Recipe #318: Tuscan Steak Salad with Broiled Parmesan Tomatoes

I haven't forgotten about my blog!  The fact that I haven't posted in two months tells you how crazy life has been.  But I'm back!  Here's a great one from Cooking Light magazine, June issue.  I doubled it for three of us.

THE SALAD:

1 large garlic clove

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 (8-ounce) boneless strip steak

Cooking spray 

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 cups Italian-blend salad greens 

2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese 

1. Mince garlic on a cutting board. Sprinkle garlic with salt; mash with the side of a knife to form a paste. Combine garlic paste, 1 tablespoon oil, rosemary, rind, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Rub garlic mixture evenly over steak. Let stand 15 minutes.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Place steak on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices.

3. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, vinegar, and Dijon mustard in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add greens; toss to coat. Place 1 1/2 cups salad on each of 2 plates; top each serving with 3 1/2 ounces steak and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

THE TOMATOES:

3 vine-ripened tomatoes, halved horizontally (I used hunks of a tomato I already had)

Cooking spray 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano

1. Preheat broiler to high.

2. Place oven rack in middle of oven. Arrange tomato halves, cut sides up, on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan (I put them on a rack above a cookie sheet). Coat cut sides of tomatoes with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil 8 minutes. Combine cheese, garlic, and oregano in a bowl; sprinkle over tomatoes. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts and is golden.