Roasted Red Peppers and Steak salad with a Balsamic Vinaigrette

For Valentine's day, Moe and I decided to cook the steak that we got from our sister-in-law.  Her family owns a farm, and the quality of the meat is always outstanding.  It had been frozen for quite awhile so I was bit nervous it wasn't going to taste very good; however, it turned out perfect! 

Roasted Red Peppers and Steak salad with a Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves: 2
Source:  Miss J

16 oz strip steak
1/4 cup Gorgonzola crumbled cheese
a handful of pine nuts
1 red bell pepper (de-seeded and cut into quarters)
3 cups of spinach (or romaine) lettuce
1 grape vine tomato (diced in 1inch squares)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper

salad dressing (serves 10)
1 garlic clove
1 shallot (finely diced)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp (plus or minus depending on desired sweetness)
pepper

Whisk together salad dressing and let sit for a half hour.  This allows the flavors to meld together while the rest of the meal is prepared. Turn on grill to high.  Once heat is roaring, reduce heat on grill to medium.  Brush steak with olive oil on both sides and lightly season with pepper.  Place steaks on the grill.  On a cast iron skillet, place the four bell pepper slices on skillet and lightly coat with olive oil.  Place bell peppers slices on the grill rack next to the steaks.  Cook on the steaks on the grill until internal temperature reads 140 -145 degrees (medium), approximately 10 minutes.  Flip the bell peppers about half way through.  Add a drizzle of the salad dressing on the bell peppers with 1 minute left to cook on grill.  Bell peppers are done when they are soft and the skin has loosened.  You do not want the skin to peel off.  If it does then the temperature is too high for the bell peppers. 

While steaks are cooking, toss spinach in salad dressing. Be sure not to use all the salad dressing as this recipe makes more salad dressing which you can keep at room temperature for up to a week. Divide the spinach across two plates.  Top with Gorgonzola cheese, tomatoes and pine nuts. When the steak and roasted red peppers are done, slice and divide up across the two salads.   Serve immediately.

Notes:  You could also cook the bell peppers in the oven at 400 degrees in an aluminum foil tent with some drizzled olive oil.  They should cook for about 10 minutes or until soft.      

- Miss J