Grilled Steak and Artichoke Salad

Grilled Steak and Artichoke Salad

Here is a main dish steak salad that will appease even the heartiest of appetites. Temperatures are still toasty here and I wanted to concoct a cool summer salad that would be filling enough for dinner. I used a thin-sliced top round, which is not as tender as flank steak, but marinating the meat helped tenderize it. I was going to make a homemade vinaigrette, but by the time I finished grilling, chopping, and dicing I decided store-bought dressing would suffice.

Steak Marinade

1/2 pound thin-sliced steak
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Black pepper to taste

Place the steak in a quart Ziploc baggie. Whisk the rest of the ingredients together and pour over the steak. Seal bag and let marinate for several hours or overnight. Take out and let come to room temperature about an hour before grilling.

Grilled Steak and Artichoke Salad

Marinated steak
Torn red-leaf lettuce
Thin-sliced red onion
Chopped green onion
1 can drained and rinsed artichoke hearts, quartered
Grape tomatoes
1 cucumber, peeled, sliced, and quartered
Sliced white mushrooms
Black pepper to taste

Heat grill to medium-high heat. Grill steak for about 5 minutes each side, then place on platter and tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes.  Slice thin across the grain, and serve on top of a bed of lettuce with the other ingredients. Serve with salad dressing of choice.

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Grilled Sausage and Vegetables in Foil Packet

Sausage and Veggies Ready for Foil Packet

First off, I didn’t use a lot of seasoning in this since I figured the smoked sausage would impart a great deal of flavor along with the grilling. (It did) Second, I was quite surprised at how big my foil packet ended up. It was the size of a watermelon! I had already laid out the large piece of foil (doubled up since I didn’t have heavy-duty) and was still surprised how large it got. Next time I think I’ll try two smaller packets so it won’t take so long on the grill. The smoked sausage I used is one that looks like a Kielbasa — it comes in the horseshoe-like shape in a shrink-wrapped package, not the fresh sausage you find in casings.

Grilled Foil Packet

Grilled Sausage and Vegetables in Foil Packet

1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
3 to 4 medium red potatoes
1 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper, chopped
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 carton grape tomatoes
5 large white mushrooms, quartered
1 large green onion, chopped
1 Smoked Sausage or Kielbasa link, cut into 1/2 to 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon butter, cut into tiny chunks

In a rather large bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon, garlic, Mrs. Dash, and black pepper until well combined. Add all the veggies and let them marinate while you pre-heat a grill to medium heat. I didn’t want to marinate the sausage in the oil since it already has enough fat in it. Prepare a large piece of aluminum foil — heavy duty if you have it or double up if you don’t — about 18-inches square, or two small pieces to fit everything in it. When ready to cook, add the sausage chunks and lightly toss around to distribute evenly. Evenly spread the food over the foil, leaving enough room to close and seal the packet. Distribute the tiny chunks of butter over the top, then seal the foil packet(s). Just make sure you crimp everything really good so you don’t leak and get a flare-up on the grill. Place the packet on the grill and close the lid for one hour, turning halfway through. If you use two packets I’m sure it would greatly reduce the cooking time. Both my husband and daughter raved at how good this was! We had enough leftovers for two people, so this will easily feed four to six people, depending on appetites. Happy Grilling!

Grilled Sausage and Veggies Plated