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Grilled Caesar Salad with Creamy Light Dressing

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Believe it or not, grilling a big stalk of Romain lettuce on the BBQ is actually fabulous.  Adding the most deliciously creamy and flavorful Ceasar dressing makes this salad irresistible.  The dressing is a lightened up version of a traditional Caesar dressing using Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise. Adding vibrant cherry or mini heirloom tomatoes is like the cherry on top…or in this case the tomatoes on top!

The key to this salad is drying the Romain lettuce as much as possible before grilling.  If the lettuce is wet it will become soggy on the grill, and friends don’t let friends grill soggy Romaine! Try it out sometime for a different spin on a traditional Caesar salad.

caesarsald2

 

 

Grilled Caesar Salad with Creamy Light Dressing
 
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Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 2 Romaine hearts, halved through the core
  • 1 C cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ C parmigiano reggiano - shaved
  • 1 Tbsp good quality olive oil
For the Creamy Light Caesar Dressing:
  • ½ C 0% greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp anchovy paste or 2 anchovy filets, mashed
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp good quality olive oil
  • 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • 3 Tbsp parmigiano reggiano, finely grated
  • S&P to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat BBQ
For the Creamy Light Caesar Dressing:
  1. Using an immersion blender or a wire whisk, mix all ingredients together until thoroughly incorporatee. Add S&P to taste.
For the Salad:
  1. Brush cut side of romaine lettuce with olive oil. Place cut side down on grill for approximately 2 minutes until slight char marks appear on lettuce. Transfer to serving platter with cut side up. Top with cherry tomatoes and shaved parmigiano reggiano, drizzle with creamy light caesar dressing.

Bruschetta 3 Ways

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We are always looking for new ideas for appetizers and we think we have hit a home run with this spread!  We love all things bruschetta (I mean, yummy, hearty bread, grilled and topped with cheese, fruits or veggies), how can you not be obsessed with it? We experiment with flavors all the time and today is your lucky day because we are bringing you some of our recent favorites.  If you are entertaining over the holidays, you are going to want to make these.  We have three different bruschettas here so you can make them all or, just pick your favorite.  Your guests are going to be beyond impressed.

bruschetta1

We start out by grilling the bread.  This gives it a perfect crunch and nutty flavor.  We cannot live without our grill pan.  The ridges of the pan make it perfect for getting those beautiful grill marks on the bread.  Just slice the bread into about one inch think pieces (you’ll be fancy if you slice on the diagonal) and then drizzle both sides with a a little olive oil.  Get the heat up to about medium high so you get those pretty marks on the bread.

bruschetta3

These guys are topped with burrata cheese (if you have not tried burrata before, just run out to the market really quick and go grab some…we’ll be here when you get back…go now…it’s like a must….you will wonder how you have lived this long without it, okay…perfect, now we can continue) So, we roasted some cherry tomatoes in a hot oven until they were slightly blistered, blackened and popping open, yum, then, topped the grilled bread with the burrata cheese, roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh basil…yum…but not done yet…there’s more…then, you drizzle a balsamic glaze over the top and WOW!!  Insanely delish! You don’t even need a lot of ingredients for things to taste amazing!!  Easy peasy!

bruschetta6

Figs, goat cheese, arugula and honey!  I might not need to say anymore but, of course I will because that’s what I do…The combination of these flavors is just pure perfection.  The sweetness of the figs, the bite of peppery arugula topped on the nutty crunchy bread with a little smear of goat cheese are going to blow you away.  Drizzle with a little raw organic honey and you will be happy happy.  Not to mention, it all looks so pretty!

bruschetta

We also cannot get over how good the prosciutto, asparagus and ricotta bruschetta is.  Once again, flavors that merry so well!  We used whole milk ricotta because it has a a very rich flavor.  We mixed the ricotta with some sliced green onion and cracked black pepper and it might be one of the best decisions we have ever made!  Wow.  Yum.  So simple, but so flavorful!!

We teamed up with Whole Foods to pair this dish with J. Lassalle Cuvee.  This grower champagne from Montagne de Reims over-delivers for the price.  It is the perfect gift for the hard-to-impress wine lover on your list. Perfect for the holidays!

