Grilled Steak and Watermelon Feta Salad

I recently had dinner at a restaurant (BJ's), but I won't mention any names (BJ's) and had the worst service on the face of the planet (BJ's)! I hate it when that happens! Especially because there was a new salad on the menu (at least, it was new to me) that sounded delicious and I was excited to try. When my salad finally came I was delighted! It looked delicious! Then about 5 seconds later another server showed up at the table with the entrées... What?! I was so mad... I wanted my salad but I wanted my entrée and I was the only one who had ordered a salad. Sigh.... I handed the salad back to the server and ate my dinner with the rest of the table. Man, was I bummed! I wanted that salad! So what did I do? I made my own the following night at home! Ha! Take that anonymous restaurant with crappy service (BJ's)!

I didn't get to try the salad at the restaurant as reference so I have no idea if mine turned out the same. In fact, I know it isn't the same because I made a few variations from the salad listed on the menu. I added thinly sliced, grilled steak, toasted sunflower seeds, and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing instead of the honey vinaigrette dressing on the menu. It was DE-lish-Us!

I've included a recipe for the Balsamic Vinaigrette here as well. Of course, you can always use bottled...but homemade is so much fresher.

One Serving of Salad

What You'll Need:
2 cups mixed greens (You can use whatever you like most. I like the Spring Mix with arugula, red leaf lettuce, endive, etc. and I add a little chopped romaine as well.)
1/2 cup bite size watermelon cubes
1-2 Tbs coarsely chopped/sliced red onions
1-2 Tbs crumbled Feta cheese
1 tsp toasted, salted sunflower seeds
2 oz thinly sliced strips of grilled steak (you can use an inexpensive cut of meat for this. Marinate the meat in some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, pressed garlic clove, and brown sugar for at least an hour before grilling and slice thin before serving)
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette (more or less to taste)

What You'll Do:
Grill the steak how you like it... I prefer medium. Chop the watermelon and onion and set aside. Place the salad greens on a plate or salad bowl, layer the rest of the ingredients and finish with the balsamic dressing.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

What You'll Need:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs honey
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

What You'll Do:
Place all ingredients in a screw-top jar or 'shaker cup.' Shake to combine. I noticed the longer I shook the more 'frothy' the dressing got. (Is that even a word? The dressing got thicker! lol) Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Especially if you like it more or less sweet.
Cover and refrigerate. Shake before use.

Pasta and Mushroom Wine Sauce

 I hesitate to call this a Marsala Wine Sauce because I didn't use Marsala wine...so we'll just call it a "Mushroom Wine Sauce." I wanted to make a sauce similar to the one I love from my favorite Italian restaurant and decided to just use one of the white wines I had at home. I had a Riesling and a Moscato and went with the Moscato because of the similar sweet qualities that I taste in a Marsala sauce. It turned out AH-mazing! 

My kids are with family for a couple weeks for summer vacation so this was my opportunity to cook something they wouldn't usually eat. They don't like anything with big hunks of onion, or mushrooms for that matter. This should be a fun couple weeks for me in the kitchen. I can make all the spicy, oniony, garlicy, crazy creations I want!

What You'll Need:
 3 TBS Olive Oil
1/4 cup onion, sliced
1 TBS garlic, chopped ( I used 3 cloves of garlic, pressed)
1/2 pound mushroom, sliced
3 TBS flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 ½ cups beef stock
salt and pepper to taste

What You'll Do:
Add olive oil to a heavy, hot saucepan. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are tender. Add flour, stir to coat the veggies, and cook about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the 1/2 cup wine. Add the beef stock and cook until the sauce thickens.  Serve over baked chicken breast or pasta. (Or both!)