Grilled Salads

 Despite the fact that the snow continues to fall, and we are still enjoying skiing and snowshoeing , this weekend, our thoughts turned slightly towards spring. Not to get too excited, we noticed a difference in the way the light filtered through the trees on our morning dog walks. We also started to hear the sounds of the cardinals and chick-a-dees and even sighted a red- headed woodpecker(piliated perhaps, or maybe a flicker?)  Grilling outside even felt balmy this weekend! 

We decided that this would be a good time to think about lightening our diets a bit and start focussing less on meat heavy meals and more towards eating lots of vegetables.  So this week, we give you 2 grilled salad recipes to try. Use whatever you have in the refrigerator, but we do recommend adding some fruit to your salads. The sweet, fresh flavour of fruit really compliments any grilled meat or cheese that you choose to include in your salad.  Here is what we came up with!

Salad of Grilled Beef Tenderloin Strips, orange segments, avocado and micro-greens

We saw a beautiful beef tenderloin at the butcher and decided that we could cook once and eat twice, using it as the main course each meal! The whole grilled tenderloin was perfect for a Friday night birthday party, but even better, it was delicious when it was featured the next night in a refreshing main course salad of spring greens, orange segments, green onions, avocado and grilled beef tenderloin strips-topped with micro-greens, from The Working Centre.

 The dressing for this salad is simple:

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp dijon mustard

coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Combine white wine vinegar, maple syrup, fresh lime juice, dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a large salad bowl. Slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil.

We thought that this would also be a good time  to give a bit of a refresher on how to grill the perfect beef tenderloin(see below).

 

The Perfect Grilled Beef Tenderloin:

  1         whole  beef tenderloin , at room temperature(6 lb)

  1         tablespoon  olive oil

             coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat barbecue and set temperature to MEDIUM.

Pat tenderloin dry with paper towels, and brush with olive oil.  Season

with salt and pepper.

Place the tenderloin on oiled barbecue grids at a 30 degree angle for 20

minutes, rotating the meat by 1/3 every 6 1/2 minutes, to get grill marks

on all sides.

Remove the tenderloin from the barbecue to a glass dish and tent with

foil, leaving it stand for 20 minutes.

Return the tenderloin to the grids, placing it on the opposite 30 degree

angle and grill for the final 20 minutes.  Rotate the meat by 1/3 every 6 1/2 minutes, basting it with juices

from the dish.

Remove the tenderloin to a carving board and cover with foil and a kitchen towel

to insulate.  Let stand 10-20 minutes to reabsorb the juices, before carving.

We also prepared this wonderful grilled salad with pears, zucchini, red peppers and stilton cheese. Try it the next time you invite friends or family over for lunch.

Grilled Salad with Stilton and Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette

2 firm-ripe pears, cored and sliced into 1/8ths.

2 red bell peppers, cut into large chunks

2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise

Vegetable oil to brush on the vegetables and pears

spring mix lettuces, washed and spun dry

crumbled Stilton or Gorgonzola cheese

¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds

for the vinaigrette

2 oil-packed sundried tomatoes, finely minced

1 small clove garlic, finely minced or pressed

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, combine the sundried tomatoes, garlic, honey and vinegar.  Whisk in the olive oil in a steady stream.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM HIGH for 10 minutes.  Clean the grids with a steel brush to remove any residue, and lubricate them with some vegetable oil.  Reduce the heat to MEDIUM, and lay the prepared pears and vegetables on the grill, brushing the pears and zucchini with a little oil to prevent sticking.  Grill them until just tender, for a total of about 8 minutes, turning 3 times for perfect grill marks. 

Pile the lettuce on individual plates and arrange the vegetables over top.  Spoon the dressing evenly over the salads, then sprinkle with the toasted pumpkin seeds and Stilton cheese.