Here’s another fun bruschetta idea:

Tomato & Olive Tapenade Bruschetta

brschetta

Bruschetta 3 Ways
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 loaf Italian rustic bread, sliced into ¼-1/2 inch slices (18 slices - if slices are large cut 9 slicesand cut each slice in half)
  • Approx ¼ C good quality olive oil
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 1 ball buratta cheese
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic glaze
  • 2 Tbsp fresh basil, sliced into thin strips
  • pinch kosher salt
  • 6 spears asparagus, boiled for 1 minute and blanched
  • ½ C whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 2 Tbsp finely chopped green onion (green part only)
  • 2 slices prosciutto
  • freshly ground cracked black pepper
  • ¼ C goat cheese
  • ¼ C arugula leaves
  • 3 figs, sliced
  • 1 Tbsp goat quality honey
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss cherry tomatoes with 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Spread evenly on a parchment lined roasting pan. Roast for approx 20 minutes until tomatoes blister and begin to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  2. While the tomatoes are cooking heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush both sides of bread with remaining olive oil. Grill bread in batches flipping bread when each side is lightly golden brown.
  3. Mix ricotta and chopped green onions together in a small bowl. Set aside.
For The Roasted Tomato & Buratta:
  1. Use 6 pieces of toasted bread. Spread baratta on the bottom of each piece of bread. Add roasted tomatoes on top of the baratta. Sprinkle with chopped basil and drizzle with the balsamic glaze. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt over the top.
For The Prosciutto, Asparagus & Ricotta:
  1. Use 6 pieces of toasted bread. Spread ricotta evenly over the top of each piece of bread. Cut proscuitto up evenly and place on top of the ricotta. Add an asparagus spear to the top of each bruschetta and finish with fresh cracked pepper. (May need to trim asparagus spear to the size of the bruschetta.)
For The Fig, Arugula & Goat Cheese:
  1. Use 6 pieces of toasted bread. Spread goat cheese evenly over the top of each piece of bread. Add arugula, top with sliced figs and drizzle with honey.

Tortellini Pesto Salad

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Tortellini pesto salad for the win.  First of all…homemade pesto.  That is all.  I could almost just end this post right here because it’s just that good, but I will take a few minutes to elaborate and enlighten you as to how this can be in your life.  You deserve to know this so here goes.  First of all, if you are intimidated by making your own pesto, it’s time to let go of your fear and give it a try.  It’s actually so easy, you will wonder why you waited so long to do it yourself.  You can always buy pesto but you really cannot replace the homemade stuff.  So you just need to start with a big bunch of fresh basil, some pine nuts, fresh garlic, parmesan cheese and olive oil.  Put all of the ingredients (minus a half of the olive oil) into a food processor and blend it up.  Slowly drizzle in the remaining half of the olive oil and scrape down the sides of the bowl if you need to.  Season with a little kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and you have yourself a big ‘ol bowl of deliciousness.  Can you even believe how easy that was?  Yay.  Great job!

Once you have that pesto made up, the world is your oyster!  You can now put that stuff on whatever you want!  That is exactly what we did with this tortellini dish here.  To prepare this recipe, you simply cook the tortellini according to the package directions.  Drain it, then transfer to a large bowl.  Add the pesto and red wine vinegar and toss.

then add the cherry tomatoes and fresh spinach and stir until combined.  Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper and voila!  You have the most delicious meal that can be enjoyed hot or cold.  You can eat some now and save some for lunch tomorrow.  It’s delicious the next day too!  This is a very popular dish in our home.  We hope you enjoy!

 

Tortellini Pesto Salad
 
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Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1.5 lbs fresh cheese tortellini
  • ½ C prepared pesto - see recope below or used storebought - Costco has a great Kirkland brand pesto
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 C cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 C fresh spinach, stemmed and chopped
  • kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste
For the Basil Pesto:
  • 2 C packed fresh basil leaves
  • ¼ C toasted pine nuts
  • 1 cloved garlic, chopped
  • ½ C grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ C good quality olive oil
  • S & P to taste
Instructions
  1. Boil fresh tortellini according to package instructions - usually 2-3 mins. Drain and rinse with cold water (can also serve hot, if serving hot do not rinse with cold water).
  2. Transfer tortellini to a large serving bowl. Add pesto and red wine vinegar and stir to coat. Add tomatoes and spinach and stir until incorporated. Season with S&P to taste. Serve immediately or store covered in the fridge until ready to serve.
For Basil Pesto:
  1. In a food processor combine basil, cheese, garlic, pine nuts and ¼ C olive oil. Slowly drizzle in the remaining ¼ C olive oil while the food processor is running. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Blistered Tomato, Spinach & Burrata Rigatoni

