Cobb Salad with Steak and Blue Cheese

First dear friends, I apologize for not blogging for a bit. It hasn’t been our best summer, with the loss of a dear friend and, also our much-loved sweet dog. Combined with an eye surgery and the heat plus a violent ground hog eating everything in sight – well I just needed to wait till the lovely month of September to share a new delicious favorite with you.

Of course we all like a classic Cobb Salad, the perfect little lunch, but I’m going to encourage you to try this upgrade and turn it into a dinner time delight. Forget those little deli squares of ham and turkey and instead add a beautiful grilled and sliced steak with a simple dressing that you shake up in a jar. What you include after that is your choice which makes this a perfect quick but elegant dinner.

The salad starts with Romaine lettuce. I added a little garden arugula for a snappy taste. Avocado and cherry tomatoes plus a few black olives were a yummy addition. Don’t forget to top it all with crumbled blue cheese and gently boiled eggs. The fridge revealed an ear of corn, and I grilled it with the steak for an unusual touch. About the steak – I already had a small strip steak – plenty for two people, but a flank steak would work just as well. If steak isn’t your protein of choice, I am willing to bet grilled shrimp would be nice.

The dressing is a ½ cup each of white balsamic vinegar and olive oil with a minced clove of garlic plus salt and pepper. I used the marks on the side of the mason jar to measure and then gave it a little shake.

There you have it.  Now you get to decorate your plate which is a lot of fun. I know you will make a masterpiece – take a picture before you dive in. Enjoy!

Cobb Salad with Steak and Blue Cheese

Dressing

½ cup olive oil

½ cup white balsamic vinegar

1 clove minced galic

Salt and pepper to taste

Shake it all up in a jar.

Ingredients for Salad – very much your choice, adapt to as many or few people as you like

Romaine lettuce

Arugula

Cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Black olives

Avocado – cubed

Eggs – 1 per person – I like an 8-minute boil for slightly soft center

Crumbled blue cheese

Corn, grilled to char

6-8 ounce steak (for 2) grilled or broiled to your choice of doneness.