Labor Day Ideas: Chipotle Steak Salad with Fig Vinaigrette

Labor Day is upon us and what better way to celebrate than to share good times and good food with friends and family.

I know it's "Burger Season" and I've been posting some great options which you can check out here...
The Best Stuffed Grilled Cheeseburger
Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers
Grilled Santa Fe Burgers
The Ultimate Burger Starter from Williams-Sonoma

But today I'm introducing a dish that is man pleasing (hence the steak) and woman pleasing as well (hence the salad).

Now my man is a rabbit by nature. He'll eat salad 10x more often than he eats steak. He can't get enough, so this dish was heaven for him. Actually the best of both worlds rolled into one.

The flavors of this dish are perfect. You have a spicy, touched with heat, chipotle rub on the steak. The salad is touched with the sweetness of fig jam and raisins, but also carries a touch of heat with the chipotle seasoning as well.

Flank steak was chosen because it cook's fast, and the result is tender, juicy steak.  Make sure to cut against the grain in thin slices to achieve tender pieces. 

I love Mrs. Dash's salt free seasoning blends. I think that rubs and marinades don't need all that salt, which is usually the first ingredient, that is put in most seasoning blends. To me, these are just perfect, and I can control the salt. So, I chose to use her Southwestern Chipotle seasoning in this dish. Perfection! You can certainly switch this up to a BBQ rub or other spicy rub of your choosing. 

So grill burgers if you like, but maybe on second thought try something different and make this salad.  Surprise everyone!  This dish is perfect for a party, and will be enjoyed by all!

Happy Labor Day!

Chipotle Steak Salad with Fig Vinaigrette

serves 6

1 – 1 ½ lbs flank steak
3 T chipotle seasoning (such as Mrs. Dash)
3 T fig jam
3 T olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T raisins
1 t stone ground mustard
½ t chipotle seasoning
Salt & pepper
6 c chopped romaine lettuce
2 c sliced English cucumber
1 c shredded carrot
1 c red cabbage, shredded
1 c cherry tomatoes, halved
½ c cilantro, chopped

Rub flank steak with seasoning. Heat grill pan over medium high heat. If using a skillet add 2 T oil. Cook meat 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and allow to rest 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl add jam, oil, raisins, mustard, and seasoning. Whisk to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Combine lettuce, cucumber, carrot, cabbage, tomatoes, and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss with vinaigrette.

Slice steak thinly against the grain. Arrange salad on each plate and top with steak. Serve.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Today is all about one of my favorite sandwiches, the French Dip! 

I remember growing up and my mom and I would always go out to lunch and order a French Dip sandwich.  I always thought it was so fancy and different from regular sandwiches because you got to dip it in a wonderful beefy sauce.  Through the years I've had some very good French Dips and some bad ones.  But I never really thought about making one at home.

So I was feeling nostalgic the other day and decided  to cook a brisket in the slow cooker and make my favorite sandwich.  Nothing could be easier than making these in the slow cooker.  You just put in the ingredients and walk away.  When you come back 8 hours later you get succulent beef and a wonderful dipping sauce.  For flavoring I used an old trick that my friend Mary taught me for her pot roasts, using a dry onion soup mix.  I chose a beefy onion soup mix, but if you can't find that use the regular onion soup & dip mix.  It's easy peasy...and it tastes fabulous.

I served the sandwiches with the following salads and they were the perfect side dishes:
Artichoke and White Bean Salad

Asparagus Tabbouleh with Prosciutto





The sandwiches or either salad would be a great dish for the upcoming Labor Day! 
Hope you enjoy these as much as well did.  So many memories.  Plus the leftovers were even better!

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

serves 8

1 3 lb beef brisket
1 pkg dry beefy onion soup mix or regular onion soup mix
1 10.5 oz can condensed beef broth
8 hoagie or french rolls

Place beef in cooker. In small bowl, mix dry soup mix and broth; pour over beef. 

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Skim any fat from the liquid in the cooker. Remove beef from cooker and place on a cutting board. Cut the brisket across the grain into thin slices.

Cut each sandwich roll in half horizontally.   Place sliced beef on bottoms of rolls and top.  Cut in half crosswise and serve with broth for dipping. 

Asparagus Tabbouleh with Prosciutto

It's almost time to celebrate another holiday...Labor Day!

I wanted to bring you a couple of easy salad dishes to make for the holiday, or before summer ends.  Several days ago I brought you my Artichoke and White Bean Salad which is so yummy!  Today I want to bring in some Mediterranean flavors with a variation on the well known tabbouleh salad.

I was perusing one of my favorite cookbooks (Cuisine at Home Fast & Fabulous Mediterranean Menus) for a new salad.  Cuisine at Home has a wonderful knack for taking the familiar and putting a new twist on it.  Well, I found it.  This earthy tabbouleh is made with roasted asparagus and has crispy prosciutto and feta mixed in to the traditional ingredients.  Made from bulgur wheat this salad is light and fresh.  The lemon, parsley and mint give you the freshness but the added ingredients that make this unique and take this over the top!

Try something new this weekend and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!


Asparagus Tabbouleh with Prosciutto

makes 8 cups - serves 6

1 c dry wheat bulgur
3 oz prosciutto, diced
2 t olive oil
4 T olive oil, divided
1 t minced garlic
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
salt & pepper
1 c chopped fresh parsley
3/4 c chopped fresh mint
1/2 c chopped fresh chives
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 c chopped pistachios
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 t Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cook bulgur in a pot of salted water according to package directions, drain and rinse.

Cook prosciutto in 2 tsp. oil in a nonstick skillet until crisp, transfer to a paper-towled lined plate.

Combine 2 Tbsp of oil and garlic in a small bowl.  Place asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil mixture, and season with salt and pepper.  Roast asparagus in oven, until tender, 8 minutes; transfer to a rack to cool, then chop into 3 to 4 inch pieces.

Combine parsley, mint, chives, feta, zest, bulgur, prosciutto, and asparagus in a large bowl.  

Whisk together lemon juice and Dijon until emulsified.  Whisk in remaining 2 Tbsp oil, then drizzle over tabbouleh; toss to combine.  Garnish servings with pistachios.


Source:  Cuisine at Home Fast & Fabulous Mediterranean Menus