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If the title of this dish, blistered tomato, spinach and burrata rigatoni, doesn’t make you want to gobble it up, I’m not sure what will!  Are you even kidding me with this?  We are pretty much obsessed with any pasta dish that has spinach, deliciously sweet tomatoes and burrata cheese because, well, duh!  I’m not really sure that I need to get all wordy and explain it to you.  You already agree with me right?  There’s no sales pitch going on here.  Let me just take you on a quick journey to show and tell you how simple this dish is to make.

Start by boiling the pasta.  Easy peasy right?  While that’s happening, get the tomatoes going in a saute pan with some olive oil.  Cook them over medium high heat for about 10-13 minutes until the skin is nice and blistered.  In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, freshly pressed garlic and red pepper flakes.

Drain the pasta then toss the pasta in a large serving bowl along with the shopped spinach and tomatoes.  Toss with the olive oil mixture then add the burrata.  You can break up the cheese before you serve it but it looks so pretty all nestled in the center don’t you think?  Have you ever heard that expression, you eat with your eye first?  It’s really so true, don’t you think?  Well, trust us with this one…it tastes as good as it looks!!

Blistered Tomato, Spinach & Burrata Rigatoni
 
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Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 12 oz cherry tomatoes
  • 1 lb large rigatoni pasta
  • 2 C spinach, stemmed and chopped
  • 1 large ball burrata (can use 2 if you want it extra creamy)
  • 3 Tbsp + 2 tsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, pressed
  • ½ - 1 tsp red pepper flakes + more if desired
  • kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste
  • optional - grated pecorino romano cheese
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add rigatoni and cook 13 minutes or according to package instructions.
  2. While the pasta is boiling heat 2 tsp olive oil in a sautee pan over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and sautee until browned and blistered (10-13 minutes).
  3. In a small bowl whisk remaining olive oil, pressed garlic and red pepper flakes.
  4. Drain pasta and transfer to a low pasta bowl. Add in chopped spinach and cherry tomatoes. Toss with olive oil mixture to coat. Add buratta to the top and season pasta with S&P to taste. Break buratta up with a spoon before serving. Add additional red pepper flakes if desired or grated pecorino romano cheese over the top to serve.

Tortellini Caprese Skewers

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There tortellini caprese skewers are the appetizer you have been waiting for!  It’s summer and that always means backyard gatherings, hanging with friends, and entertaining for days on end. (oh, and no school!! Woohoo)  With that in mind, if you are anything like us, you like to show up at the party with something that is going to make the crowd go wild.  Interpret that how you will but we are talking family gatherings with kids here folks.  It’s a different kind of wild.  Clearly we are of the age now where a freakin awesome appetizer can very well be the star of the show and make the crowd go wild.  Sad?  No way!  It’s all good, and with that, we’d like to introduce you to our super simple yet “make the crowd go wild” tortellini caprese skewer.  It’s just a little different and I guarantee nobody else is showing up with this one so you will be the appetizer winner!

Step one is to cook the tortellini according to package directions and allow to cool.  Then, blister those gorgeous little cherry tomatoes.  Once you do this, they suddenly taste like candy!  So dang good and really easy.  Just cook them over medium-high heat in a skillet until they are browned and blistered.

To assemble these adorable, tastey and really easy to make skewers, just thread all of the ingredients onto the wooden skewers then top with the balsamic galze and display on a pretty platter.  We know that you are going to get asked to bring these “again” to the next gathering.  It happens to us all the time!


Tortellini Caprese Skewers
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 C fresh pesto tortellini (or your favorite type of tortellini) cooked
  • 1 package sweet cherry tomatoes
  • ½ C fresh mozarella balls (small)
  • whole basil leaves
  • 2 tsp good quality olive oil
  • balsamic vinegar glaze
  • kosher salt
  • small wooden skewer stick - cut in half if necessary
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add cherry tomatoes and cook until browned and blistered, flipping occasionally (cook about 10 mins). Set aside to cool
  2. Using wooden skewers thread tortellini, cherry tomato, mozarella ball, basil leaf, another tortellini and another cherry tomato. Repeat until all skewers have been assembled.
  3. Arrange on a plate and drizzle skewers with balsamic glaze. Sprinkle with kosher salt and serve.

