Receta Steak Caesar Salad, a long day
We still have Romaine left in the garden but the other lettuces have bolted and been pulled for compost.
The Romaine will last another few days. but our salad season is almost over. This will likely be the last salad of the season (other then my lunch salads)
The good news is the chard is growing fast and we ate the first of the summer squash this week. The corn is almost shoulder high, the beans have reached the top of their trellis and there are tomatoes forming.
The good news / bad news is that everything is growing unusually fast and big this year. Last year my potager was a bit on the sparse / pathetic side.
I may have over-planted to compensate.
It’s turning into a jungle. I’m going to have to borrow mon mari’s machete to get in to pick anything….
But it keeps the weeds down and reduces hoeing…..
Steak Caesar Salad
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 12oz (360gr) flank steak or other steak suitable for stir-fry
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 1 tbs chili powder
- 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Lettuce – for 2 main salads, preferably Romaine, torn
- 1/2 – 2/3 cup Caesar dressing
- 1 tomato
- 1 avocado
Instructions:
Mix chili powder, Worcestershire, oil and garlic.
Slice steak on the diagonal, across the grain into strips.
Clean the mushrooms and cut in half.
Add mushrooms and steak to chili powder mixture and toss to coat.
Cook on barbecue grill in a pan or sauté in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat (with a bit of olive oil) on the cook top. Either way cooking time is 3 – 4 minutes.
Slice tomato, then cut slices in quarters.
Cut avocado into chunks.
Put lettuce, avocado and tomato in large salad bowl.
Toss with some of the dressing.
Top with steak and mushrooms.
Serve with remaining dressing on the side.
Caesar Dressing
Ingredients:
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs sherry or white wine vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 anchovy filets, mashed or 1 tsp anchovy paste (optional)
1/2 cup Greek or plain yogurt
2 tbs salad olive oil
1 tbs fresh chives
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 tbs Parmesan
Instructions:
Put mustard, lemon juice and yogurt in small bowl and whisk well to combine.
Slowly add olive oil whisking constantly.
Add garlic, herbs and Parmesan.
Dressing should be thick. This will keep a week in the fridge.
I need more discipline
During all of the years I worked in an office I was able to accomplish my jobs in a reasonable amount of ‘office’ time (60 – 70 hours per week) and still have a reasonable amount of leisure time (late evenings and at least 1 weekend day).
Take yesterday, as an example.
I had planned 5 hours to finish the weekly menu update and 2 hours to work on another project.
My day is 17 hours long. If I subtract the 2 hours for lunch and dinner, the 1 hour for exercising and the 1 hour for doggie exercising, that leaves me with 13 hours.
From that I subtract the 1 hour for gardening (have to maintain) and the 1 hour for watering the garden and I have 11 hours.
I work for 7 of those hours and have 4 left for leisure time…. Right?
There is plenty of time in my day to accomplish everything.
Until The Powers That Be tamper with my schedule.
I was sitting, quietly, working at my desk when I heard Guapa crying. A few seconds later she came to me for petting.
Both actions are out of the ordinary at that time of day. Normally, we have our morning walk, breakfast, a good bark at the neighbors, some playtime, then settle in for morning naps. Apparently, Bonnie was too rough at morning playtime because poor Guapa had been injured. She wanted to settle in for her nap but couldn’t. Every time she tried to lay down it hurt, she cried, then stood up.
And came to me for comfort.
She did this all morning long, getting progressively worse.
I spent a good portion of my day trying to sooth her and discover the problem. Every time I would get her settled somewhere a car or a bird or a rabbit or Bonnie would disturb her and we would start all over again.
She wouldn’t even eat…. Not even treats.
Guapa always eats. She’s always hungry. She can hear the treat cabinet open from 5 miles away.
When I finally got her settled I went out to the potager. I noticed that all the plums on that particular tree were ripe. And not just ripe but ‘falling-on-the-ground’ ripe.
Well, something had to be done…. Can’t waste perfectly good food!
I finished in the potager, picked the plums and made jam. Fortunately (or not) I only had 1 kilo of the special sugar for jam so I had to stop at 2 kilos of plums…
Which is about 500 plums…. They’re very small, just slightly bigger than a cherry.
They all had to have the stones removed – with the cherry pitter….
That’s why I’m doing this blog post today instead of yesterday.
The jam is finished and packed away; Guapa is back to her usual self, had last night’s dinner for breakfast and remembered exactly where I had put the treat from last night that she didn’t want.
It’s a new day – I’ll try it all again.
Last update on July 3, 2014