamic Winter Kale Salad

salads are one of my go to vegetables for weeknight meals. they are so easy to throw together and really easy to change up to keep from getting boring. not only can you mix up the toppings and dressing, but replacing the typical romaine base with field greens, baby spinach, arugula, or even kale can completely transform a salad.

did you try my lemon parmesan kale salad a while back? it's still one of my favorite salads but it feels summery to me for some reason. don't get me wrong, i bought a bunch of kale this week and i have already had it once, but i wanted to try something that felt a little more season-specific.

my original idea was to use dried cranberries but i only had currents on hand. as with most salad constructions, you just work with what you have, so i used those and added some gorgonzola and toasted pecans. i dressed it with a simple white balsamic vinaigrette and it tasted amazing. the gorgonzola really added some body and richness to this salad.

i recommend throwing washed kale leaves (minus the tough stems) into the food processor and pulsing a couple of times. it makes quick work of a large pile of kale. or course, if you don't have a food processor, just run a sharp knife through the kale until chopped relatively finely.

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Balsamic Winter Kale Salad
serves 4

1/2 large bunch of kale
1/4 cup currants
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup toasted pecan pieces

remove tough stems from kale leaves and wash thoroughly. pulse until chopped in a food processor. in a large bowl, stir together kale and remaining ingredients. drizzle with approximately 1/4 cup white balsamic vinaigrette (recipe below) according to taste. let sit 5-10 minutes. stir again and serve.

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White Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (regular balsamic is fine too)
1 tbs dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper

combine all ingredients in jar with tight fitting lid. shake well to combine. refrigerate unused portion. will keep up to a month in fridge.