Cobb Salad

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The Cobb Salad is an absolute classic and we couldn’t be more thankful for this beautiful creation.  It’s funny because, as I was writing this, it made me curious as to where the Cobb salad actually came from.  So, naturally, I had to google to find out more.  This kind of stuff fascinates me.  Is that sad?  Have I nothing better to do?  Possibly.  But Kari and I have already told you that we are obsessed with all things food and I guess learning about the origin of recipes is part of that obsession.  Don’t judge.  Anyway, a quick “high level” overview for you…just in case you are not quite as interested as me.  The Cobb is an American garden salad that mainly consists of lettuce, tomato, bacon, hard boiled egg, avocado, chicken, blue cheese and a red-wine vinaigrette.  (We already knew that part, right?) It’s believed to date back to the 1930’s where it was served at the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant.  The restaurant’s owner was named Robert Howard Cobb.  Wow!  Cool huh?  Now we know something new. I figured it was a salad that has been around for a very long time and I was right.  I feel so much better now.  Bottom line, it’s one of our favs at GTK and we love how easy it is to make!

We like a traditional Cobb salad and therefore have all of the typical ingredients in this recipe.  We did however, use turkey bacon instead but that’s just a personal preference to cut down on the calories but not on flavor! We served this one with some delicious asparagus on the side because, why not?

This Cobb salad is easy peasy to assemble.  The motivation for having it this week is due to food prep!  You know how big we are on our food prep right?  Well, we already had the hard boiled eggs and the chicken prepared…after that, it’s a cinch!

We know you are going to love the red-wine vinaigrette too.  It’s tangy and delicious and pairs perfectly with this dish!  Make extra vinaigrette to use again later!  You’ll be so happy you did!

Check out some of our other delicious salads:

http://www.goodthymekitchen.com/brussels-sprout-kale-harvest-salad/

http://www.goodthymekitchen.com/panzanella-salad/

 

Cobb Salad
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 6 heaping cups romaine lettuce
  • 2 hard boiled eggs, cut in half - lengthwise
  • 1 avocado, chopped into large chunks
  • ¾ C rainbow baby hierloom tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ C blue cheese, crumbled
  • 2 pieces cooked turkey bacon, chopped
  • 1 C chopped cooked chicken breast
  • kosher salt and pepper to taste
For the Red Wine Vinaigrette:
  • 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 4 Tbsp good quality olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
Instructions
For the Red Wine Vinaigrette:
  1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside
For the Salad:
  1. Spread lettuce out on a large flat platte or low salad bowl. Arrange remaining ingredients over the lettuce (either mixed - as pictured, or in strips)
  2. Drizzle salad with red wine vinaigrette or serve on the side.

Tomato & Olive Tapenade Bruschetta

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We know, you saw this recipe and you were like, “Wait, What???”  Then you told yourself, “I have GOT to try this!!” We absolutely don’t blame you.  Is there really anything better than deliciously sweet roasted tomatoes, tangy kalamata olives, fragrant fresh basil and rosemary and creamy feta cheese?  Pile this off the hook mixture on top of some grilled artisan bread and you are not going to believe how happy it makes you!  Some people happen to get a little over excited about food and I might be one of them.  Not even worried that you might be judging either.  Just take my word for it on this one…add it to your list. Wanna know the best part?  This tomato and olive tapenade bruschetta happens to be super easy to make!  Yay!!

So in a few simple steps you too can be in tomato and olive tapenade bruschetta heaven.  Toss baby heirloom or cherry tomatoes in a bit of olive oil and kosher salt and roast until they get all squishy and broken down.

While the tomatoes are getting all hot and bothered you can chop your other ingredients and do a little mix-mix in a bowl.

You can also work on toasting up artisan bread slices in a skillet until they turn a little crispy and golden brown.  If you can handle those few steps then you are in luck, because it’s that easy!

Add the tomatoes to the bowl and drizzle a bit more olive oil to the mixture and season with S&P.  Now comes the fun part….start spooning the tapenade on the bread.  I’m in love with the pretty bright colors of the tapenade.  Not only is this creation pretty on the outside, it’s pretty on the inside too….when you actually try it you are going to freak out!   Don’t just take our word for it, go try it for yourself….like now.

