The superBOWL(s) of Salad
When people think of superbowl foods they think: 6 foot heroes, hotdogs, burgers, wings or ribs. I love all that kind of food. However, I thought I would try to do a healthy spin on super bowl food. How about a salad bar? You can still serve all your typical foods, but adding a salad bar can make it more exciting. People can choose their vegetables, proteins or grains and make a really exciting and individualized [super] bowl to their liking.
Pick your line-up:
Grains
Quinoa
Barley
Bulgar
Rice
Greens
Romaine lettuce
Kale
Cabbage
Arugula
Radicchio
Proteins
Skirt Steak strips
Grilled Chicken stips
Salmon
Deli meats
Eggs(hard boiled, poached or fried)
Chick peas
Red kidney beans
Vegetables
Tomatoes
Grilled portabella mushrooms
Avocado
Scallions
Red onion
Snow peas
Shredded carrot
Crunch
Honey glazed pecans
Terra chip stix
Sun flower seeds
Slivered almonds
Dressing
Cesar
Creamy Italian
Raspberry vinaigrette
Sweet and sour
Russian dressing
Here are some recipes to make with the suggested list above to be incorporated in the salads to make them really superb:
Citrus Skirt Steak
Skirt steak is an inexpensive cut of beef taken from the diaphragm muscle. It ranks with filet mignon as my favorite juicy and tender cut. It comes in long, narrow strips about 3/4 lb. each. The grain runs across the narrow side and so for serving the steak should be cut into serving-size pieces with the grain so that it can then be cut into bites against the grain
Skirt steak is marinated overnight in tangy citrus juices, making it tender and flavorful!
Note: skirt steak is a salty cut of meat. In order to reduce the salt content, I leave the meat in a bowl of water for a few hours, changing the water every hour or so. Afterwards, I place the meat into the marinade.
Ingredients
• 1 pound skirt steak, trimmed of silver skin
• 1 cup orange juice
• ½ cups fresh lime juice
• ¼ cups fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cups diced onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
• ½ teaspoons cumin
In a large plastic bag inside a bowl, combine the orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, garlic, onion, cilantro, and cumin. Mix well, then reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture in a separate container.
Add the skirt steak to the bag, press out most of the air, and seal. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least four hours.
Thirty minutes before you are ready to cook, remove the steak from the refrigerator and let it stand in the marinade. Heat your grill, or grill pan, to medium-high heat and brush lightly with oil.
Grill to your preferred level of doneness. I like mine medium-rare, about three minutes per side.
Remove the steak from the grill. Allow the steak to rest for ten minutes. While the steak rests, take the reserved marinade and heat it in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it reduces slightly. Strain into a small serving bowl.
Easy grilled chicken strips
2 pounds chicken breasts, pounded thin and cut into long strips
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoon white wine
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon ginger
3 fresh clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp. onion powder
Marinate chicken for 2 to 4 hours.
Grill on a BBQ for a few minutes on each side, or on a grill pan on the stove-top on medium heat. Make sure the chicken doesn’t dry out.
Dressings
All the dressings are fresh and delicious and can be easily doubled and kept in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Sweet and Sour Dressing
1 clove fresh garlic
¼ teaspoon mustard
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup ketchup
2/3-cup olive oil
Blend all ingredients together and shake well.
Caesar Salad
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoon mayo
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cloves crushed garlic
Mix all ingredients together and shake well
Raspberry vingaritte
1 tablespoon shallots, finely minced
3 Tablespoon raspberry preserves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
Place shallot in food processor and mince finely. Then add preserves and vinegar.
Then, in a steady stream while machine is running, add the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can do this by hand with a whisk but it is a smoother consistency in a food processor.
Naomi’s Favorite Steak Salad Combo:
Arugula, skirt steak, yellow cherry tomatoes, honey glazed pecans, red onion, poached eggs and Caesar dressing.
