Quick Steak & Rocket Salad

Inspired by a lunch I had at Matricinella on a recent trip to Rome.

I love a warm salad for a quick dinner. There’s something about having part of the meal served warm that makes it feel more substantial and ‘dinner-like’. There are 2 benefits to chopping the steak into slivers. First it cooks in a flash and second it tenderizes the meat. Win win!

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Quick Steak & Rocket Salad

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 2 steaks about 200g/7oz each
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 bag rocket (arugula)
• shaved parmesan cheese to serve

Instructions

• Heat your frying pan on a very high heat. Trim any fat from the steak and slice into super fine strips. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season.
• Cook beef in the hot pan for about 1 minute. Then stir and keep cooking till browned on all sides.
• Meanwhile, combine lemon juice and 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a bowl.
• When the steak is cooked transfer to the lemon dressing.
• Toss in rocket leaves. Serve with parmesan shaved over.

Variations

vegetarian – skip the parmesan and replace the steak with halloumi sliced into batons. You could also replace the steak with chickpeas or fried eggs.

vegan – replace the steak with sliced field or portabello mushrooms. You’ll need 1-2 per person and they’ll take more like 7-8 minutes to cook. Replace the parmesan with either chunks of avocado or some slivered almonds.

chicken – replace steak with a chicken breast or thigh fillets. Make sure the chicken is cooked through before tossing in the dressing.

different leaves – I love the bitterness of rocket but you could use any salad leaves. A little radicchio is lovely here in the Autumn or Winter.

more veg – add grilled red peppers (capsicum), zucchini, eggplant or cherry tomatoes to the pan.

dairy-free – replace the parmesan with a handful or toasted/flaked almonds, breadcrumbs, some halved cherry tomatoes or just skip it.

more substantial (carb lovers) – toss in torn chunks of sourdough bread and double the dressing or toss in roast cubes of sweet potato. Serve with steamed or roast potatoes.

more substantial (low carb) – extra steak, extra Parmesan or Mayo.

paleo (gluten, grain + dairy-free) – flaked almonds instead of cheese. Or replace parmesan with halved cherry tomatoes.

Leftover Potential

Better fresh it is as the leaves will wilt. Still edible after a week in the fridge though.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

steak – cryovacced will keep in the fridge for a few weeks. Otherwise freeze.

lemons – keep in the fridge for months.

rocket (arugula) – best to use for something else. Can be frozen and used when defrosted as wilted greens.

Parmesan – keeps wrapped in baking paper and sealed in an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge for months. Can be frozen.

Problem Solving Guide

too bland? – give it more salt and pepper. Extra parmesan can help too

too oily / too much dressing – just transfer the salad to a clean bowl, leaving behind as much of the dressing as possible, then toss in the new bowl to rub some of the dressing off onto the sides. If things are really bad a bit of judicious paper towel blotting will help.

steak tough / chewy – there are three potential problems here. IT could be the quality of the steak in which case I’d try a different butcher or a different more tender cut like rib eye (scotch fillet). The other thing to watch out for are overcooking the steak and making sure it’s sliced really finely.

Prep Ahead

Best when made fresh!

Serving Suggestions

Great as a simple supper on its own.

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