Check out other bruschetta recipes by clicking on the link below and have yourself a full on bruschetta party!! http://www.goodthymekitchen.com/bruschetta-3-ways/


Tomato & Olive Tapenade Bruschetta
 
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Serves: Approx 16 bruschetta servings
Ingredients
  • 2 C multi-colored hierloom baby tomatoes - or cherry tomatoes
  • good quality olive oil
  • ½ C kalamata olives, pitted and quartered
  • ¼ C feta, cubed
  • ¼ C chopped basil
  • 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
  • 1 small loaf artisan bread, sliced
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss tomatoes in 1 Tbsp olive oil to coat. Arrange tomatoes on baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast for 20 minutes.
  3. In a medium bowl combine olives, feta, basil, rosemary, tomatoes, 1 Tbsp olive oil and S&P to taste. Fold ingredients together until combinesd.
  4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut sliced bread in half. Drizzle skillet with approx. 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add bread, brown each side until lightly toasted. Arrange bread on a serving platter, top with tomato and olive tapenade and serve.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Creamy Red Wine Vinaigrette

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I absolutely love Greek Salads, so we’ve created our own Mediterranean Quinoa Salad.  I mean, how can you not love this?  The flavor combination is pure perfection and that’s where the creative inspiration for this kicked up quinoa came from…so we present to you today our totally off the hook, bursting with flavor, have to have it, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Creamy Red Wine Vinaigrette!  The good news is that the kids love this one too!  When that happens, it’s like woohoo!!!  Happy dance!  Anyway, the other good news is that this salad is really easy to make.  You could even throw it together if you have some leftover quinoa in the fridge…if you don’t have any, that’s okay, just boil some up and you’ll be ready to go.  After you cook your quinoa, transfer it to a bowl to cool.  You can get started on the rest of your salad while it’s cooling.

The remaining ingredients are easy peasy.  I’m on this massive yellow bell pepper kick lately.  I made 3 other recipes this week that have them in it.  I can think of worse things to be on a kick with right??  So, just simply chop up the bell peppers, cucumber (I prefer an English cucumber and also leave the skin on), cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and kalamata olives.  My daughter always requests extra olives.  I don’t blame her for I too love me some olives.  I also added in some fresh chopped flat leaf parsley.  You don’t need a ton but adding a little will just brighten up the flavor.

The creamy red wine vinaigrette that you will drizzle over this salad is so darn good!!  I know I say this a lot but it’s so good I could drink it.  I don’t because that’s weird but that’s how delicious it is.  I make my dressing in the blender simply because it’s easy to throw everything in at once and turn it on.  You can also use an immersion blender. So all you need is red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, plain greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, honey, good quality olive oil and some salt and pepper! Get that all blended up and pour it over your salad, toss away until it’s nicely covered.  You don’t have to use all of the dressing, just add it to your liking.  You can reserve any leftover dressing in a covered container for a week in the fridge.  This salad is also fantastic the next day too.  I like to have it on hand for lunch (both for the kids and myself)…if that’s the case, it will go fast!  Hope you enjoy!


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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Creamy Red Wine Vinaigrette
 
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup raw quinoa - cooked to package instructions
  • ½ Cup kalamata olives - sliced
  • ½ Cup cucumber - chopped
  • ½ Cup cherry tomates - sliced
  • ½ Cup yellow bell pepper - chopped
  • ½ Cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 Tbsp flat leaf parsley - minced
  • fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Creamy Red Wine Vinaigrette:
  • 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp 0% greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 3 Tbsp good quality olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, prepare quinoa according to package directions and set aside to cool
  2. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients
For the Vinaigrette Dressing:
  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or use an immersion blender to combine. Drizzle salad with vinaigrette dressing and toss until well combined

Grilled Flank Steak & Arugula Salad with Creamy Balsamic

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If you are ever looking for a super quick and easy dinner, this delicious grilled flank steak arugula salad with creamy balsamic is your answer.  There are very few ingredients in this dish and the flavors are just outa this world.  Whoever came up with the idea to pair a fantastic charred steak with gorgonzola cheese and then top it off with a balsamic dressing is like a totally brilliant person and I wish I knew them.  I should actually google that…I wonder if I could find out who that amazing person was??  Wow, you’d think I don’t have anything better to do with my time.  Possibly???  Anyway, I digress…back to this dish.  I’m gonna tell you just how easy this one is to make.  Put these ingredients on your shopping list this week for sure. You’ll be so happy!!

