A New Kind of Cobb

Salads have a wonderful way of adapting to literally every ingredient that you can think of. This flexible quality makes for one of the easiest meals, but also one of the more creative. For this meal, I put a twist on the traditional Cobb salad, minus the bacon and hard-boiled egg. I've been on a steak kick lately, so I went to my local Whole Foods market and picked up some grass-fed Flank steak. Any steak will do, but Flank steak is a great inexpensive option that is easy to portion for multiple salads. For this recipe you will need:

-1 lb. of grass-fed Flank steak
-1/2 cup of crumbled bleu cheese
-1 bag of baby spinach
-1 medium avocado
-2 Campari tomatoes (vine-ripened is better!)

Nothing better than fresh produce.

Now that's some nice meat.

As I do with all salads, I also made my own dressing to go with this recipe. For this dressing, you will need:

-1/2 cup of Champagne vinegar

-1 tsp apricot preserves

-1 clove garlic, mined

-2 tsp dijon mustard

-1 cup extra virgin olive oil

-Salt and pepper to taste

I've never really used Champagne vinegar before, but man is it tasty! The tartness of it goes really well with the sweet apricot preserves, which gives it a really nice balance. I liked the idea of using a different , non-traditional dressing for the salad as well, just to give it a nice twist. 

So, once you've got your ingredients chopped, all that's really left to do is cook the steak! The temp you decide on is entirely an individual preference, but I usually stick with medium rare to medium. I lightly seasoned my steak with salt and pepper before pan-searing it for 6 minutes on each side, then tossing it in the oven on 350 for another 5 minutes. This seals the juices of the meat really nicely, which is important if you're going to slice the meat when serving it. 

Once the steak is done cooking, let it rest for a few minutes before cutting. If you cut it immediately after cooking, all the blood and juices will drain from the meat, leaving you with dry nastiness. So be patient!

At last, it is time to compile all the ingredients and dressing with your baby spinach. The final product could look a little something like this:

Looks great, doesn't it?!

And there you have it! The great thing about this meal is that with prep and cook time, it took only about 20 minutes, and it can easily be adapted to suit individual needs. This recipe would also work great with grilled chicken breast or shrimp, if beef isn't really your thing. And always remember, with cooking, there's always room for improvisation! Get creative, take risks, and experiment with unfamiliar flavors. You might just find a new favorite :)

Until next time, this has been your daily dish. Enjoy!