Weekend Entertaining...Flank Steak Salad With Arugula And Blue Cheese

So Summer has officially begun.  Time to head to the beach or country house for the weekend and enjoy a few days with good friends.

Summer weekends are a time to take a break.  The idea is to have a good time and relax. You certainly don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen and if you live and work in the city, who wants to go out to an overcrowded restaurant for dinner?! There is a very simple and great solution.  The grill.  It is your best friend for the rest of the summer.  Use it.  If you don't have one, get one.

There is nothing like grilled meat or vegetables on the grill.  Corn is the only thing I prefer steamed, but I'm willing to be convinced.  While I haven't as yet experimented with pizza, it will be at the top of my list this summer.  

This hearty salad is the perfect meal for Friday night.  There's not much to do except marinade the meat for a few minutes and the salad comes together in no time.  I substituted skirt steak for the flank this time, but both work well.  While the original recipe says it will serve 4 people, if you are serving it for dinner, I would definitely double it, particularly if you are using skirt which shrinks considerably.  I found that my daughter and I could easily devour the one pound/ 2 cups of salad, with a few bites for the dogs.

You can slice the steak thinner and probably should if you are having guests.  I was too lazy to do it and it was just the two of us.  

You know what would be perfect for dessert? Strawberry Shortcake!

Flank Steak Salad with Arugula And Blue Cheese
Serves 2

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbs. sherry vinegar

1 clove garlic, pressed

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 lb. (500 g.) flank steak

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups (2 oz./60 g.) arugula

1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g.) crumbled blue cheese

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 Tbs. fresh flat leaf parsley leaves

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin and coriander. Place the steak on a plate. Spoon half of the dressing over both sides of the steak, reserving the remaining dressing. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Prepare a grill for direct-heat cooking over medium heat. Grill the steak directly over the fire, turning once, until seared on both sides and medium-rare inside, about 8 minutes.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes. In a bowl, combine the arugula, blue cheese, shallots and parsley, and drizzle the remaining dressing over the top. Season with salt and pepper and toss together well. Slice the steak, arrange the slices on a platter, top with the arugula salad, and serve. 

Adapted from Williams Sonoma recipes
All photos Lindaraxa