Grilled Steak Salad w/Cherries, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese

I'm not sure what happened to summer this year. It's been end of September fall-like cold for the past few days. Below normal temperatures for weeks. It's the middle of August. It's all very wrong. In fact the entire season has been odd, unseasonably cool and wet. I'm stomping my feet like a 2 year old in protest to Mother Nature. Cold and wet, nope, not a fan! But summer is NOT over yet!

I am a huge fan of steakhouse steak salads. But, I'm not much of a salad eater when the weather turns cold. Since summer isn't over just yet, and they say there is more summer like temperatures in our near future, I am sharing this MOST AWESOME steak salad with you. If you are like me and prefer to eat salads when the temperatures are up there, make this one before time runs out!

It's a very simple salad with simple ingredients that just combine so beautifully. Tender Boston lettuce topped with grilled warm steak slices that have been marinated in some of the homemade vinaigrette, tart dried cherries, tangy blue cheese, and crunchy walnuts all topped with a zippy, super simple, red wine vinaigrette.

I realize not everyone is a blue cheese fan. I adore blue cheese, but I do have a son that isn't so fond of it. He replaced the blue cheese with goat cheese and said it was delicious! I also think feta would be a suitable substitute. As for the walnuts, I used Emerald Glazed Walnuts.

We like the sweetness they give salads. But you could substitute plain roasted walnuts or just leave them off the salad all together, and you will still have a great salad.

For the steak portion of this salad, I used a flat iron cut of steak. I like flat iron for several reasons. 1. It's reasonably priced. 2. It cooks up quickly. 3. It's very tender. Of course, you could substitute a flank steak cut or a sirloin cut if you choose, and it would be fine too. Just keep in mind, the nutritional information given for this recipe is based on the flat iron cut of steak. (To learn more about cuts of beef and how to prepare them visit this site HERE)

If you are a fan of grilled steak salads, you MUST put this salad on your menu! It's restaurant quality food at home for half the price. Trust me!

Grilled Steak Salad w/Cherries, Walnuts and Blue Cheese

Servings - 4 Serving Size - 1/4th of recipe Points Plus per serving - 11 Points+

• Calories - 393.1, Total Fat - 25.4g, Carb. - 16.8g, Protein - 25.4g, Fiber - 2.2g
• 12 oz. flat iron steak
• 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper, to your liking
• 2 large heads of Boston lettuce, washed, spun, and torn into pieces
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. In small bowl, or a small glass jar with lid, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Whisk or close lid and shake well. Remove 3 TBS of mixture for marinade. Cover and refrigerate the rest of the vinaigrette.

2. In a gallon sized zipper bag, add the flat iron steak along with the 3 TBS of vinaigrette. Close and and put in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to 1 hour to marinade.

3. Heat grill pan to hot. Remove steak from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Discard marinade. Spray grill pan with cooking spray and grill steak to your liking. We like med/rare. Allow steak to rest for about 5 to 10 minutes once done, then cut into thin strips on an angle.

4. Divide the lettuce between 4 plates. Top lettuce with 3 oz. steak strips per salad. Sprinkle each salad evenly with the cherries, blue cheese and walnuts. Drizzle each salad evenly with the refrigerated vinaigrette. Enjoy!

I admit, this is a bit of a calorie/fat splurge with the steak-blue cheese-walnut trifeca...but trust me, it is so worth it! I was introduced to this recipe via Allrecipes Allstar Program and the Beef, It's What's for Dinner campaign but altered the recipe a bit to my liking.

I cannot even believe my youngest son is back to school already!! This weekend I'll be moving in the other two college kids into their apartment. Then what? Um. Maybe some free time?? Is it possible that free time actually exists? lol Even though all the kiddos are back to school, I refuse to believe summer is over yet. This salad is the perfect salad to enjoy on a warm summer's eve...and I know there are still a few of those left!!