I love one dish meals and this one is absolute perfection! This is a great recipe to make in the winter because the quick pickled cucumber and red onion as well as the salad dressing make even the blandest winter grocery store vegetables taste fantastic. If you pick your tomatoes green in the late fall to ripen in the house this salad is a great way to use them.
1largecucumberthinly sliced. English cucumbers are preferred because they have a mild flavour and have less seeds than a field cucumber
2smallred onionsabout 1½ cups thinly sliced
½cupwhite wine vinegar
¼cupsugar
1tspkosher salt
Salad ingredients:
3mediumavocadospitted, peeled, sliced and if desired, drizzled with lemon juice to prevent browning
3mediumtomatoessliced
3cupslettuceany dark green lettuce will do. I prefer to use a mix of salad greens
optional: ½ cup of basil or ¼ cup of tarragon or parsley
Meat:
1poundflank steakYou can use a better cut of beef but honestly it isn't necessary because the dressing and pickled veggies are so flavourful
2tbspolive oil
1tspkosher salt
½tspblack pepperfine ground or coarse ground
Dressing:
⅓cupolive oil
⅓cupwhite wine vinegar
¼cupfeta cheesecrumbled
2tbspshallotsminced
1tbspDijon mustard
2tbsphoney
1lemonYou will use the juice of ½ of this lemon-approximately 2 tablespoons
Instructions
To cook the steak:
Mix the salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the steak with olive oil and then season with the salt mixture.
If using a barbecue, grill the steak to medium-rare. The exact timing may differ for your grill and the thickness of the steak; so use your own judgement. For a steak cut 1 inch thick, preheat the grill to high heat (600+) and grill both sides of the steak for 30 seconds each. Then turn the heat down low and grill each side for 7 minutes. preheat to medium-high. Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes then slice the meat against the grain.
If using an oven, position the oven rack 5 to 6 inches from the broiler unit, and preheat the broiler. Line a broiler pan or baking sheet with foil. Place the pan on the oven rack, and preheat until hot, about 5 minutes.Remove the hot pan from the oven and then place the steak in the centre of the pan. Broil for 8 minutes without turning or flipping the steak. This will result in a medium-rare steak. Let the steak rest 10 minutes before slicing.
To make the quick pickles:
Whisk together the ½ cup vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Add the sliced cucumber and red onion. Set aside for 10-20 minutes.
To make the dressing:
Whisk the olive oil and white wine vinegar. Add the feta, shallots, honey, Dijon and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
Assemble the salad:
To four plates, distribute the lettuce and top with tomatoes, avocadoes, pickled vegetables and herbs if using.
Drizzle with half of the salad dressing.
Top with the sliced steak and then top with remaining salad dressing