Friday, November 7, 2014

More fun with Avocados

I'm on a roll with the avocados right now.  (If a post in March and a post in November count as a "roll.")

See, I love salads.  But it's gotten quite nippy outside of late, and it's hard to want to eat a chilled dish when your hands are already half numb.

So what's a gal to do?

Top the salad with something warm and melty, of course.



Steak Salad with Avocado

Ingreds:
Lettuce mix of your choice
Shredded steak (see below for more details)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1 tsp oregano
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

In small frying pan, drizzle oil and heat till shimmering. 

I'm going to say a quick word about the meat here.  This is a great place to use leftover steak.  Just cut into small chunks and toss into the pan with the oil.  If you don't have leftover steak, then ground beef is a very acceptable substitute.  At the moment, I have a lot of unseasoned ground pork which actually works very well too.  So there's a good bit of flexibility based on what you have in the fridge.

Add the oregano, salt and pepper.  I like lots of pepper.  You can also add onions, green pepper and mushrooms for a Philly cheesesteak effect.  I'm a bit of a purist, so I stick to the meat and seasonings, but hey, whatever floats your boat.

While your meat is sizzling nicely (and putting off mouth-watering smells), fill a bowl with the lettuce mix of your choosing and add the shredded cheese.  Also chop the avocados and set aside.

Once the meat is nicely warmed, add to the top of the salad.  Now while the pan is still nice and hot, toss the avocado in long enough to warm it up.  It'll pick up the seasonings too, which is just awesome.  Pile on top of the meat.

Now here's the crazy part.  The mayonnaise.  Glop it right on there.  It's called "dressing" for a reason, and you're going to use it as exactly that.  The meat will make it warm and melty, and when you mix it with the cheese and lettuce....let's just say it's like a gooey steak sandwich without the bread. 

All you need now is a fork.

Who says you can't have salad on a cold day?