Do you want the good news or the good news?  You don’t even have to spend any time marinating this flank steak.   I like to just drizzle it with a little olive oil and coat it generously with some kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Sometimes less is more when it comes to seasoning.  Not to mention, this steak is being paired with some other pretty dominating flavors…gorgonzola and balsamic have a way of letting you know they are present….In a super good way of course!!  Take your steak out of the fridge about 15-20 minutes prior to cooking it so it comes to room temp.  It cooks better if it’s not super cold.  Preheat the grill to high heat and after you season up the steak, throw it onto the nice hot grill.  Let it cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side.  Flank steak is pretty thin so it cooks up quickly.  Once it’s cooked to your liking, remove it from the grill and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

While the steak is resting, you can focus on your remaining cast of characters for this dish.  Piece of cake huh?  Seems easy enough.  You simply need your favorite gorgonzola cheese, some beautiful cherry tomatoes, arugula, an avocado (duh, we will always find a place for an avocado…I don’t care what it is…the avo is always invited to the party), and then of course, the creamy balsamic dressing.  To say I could drink this dressing is an understatement…I may have even tried it before. Don’t judge.  Anyway, time to assemble.  Not rocket science here.  Super simple…throw all the ingredients into a bowl, slice up the steak and lay it on top, then drizzle your dressing and voila!  Look what just happened!  It’s so pretty! Now, it’s your turn!  You got this!!


Grilled Flank Steak & Arugula Salad
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 pound flank steak
  • ½ Cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
  • 1 Cup cherry tomates - sliced
  • 1 avocado - sliced
  • 4 Cups arugula - large stems removed
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
For the Creamy Balsamic Dressing:
  • 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic - chopped
  • 2 Tbsp 0% greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • 3 Tbsp good quality olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Creamy Balsamic Dressing:
  1. Using a blender or immersion blender, add all ingredients except olive oil and blend until smooth. Slowly drizzle int he olive oil and continue to blend until incorporated.
For the Flank Steak:
  1. Preheat grill to high heat
  2. Remove steak from fridge 20 minutes prior to cooking to allow it to come to room temperature
  3. Drizzle steak with olive oil on both sides and season generously with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
  4. Place steak on grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred - about 4-5 minutes on each side
  5. Remove steak from grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
  6. While steak is resting, toss arugula, tomatoes, avocado and gorgonzola crumbles in a bowl with the balsamic.
  7. Slice the steak into thin pieces going against the grain and place on top of salad.

Orzo Pasta Salad with Pesto

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This orzo pasta salad with pesto is a staple at GTK!  It is the perfect side dish to serve or bring to a party and we get requests for this one all the time.  There is just something about pesto…and we are obsessed!!  This salad is so easy to make and the flavors are beyond complimentary…and it’s Healthy too!  You really cannot go wrong with combining the orzo with cherry tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese, kalamata olives and fresh pesto.  Then it’s topped off with a splash of red wine vinegar which really brightens up this dish.  We love to pack this one up for a picnic, trip to the beach or lake or bring to a BBQ to share with friends!  Add this recipe to your list of “I must make this” today!  You won’t regret it!

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Orzo Salad with Pesto
 
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Serves: Makes 12 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 lb orzo pasta
  • ¾ C prepared pesto (use store bought pesto or see pesto recipe below)
  • ¼ C red wine vinegar
  • 2 C spinach, chopped into thin strips, stems removed
  • 2 C cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ C cubed feta
  • ½ C pitted kalamata olives, quartered
  • cracked pepper
For the Pesto:
  • 2 C packed fresh basil leaves
  • ¼ C toasted pine nuts
  • 1 cloved garlic, chopped
  • ½ C grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ C good quality olive oil
  • S & P to taste
Instructions
  1. Boil orzo according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
  2. In a large bowl add orzo, pesto and red wine vinegar and mix until incorporated. Add all ingredients except for pepper. Mix together and top with cracked pepper.
**If making homemade pesto (recommended)
In a food processor combine basil, cheese, garlic, pine nuts and ¼ C olive oil. Slowly drizzle in the remaining ¼ C olive oil while the food processor is running. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Store remaining pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.